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Committee hears sponsor-only presentations on digital ad tax, sports-wagering license relocation, small-business guarantee fund, and Western Maryland economic/税
Summary
The Ways and Means Committee held brief hearings on a set of bills (SB605, SB1000, SB1008, SB698, SB861). Sponsors offered short descriptions; the committee recorded no votes during the hearing.
Several other bills received brief, sponsor-led hearings in the Ways and Means Committee on March 27 with little or no committee debate.
- Senate Bill 605 (Sen. Zucker): Sponsor described SB 605 as the Senate cross-file of House Bill 546 and called it the digital advertising gross revenue tax. The sponsor presented the bill and asked for a favorable report; no questions were asked and no vote was recorded.
- Senate Bill 1000 (Sen. Shelly Hettleman): SB 1000 is the cross-file of House Bill 1543 and concerns relocating a Class B2 retail sports wagering license within Baltimore County. Hettleman said the House version had passed the committee previously and asked for a favorable report; the committee had no questions.
- Senate Bill 1008 (testimony read for Sen. Hayes by Cara Dukes): The testimony stated that SB 1008 would strengthen the Small Business Guarantee Fund by expanding the financial instruments that can back guarantees and allow the state's full faith and credit to secure guarantees. The witness identified the bill as a priority of the Legislative Black Caucus and urged a favorable report.
- Senate Bill 698 (Sen. Paul Quarterman): A local bill to provide a sales-and-use tax exemption for construction materials and warehouse equipment used in a target redevelopment area called Mount Etna Farms in Washington County. Senator Quarterman said he had letters of support from county commissioners and the local delegation.
- Senate Bill 861 (Sen. Paul Quarterman): The Western Maryland Economic Investment Fund (sometimes called the George board in testimony) was presented as an authorization (amended from an introduced $10 million mandate) to support economic investment in Western Maryland. Quarterman said the bill had previously passed committee and the Senate floor with overwhelming support.
All five items were presented and the hearings were concluded without recorded committee votes during the session. Sponsors generally asked for favorable reports or relayed prior approvals; fiscal or detailed implementation information was not presented for all items in the record.
