This year’s Maryland General Assembly was a masterclass in how to fleece taxpayers, punish businesses, and grow the bureaucracy — all while pretending they’re doing you a favor. Here’s the rundown:
1. More Gas Taxes — Because Apparently You’re Made of Money
Annapolis hiked the gas tax again — tied to inflation, no less — guaranteeing it never stops rising. Good luck affording your daily commute.
2. Statewide Bag Taxes — Now EVERY Grocery Trip Costs More
That “small” 10-cent bag fee? Now it’s statewide — and counties are free to jack it up even higher. A tax on basic living.
3. Electric Bill Surcharges to Fund Their Green Fantasy
Your utility bills are about to spike — again — to pay for overpriced wind and solar projects. Maryland ratepayers get gouged while China burns coal like there’s no tomorrow.
4. Income Tax Hikes on Middle-Class Families
“Taxing the rich” was just a lie. If you make $80,000 or more, congratulations — you’re the new enemy of the state.
5. Small Businesses Crushed with New Mandates
Mandatory sick leave expansion, climate compliance costs, and a blizzard of red tape. It’s almost like they WANT businesses to shut down or move out.
6. Vehicle Fees Soaring — New Taxes Just to Own a Car
Registration fees, titling fees, emissions fees — all up. If you need a car to get to work, Maryland Democrats say you’re part of the problem.
7. Property Tax Bombshell — Annual Reassessments Coming
Your home’s assessed value can now be hiked EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Forget stability — your American Dream just got a lot more expensive.
8. Toll Hikes and New “Congestion Taxes”
You thought the ICC was expensive? Just wait. They’re jacking up tolls statewide and inventing new “congestion” taxes in Baltimore and DC suburbs.
9. Explosion of Bureaucracy — 20+ New Government Agencies
Not even kidding. Twenty new commissions, agencies, and “boards” — and they all need YOUR tax dollars to survive.
10. Your Liberty? Buried Under Paperwork
More regulations, more surveillance, more bureaucracy, less freedom. This session was a progressive fever dream — and a taxpayer nightmare.
The 2025 Maryland Legislative Session was a win for the governorment and a loss for taxpayers. From higher taxes at the gas pump and the grocery store to new fees on vehicles and property, this session was packed with hard-hitting policies that will drain your wallet. Middle-class families saw income tax hikes, and small businesses face even more red tape.
To expand government, lawmakers created 20+ new agencies and mandated automatic property tax hikes. Meanwhile, the state introduced congestion fees, new toll hikes, and green energy surcharges on your utility bills, leaving you paying for costly policies that benefit the bureaucracy, not the taxpayer.
The session delivered more regulation, higher costs, and fewer freedoms, proving Annapolis can’t stop taxing and controlling. If you’re a Maryland taxpayer, this is the year to take action before it’s too late.
If you’re a Maryland conservative, it’s time to wake up.
You’re not just under attack — they’re coming for your wallet, freedoms, and future.
Fight back or get used to living like a cash cow for big government.
Direct Line News is a Maryland-based free-access publication committed to the Republican reform tradition.
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