Lend Your Voice

The General Assembly in Annapolis held hearings on two bills to make Uniformed Service Retirement Income 100% exempt from Maryland State Income Tax over the next several years; 50% in 2018, 75% in 2019, and 100% in 2020. Senate Bill 321 and House Bill 375, which were cross-filed, are a very good compromise for Maryland's current fiscal reality. There would be no change this year; the Governor would build the exemptions into the State’s budget each of the next three years.

Maryland has the highest concentration of cybersecurity job positions in the Nation yet a very low supply of qualified, available cybersecurity workforce professionals.

Maryland businesses require critical Uniformed Service retiree skills, especially in cybersecurity and Information Technology fields, but talent is going to other states.

Hearings were held on the legislation in February; nothing has happened with it since. Speaker Busch will not meet with me on this issue. As of Wednesday, March 15, 2017, only 26 days remain in the session. We must tell Annapolis that we want SB321 to come out of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and HB375 to come out of the House Ways and Means Committee with a Favorable Report, so they can be considered on their respective floors of the Senate and House.

Increasing numbers of Uniformed Service retirees are leaving Maryland when they retire because 26 other states are 100% tax free.

100% tax-free uniformed service retirement income is the incentive needed for military retirees to remain in or move to Maryland, bringing economic, business and social benefits to the State.

Please add your name to our petition – Lend Your Voice - Enhance Maryland's Fiscal Posture. https://susquehannamoaa.org/lendyourvoice

Thank you for standing with the 60,000 Maryland Uniformed Services Retirees and Surviving Spouses who receive Uniformed Service Retirement Income.