Members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus and top Republican lawmakers are maintaining their firm opposition to any new taxes or increases as the General Assembly comes into its final stretch of budget negotiations.

“How do you feel about paying more taxes? You want to pay more income taxes? You want to pay more sales taxes? You want to pay more property taxes?” Baltimore County Del. Kathy Szeliga asked a crowd on Lawyers Mall in Annapolis Wednesday evening.

The several dozen people gathered shouted “no” in response.

“Politicians are increasing the already-bloated budget, and they’re looking for any and every tax to raise,” she said.

Less than three weeks remain in Maryland’s legislative session and the state’s fiscal 2026 budget has not yet been approved.

Democrats are working to ensure the budget that’s passed is sustainable and protects the state from federal uncertainty. Republicans, meanwhile, view the state’s budget as out of control, though they also maintain there’s still time to avoid new taxes and increases.

“We want to encourage them, it’s not too late … We haven’t had a vote on a single tax increase yet,” said Del. Matt Morgan, a St. Mary’s County Republican who chairs the conservative caucus. “It’s time for them to recognize there’s a lot of people out here. We call Maryland our home, and I’ll tell you, they could do the right thing.”

Some Maryland residents said they are frustrated by the proposed taxes, too.

Kathy Painter, a lifelong Marylander who now lives in Prince Frederick, thinks something needs to change.

“They seem to think that these are going to be helpful, but it’s hurting the little guy. If they’re supposed to be for the little guy, they’re hurting us,” she said. “We’re at retirement age. I don’t want to have to move out of Maryland because the taxes are killing us.”

To help resolve the state’s growing $3.3 billion budget deficit, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore proposed an overhaul of personal income taxes, which would give two-thirds of Marylanders a tax cut while increasing taxes on the wealthy, along with other fee increases.

A new tax on services is also expected in the budget, though it won’t be a “broad” tax on business-to-business services as proposed by Democratic lawmakers after Moore said Monday that it would not happen. Legislation taxing sugar-sweetened beverages will not be in the final budget.

The Republican lawmakers also criticized Moore, saying he wasted a surplus left by former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, and that the state needs to cut its spending.

“One of the things we hate more than anything else is hypocrisy — hate it down here, and all we hear from the Democrats over and over again is why they can do something and why somebody else doesn’t have to do something,” said Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, an Eastern Shore Republican. “Gov. Moore has been talking about growing the economy, and here’s how he wants to grow the economy: IT, life sciences, quantum and artificial intelligence, AI. He wants to grow the economy in those industries. And guess what he wants to tax? Those very same industries that he’s trying to grow.”

The conservative lawmakers say they’re not wavering in their fight against the taxes, though.

“They spend, they spend, they spend. They’re addicted to other people’s money, but it’s time for us to say no more,” Baltimore County Del. Robin Grammer said of leaders in Annapolis. “Stop lying. No more taxes. Cut the spending.”

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