Hogan sounds off on General Assembly session

As the balloons and confetti fell on the closing of the 2016 session, so did the hopes of some bills becoming law.

 

None was more upsetting to Gov. Larry Hogan than tax relief for Marylanders.

 

Although Hogan was not pleased about the almost quarter billion in tax cuts he wanted, the governor was pleased about the budget that was finalized two weeks ahead of schedule. 

 

"For the second year in a row, we approved a budget with no new taxes," Hogan said.

 

Hogan also pointed to more than $2 billion in road improvement projects around the state.

 

RELATED: A look at the bills that have passed the Md. General Assembly

The governor said protecting the transportation trust fund has been a big driver, and he still believes killing the Red Line through Baltimore was the right decision 

"About 90 percent of the people in the state were opposed to the Red Line," he said.  "About half of the people in Baltimore City didn't want the Red Line and about half of the people in Baltimore City didn't want the Red Line.  It just didn't make any sense. It was wasteful and it didn't accomplish much."

It may be no coincidence that since all those road projects have been funded, Hogan's popularity has soared-- above 70 percent in some statewide polls.

"I certainly wasn't this popular when I was in high school," he said. "I could have used numbers like this. But I'm happy that over 70% of the people are happy with the direction the state is heading and that they seem to be pleased with most of the things that we're pushing and focusing on. That's what's important."

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