Larry Hogan in Almanac of American Politics


On Environment: Rolled back "rain tax" that reduced Chesapeake Bay pollution

After campaigning with a pledge to roll back taxes, Hogan has made little headway on that front with a Democratic-held General Assembly. He did claim a modicum of success in the fact that the legislature's work product during his first three years did not contain additional tax increases. In his first year, Hogan signed a bill rolling back a requirement pass during O'Malley's tenure that Maryland's 10 most populous jurisdictions collect a storm-water mitigation fee to fund programs to reduce Chesapeake Bay pollution. Republicans [called] the fee as the "rain tax" ; it became a frequent applause line during Hogan's campaign. He used executive fiat in 2015 to reduce tolls on the five-mile-long Bridge that spans the Chesapeake Bay, calling attention to the popular move with special signs. Critics accused Hogan of depriving the state of $50 million annually for road and bridge repair.
Source: Almanac of American Politics on 2018 Maryland Governor race Oct 5, 2015

On Health Care: Beat cancer with chemotherapy while in office

In June 2015, after barely five months in office, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called a press conference on a hot summer afternoon to share the news that he had just been diagnosed with "a very advanced and very aggressive" form of cancer: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It had been discovered in late stage three, when survival rates for that type of cancer are normally in the 50 to 70% range. To lighten the mood in the room, the affable Hogan wisecracked, "The best news is that my odds of getting through this in beating this are much, much better than the odds I had of beating Anthony Brown," as the audience laughed and aides applauded. The quip under scored that Hogan surprise victory in deep blue Maryland over Brown--Lieutenant Governor under two-term Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley--ranked as one of the major upsets nationwide in 2014. Hogan won over many constituents with his show of stoic courage and dealing with six separate rounds of five-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day chemotherapy.
Source: Almanac of American Politics on 2018 Maryland Governor race Oct 5, 2015

On Tax Reform: My predecessors imposed 40 tax increases over 8 years

Hogan's policy agenda has remained tightly focused on pocketbook issues, consistent with the 2014 campaign in which he tapped into voters economic unease by pointing a finger at the state's tax structure and repeatedly accusing Gov. O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Brown of imposing "40 consecutive tax increases" (including tolls and fees as well as taxes) over eight years.
Source: Almanac of American Politics on 2018 Maryland Governor race Oct 5, 2015

The above quotations are from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
Click here for other excerpts from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2021