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JESSUP, Md. (February 14, 2025) — Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman Friday marked the kick-off of Shop Maryland Energy Weekend with a visit to the ABW Appliances showroom in Jessup, Maryland. Shop Maryland Energy, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on February 15, 2025, and runs through 11:59 p.m. on February 17, 2025, is an opportunity for Marylanders to buy qualifying energy-efficient appliances without paying the state’s 6% sales tax. “If you are looking to purchase a new appliance, Shop Maryland Energy Weekend is an ideal time to make that big purchase to save upfront while also long-term savings on your energy bill and decreasing your impact on the environment. These benefits are valuable, especially as Marylanders are paying more for necessities, including gas and electricity,” Comptroller Lierman said . “This sales tax holiday is designed to encourage Marylanders to make the switch to more energy-efficient appliances. Each purchase brings us closer to reducing our environmental impact and reaching our climate goals.” Comptroller Lierman was joined by Ryan Simon, CEO of ABW Appliances, and Lori Kleppin, director of membership and external affairs for the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. During Shop Maryland Energy weekend some manufacturers, retailers, and utility companies may offer additional incentives for the purchase of qualifying products. “We appreciate the tax-free incentives provided by Shop Maryland Energy Weekend and the business it drives for Maryland businesses at this time of year,” Maryland Retailers Alliance President Cailey Locklair shared. “This is a winning proposition for customers, retailers, and the environment, and we are proud to support the Comptroller and Maryland businesses in this effort.” Eligible ENERGY STAR appliances include: air conditioners, washers and dryers, standard size refrigerators, furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats. Solar water heaters are tax-exempt year-round. To receive the ENERGY STAR label , a product must meet strict standards for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The tax-free weekend for energy-efficient appliances began in 2011 and there are estimates Maryland loses $800,000 in direct sales and tax revenue on eligible purchases every year. Marylanders can learn more about Shop Maryland Energy Weekend by viewing the Frequently Asked Questions .
Maryland's restaurants aren't going out of business fast enough, lawmakers in the state's capital of Annapolis say, and a pair of Democrats in the legislature have a plan to speed up the process. On top of previous hikes to the state's minimum wage, which have been a factor in many restaurant closures and staff reductions statewide, their new bill would create a 2026 ballot question asking voters to approve a minimum wage of $20-an-hour. If approved by voters, the question would also force restaurant owners to pay that $20 wage to tipped workers, as well. The bill is expected to be taken up by the Democrat-controlled Maryland House and Senate next month. Montgomery County was the vanguard of the proletariat in the effort to raise the minimum wage in the previous decade. The Montgomery County Council was warned by business owners, the Maryland Retailers Association, and the Restaurant Association of Maryland that a significant wage increase would put many enterprises out of business. Their predictions came to pass, as Montgomery's already-moribund economy was slammed by the higher wage requirements, higher taxes and new regulations, and the Council's disastrous "Nighttime Economy" initiative that ended up destroying the nighttime economy. Bars, stores, and restaurants that had endured for thirty or fifty years, serving multiple generations of Montgomery County residents, were suddenly closing left and right. The nightlife scene in Bethesda looks starkly different from what it was prior to the last decade. In fact, you can't really look at it at all, because it no longer exists. Along with record numbers of restaurant failures countywide, at least 24 nightspots closed in Bethesda alone. Downtown Bethesda's streets are now dark and lonesome after 9:00 PM. Click here to read the full post from Robert Dyer.
Maryland must address organized retail theft | GUEST COMMENTARY
Maryland’s state minimum wage could be on the way up once again. Lawmakers have a plan Thursday to not only increase the minimum wage but also make tips tax-free. Maryland voters will eventually get to decide if this happens — possibly as soon as next month — but some business groups are already warning that the move could hurt them. State lawmakers in Annapolis introduced the legislation Thursday. If passed, a constitutional amendment would go before voters in November 2026. Maryland’s minimum wage went up to $15 an hour back in July but this bill raises it to $20 in five years. It also phases out the state’s tipped wage of $3.63/hour and will give tipped workers full minimum wage, but they can keep tips tax-free. Prince George’s County Del. Adrian Boafo is the sponsor. "Prices at restaurants have gone up, people have experienced that in the pocket but the reality is when workers haven’t experienced a raise in a long time so it’s time for us to give them a raise," Boafo said. But not everyone is happy about this. some business groups are gearing up to fight this proposal. Just last week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the state’s economy wasn’t growing fast enough. Businesses and restaurants say they’re already struggling in a sluggish economy, and higher wages won’t help. Cailey Locklair is the president of the Maryland Retail Alliance. "Listen Maryland employers are at a breaking point! And when you look at all of the mandated increases and fees of the past couple of years what’s being considered," Locklair said. This minimum wage hike could wind up being one of the biggest fights in Annapolis this year. Joint hearings between Maryland’s House of Delegates and Senate are expected to be held in February. Click here to view the article on Fox5 .
In Annapolis, Maryland lawmakers were taking aim at retail theft.Since 2020, smash and grabs, shoplifting, and petty theft at stores has risen. In 2024 Capital One reported the latest nationwide numbers and Maryland retailers saw more than $1 Billion in revenue lost in 2022. (The most recent numbers) “Customers have to get an attendant to unlock some plexiglass to get something because the store is trying to mitigate theft and loss,” State Sen. Ron Watson, a Democrat from Prince George's County said. “Eventually, they’ll go somewhere else to shop.” This year Sen. Watson sponsored a bill aimed at curbing retail theft. Currently in Maryland, retail theft is only a felony if you steal more than $1,500 worth of goods in one jurisdiction. Watson’s bill takes aim at several angles. It would allow prosecutors to tie in all thefts over a 90-day period for a felony. Watson said it would allow prosecutors to tie in thefts from other states and counties. It also hammers down on people who steal multiple times from the same store. “We've worked with law enforcement to track these individuals to their apartments,” Watson said. “Sometimes they will have a whole retail store inside of their apartments, so this is not about people trying to put food on their table.” Tuesday, Sen. Watson’s bill had its first Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing in Annapolis. Several county prosecutors testified in support of the bill. They were joined by Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Association. “Between 2023 and 2024 alone, 37 pharmacies closed across the state in many of your communities and many more will occur,” Locklair testified. The CVS in Bowie Plaza was one of these recent closures. Local lawmakers said when company leaders shuttered the location back in December, they told CVS officials that retail theft played a big role in their decision. Once a place for prescriptions, turned into an empty store front. Watson said he feels the closure has left a hole in the community’s confidence. “It's not always about what the metrics tell you about whether crime is going up and going down,” Watson said. “It's about perception and if the residents don't feel safe, don't feel comfortable, then there's something we need to do to change that.” After an encouraging committee hearing, Sen. Watson’s bill was still alive and moving through the State House on Tuesday. Click here to view the piece from WUSA9 .
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