They say there are two things you probably never want to see:
- Sausage being made.
- Legislation in progress.
Last night was a perfect example of No. 2.
The Maryland General Assembly concluded its 90-day session last night at midnight … kinda.
Kinda?
It ended with the House trying to pass a resolution to extend the session for five days … or 30 days. The Senate ended sine die, in direct conflict with the House. The governor threatened another special session in the near future to deal with the budget bill that he wanted.
There were parliamentary debates, lots of attempts at filibusters, and just an overall very weird feeling. It was a sight you do not want to see.
CPAs, on the other hand, went 4 for 4, with our primary legislative agenda accomplished — for now. There is risk that a special session to address state revenue needs could bring us right back to fighting for our issues. However, last night we celebrated stopping sales taxes on accounting and tax services, stopping e-filing taxes from the “digital download” tax, stopping combined reporting, and passing an electronic filing bill for Maryland tax credits. See more over at www.CPALegislativeInsider.com.
One of the primary reasons for our success was our record attendance by MACPA members at our CPA Day in Annapolis. With almost 200 CPAs personally visiting their elected officials, our voice was heard, and that made all the difference.