Md. high court upholds Baltimore’s billboard tax

Baltimore’s tax on commercial billboard operators does not violate their constitutional right to free speech in the advertisements and messages they post, Maryland’s top court ruled Monday in upholding the city’s charge. In its 6-1 decision, the Court of Appeals said the city’s uniform tax ordinance passes First Amendment muster because it does not discriminate based on the viewpoint conveyed on the billboards and is rationally related to the city’s legitimate goal of raising revenue.