Increase to sin taxes added to ‘panoply of options’ in the House

A top Democrat in the House is proposing nearly $90 million in taxes on alcohol and cigarettes as part of an effort to address billions of dollars in projected budget gaps. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate do not agree on how to tackle the revenue shortfall issue this session. Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), the chair of the House Appropriations Committee and others would like to prime the pump now so tax dollars are flowing when the budget gap widens.