"A small but vocal group of conservative Republicans in the Maryland House of Delegates were stunned on Friday when far-left Democrats pushed through HB 858—a bill that establishes a mattress stewardship program under the guise of promoting safe disposal and recycling. This is another tax on Marylanders as the state sinks into financial turmoil and elevated credit downgrade risks. The new 6% tax on mattresses is on top of the existing 6% sales tax."

Several states surround Maryland and there is no tax on sleeping….buy your mattresses there.

I sleep great knowing I left that cobalt blue commie stronghold in the rear view.

The "Sleep Tax" is the precursor for the "Breathing Tax."

Yep cause they won’t have to pay it.

Both the Democrats, and the Uniparty seem to always want to raise taxes and never want to reduce spending. I have the way to eliminate income taxes, while also fully funding LEGITIMATE spending, as provided for within each States Constitution.

Here are some of my ideas on how to eliminate State income and property taxes on citizens. Every State could do this. This is the way:

1. Require a 100% accounting of all the money, expenditures, of every department, program, or agency with unconstitutional spending. If the State Constitution doesn't specifically delegate it, then it must be abolished.

2. Publish the actual cost to run the State government annually with full disclosure and transparency, once #5 has been completed.

3. Establish a minimum of a $1,000,000,000.00 emergency fund that cannot be used for anything other than legitimate State emergencies. Any funds used must be replenished within the span of 4 years of being used.

4. Secure all State Elections 100%. Make it a capital crime to tamper with or commit fraud in the elections.

5. Reduce the State Government to the size and scope the intended when they wrote the State Constitution. Eliminate all departments, all agencies, all programs, all projects, and all roles not specifically delegated to the State Government through its Constitution. End all forms of State welfare, including foreign aid (if any), corporate aid, and domestic welfare programs. This will eliminate most unconstitutional spending. It will also shrink the government back to the size and scope originally intended. All departments and delegated powers that belong to the States will be funded 100% by those States, no federal dollars will be used.

6. Eliminate all State, county, and local taxes on citizens across the board. No other income taxes on citizens of any type at the State level. This includes any form of property tax, and every single State consumption tax: gasoline, diesel, communications, water, etc.

7. Enact sensible tariffs / taxes on any foreign trade, only as approved by the U.S. congress (if any). All excess funds over what is required to fund the limited government would go to paying off the State debt. Once that debt is paid off, all surplus funds would be evenly distributed to all State Citizens at the end of each year, with the exception of replenishing the emergency fund in #3 above.

8. Enact a flat 2.5% tax on businesses, but only on revenue over $1,000,000.00. Cap business tax at a maximum of 5% total when including county, city, and local government business taxes. This would allow small business owners plenty of breathing room to establish and grow a small business to a point of success allowing it to thrive once it was subject to the State flat tax. All excess funds over what is required to fund the limited government would go to paying off the State, County, City, or Local government debt. Once that debt is paid off, all surplus funds would be evenly distributed to all State, County, City, or local Citizens at the end of each year, with the exception of replenishing the emergency fund in #3 above. All other State and County government fee's or charges for businesses owned by citizens of the State would be eliminated. Government is not intended to generate profits, only raise enough revenue to cover the actual cost of running a small and efficient government.

9. Enact a flat 1.5% State sales tax on any non-exempt purchase. The sales tax is capped to a total of 3% which includes county, city, and local sales taxes sharing the additional 1.5%. All excess funds over what is required to fund the limited government would go to paying off the State, County, City, or Local government debt. Once that debt is paid off, all surplus funds would be evenly distributed to all State, County, City, or local Citizens at the end of each year, with the exception of replenishing the emergency fund in #3 above. All other government fee's or charges for businesses must not be more than the actual cost. Government is not intended to generate profits, only raise enough revenue to cover the actual cost of running a small and efficient government. (Food, groceries, water, weapons, ammunition, gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, water, natural gas, propane, utilities, and clothing to be tax exempt)

10. Enact a 2.5% State flat income tax on all non-citizens. If they earn their U.S. citizenship, they would no longer be subject to that income tax. Cap the non-citizen flat income tax at a maximum of 5% total when including County, City, and Local government taxes. All excess funds over what is required to fund the limited government would go to paying off the State, County, City, or Local government debt. Once that debt is paid off, all surplus funds would be evenly distributed to all State, County, City, or local Citizens at the end of each year, with the exception of replenishing the emergency fund in #3 above, and funding the deportation of illegal aliens apprehended or extradited within the State borders. (Would be funding the cost of incarcerating and feeding illegal aliens caught in the State, and transporting them to the nearest available federal illegal immigrant detention center.

11. Enact a Constitutional Amendment prohibiting recurring taxes on any type of property. This would prohibit government from infringing on the natural right to actually 100% own property.

12. Enact a Constitutional Amendment forbidding all non-citizens, all foreign governments, and all foreign companies from purchasing / owning any land or any other real estate within the State. If they already do own some, they have to sell it within 12 months of the ratification of the Amendment. If it is not sold, it will be taken through Eminent domain, and sold at auction to State Citizens, and not to government or corporations.

13. Enact a Constitutional Amendment establishing English as the official language of The State. Prohibit any government forms, publications, etc., to be printed in any language other than English.

14. Enact a Constitutional Amendment mandating that the Governor has Line Item Veto power.

15. Enact a Constitutional Amendment mandating only single issue Bills can be introduced, and all Bills / Laws must be simple, short, and easily understood by any citizen with a high school level of education.

16. Enact a Constitutional Amendment requiring all deals and all votes in the Legislative Branch be public. The public will see who voted on what, who voted, or didn't, and how each member voted. No more secret backroom deals, and no more secret votes.

17. Enact a Constitutional Amendment recognizing in every State, County, or Municipal court that jurors are the sole judges of the law and the facts.

18. Enact a Constitutional Amendment mandating everyone working for the state government, elected or appointed, to be audited by an independent agency every 2 years. This includes all judges, all elected representatives, Governors and Vice Governors, as well as all cabinet members, and all department heads and managers. Make the penalty for violations of their oath or the law expulsion / termination and a lifetime ban from ever again working in the State government, or holding State office. For more serious violations, the penalty should be felony prison time.

19. Make it a capital crime for anyone in State government to misappropriate, steal, or misuse State government funds. If you betray your oath and the public trust you should have pay the penalty of forfeiting your life.

20. Privatize all eligible services and functions that do not require government.

21. Privatize education (Trades, Pre-K through 12th, and college / university, with State oversight on minimum required educational standards. Encourage school choice based upon merit and performance.

22. No more prosecuting victimless "crimes". If you couple this with repealing all unconstitutional federal weapons laws, and laws against forming local militia's, these actions would save millions to billions of dollars annually, while increasing the safety / security of State Citizens.

23. Require anyone elected, appointed, volunteering, or employed by the State government, in any capacity, to watch the 6-hour U.S. Constitution class taught by Michael Badnarik before they take their Oath of Office. Make the penalty of betraying that oath punishable by prison and a lifetime ban from ever working in the government, or holding office. Video Link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wp-48d_jSb4

24. Require anyone elected, appointed, volunteering, or employed by the State government, in any capacity, to learn this simple, but critical, principle before they take their Oath of Office. Make the penalty of betraying that oath punishable by expulsion and a lifetime ban from ever again working in the government, or holding office: https://mises.org/articles-interest/not-yours-give