Friday Five | February 19, 2021

Did you know: In 1954 Baltimore became the first city in Maryland and the first in the nation to implement school desegregation following Brown v. Board of Education.

Each Friday, the Maryland Chamber will bring you the top five news stories from the intersection of business and government. Here are this week’s top five stories.

 1. Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s State of the State’ Offers Timeline for Economic Recovery 

On Wednesday, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce presented ‘State of the State’ focusing on Maryland’s economy, followed by a discussion on the state of public health and a keynote address by Governor Larry Hogan. The virtual panel discussion offered a timeline of three or more years to fully recover from the impact of COVID-19 on Maryland’s workforce, economy and education system.

“We are predicting 2024 as when and where we’ll see recovery levels here in Maryland with vaccinations and other factors,” said Darius Irani, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Applied Research at Towson University.

Hogan ended with optimism saying the RELIEF Act signed into law this past Monday will help businesses, families and individuals to move ahead through the coming months as COVID-19 continues its grip on the state’s economy. The $1 billion package features several facets like tax breaks, direct payments of up to $500 and unemployment insurance grants.

To read more, please click here.

 2. Maryland Sued over Digital Advertising Tax

Yesterday, McDermott Will & Emery filed suit in Maryland federal court on behalf of several leading trade associations against Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, challenging the state’s recently enacted Digital Advertising Gross Revenues Tax. The plaintiffs in the suit are the U.S Chamber of Commerce, the Internet Association, NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association.

The complaint alleges that Maryland’s focus on internet advertising services discriminates against the internet, violating the Internet Tax Freedom Act. It also violates the Commerce and Due Process Clauses of the U.S Constitution since it penalizes out-of-state digital advertising.

For a copy of the complaint, please click here.

 3. 98% of RELIEF Act Checks will be Processed by Friday

On Monday, Governor Larry Hogan signed the RELIEF Act of 2021 providing a $1 billion package of emergency coronavirus relief to families and small businesses. In a statement, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said 98% of RELIEF Act checks would be processed by Friday, February 19.

Taxpayers can go to www.MarylandTaxes.gov/ReliefAct to see if they qualify and check the status of their payments. They can also call 1-833-345-0787 or email ReliefAct@marylandtaxes.gov for more assistance.

To read more, please click here.

 4. U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s COVID-19 Tracker

The U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation has been working with the private sector to gather insights and best practices on managing the vaccination rollout. They have created a tracker for businesses to share how they are contributing to the nationwide vaccination efforts and educating their employees and communities for a successful rollout.

To share how you are contributing to the COVID-19 recovery, please click here.

5. February is Career and Technical Education Month

Join us in celebrating the value of career and technical education (CTE) and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. CTE is education that directly prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers covering many different fields, including health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing and many more.

If you are a Maryland employer, your feedback on this survey is critical to ensuring that Maryland students earn industry credentials of value through CTE programs that will fill the state’s current and future workforce pipeline.

To take the survey, please click here.

Check out our Maryland Chamber Events Page for all of our Upcoming Webinars, Briefings, and Sponsored Events!

Upcoming Calendar of Legislative Briefings and Hearings

Wearing a mask in public lets us live life more safely. And it keeps you and everyone around you better protected from coronavirus. The more we mask together, the faster we get back to enjoying life…together. So, just carry on, masks on, Maryland.