Hogan Announces Plan to Eliminate State Income Tax on Law Enforcement Pensions

Press Release

Speaking before the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police gubernatorial forum here today, GOP candidate Larry Hogan pledged to eliminate the state income tax on law enforcement pensions.

Hogan told the crowd of several hundred current and retired law enforcement professionals, "You deserve these tax breaks. You earned them. It's not just good economic policy for the state, it's the right thing to do," Hogan said.

The Anne Arundel businessman's campaign estimated that the measure would save retired law enforcement officers approximately $10 million a year. Hogan concludes this nominal impact on general fund revenues would be more than offset by enabling more former police to retire in Maryland where they and their families would continue to contribute to the local and state economy.

Without support of the O'Malley-Brown administration, the law enforcement tax break has languished in the State House since it was originally proposed by Delegate John Cluster. The bill was last introduced in the Maryland General Assembly during the 2014 session as House Bill 1461; that version eliminated the income tax on pensions for law enforcement officials and fire, rescue and emergency services personnel if the individual is over the age of 50.

In July, Hogan called for the elimination of the state income tax on military veterans saying the tax was "unfair to the men and women who have served our state and fought for our nation."

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