Maryland
Maryland Senate Republicans push to roll back MVA fees as drivers complain of costs
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland drivers frustrated by rising costs at the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) are watching a push in Annapolis to roll back recent vehicle registration fee hikes.
At the MVA on Reisterstown Road, motorists said the cost of driving has become too high.
“It’s too expensive to drive,” one driver said.
Another driver said, “The cost is ridiculous. They want me to pay almost $400 (for my vehicle registration).”
ALSO READ | Maryland residents react to soaring vehicle registration fees, rank fifth highest in U.S.
Delores Howell, a Maryland motorist at the MVA, said the increases are hitting her hard.
“I think it’s awful. Who can afford it? It’s too much money,” Howell said.
She added, “I’m a senior citizen, and I’m on social security. I’m one person, live by myself. I can’t afford all this stuff. They keep going up, up, up, how high are they gonna go?”
Senate Republicans in Annapolis are pushing legislation this week to roll back the vehicle registration fee increases that were implemented in 2024. Those increases raised registration costs by about 60% to 70%, adding between $70 and $162 a year for many drivers.
The bill’s sponsor, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, said the higher fees are hitting families as the cost of gas, insurance and everyday essentials continues to climb.
Critics have warned the fees help fund transportation projects across Maryland and argue that reducing them could create new budget challenges for road maintenance and infrastructure.
During a recent hearing, Sen. Mary-Dulany James, D-Harford County, questioned how the state would meet transportation needs with less revenue.
“I’ve never had a hearing with the transportation department where we don’t have extraordinary demands and inadequate revenue,” James said. “So, that’s what I’m wondering about with this bill. How would you respond to that?”
Hershey responded by arguing there are competing views of what transportation funding should prioritize.
“There’s two different opinions on what transportation is in the state of Maryland,” Hershey said. “Many of us believe that it’s roads and highways, many of us believe that it’s transit.
The problem is transit is not sustainable on itself.”
James replied, “Well that’s true we should have a separate transportation trust fund for transit.”
“And that’s what’s important to get that conversation going… because the reality is you’re funding mass transit on the backs of motorists,” Hershey said.
ALSO READ | Maryland Judiciary warns of parking violation scam, directs recipients to Baltimore court
Back at the MVA, Howell said she hopes the proposed legislation could bring relief.
“Every time you look around, it’s not taxes. They put fees. Fees is a tax. So what can we do?” Howell said.
For now, the bill remains up for debate as lawmakers continue discussing the potential impacts on transportation funding.
Follow FOX45 reporter Keith Daniels on X and Facebook. Send tips to Kdaniels@sbgtv.com.
Maryland
Inseparable Maryland couple of 70 years died holding hands after tragic car crash: ‘They were simply quite the pair’
A beloved Maryland couple who were married for 70 years died holding hands in their hospital beds after being taken off life support following a horrifying car crash last week.
Kenneth and Marilyn Oland, high school sweethearts who wed in July 1955, died side-by-side Monday in a Baltimore hospital, six days after a car slammed into the side of their vehicle on Route 15 near their Thurmont home, according to their obituary and multiple reports.
Kenneth, 90, who was driving, and his 88-year-old wife were rushed to the hospital and placed on life support after suffering complications from the collision.
“I don’t think one could’ve lasted without the other,” their heartbroken friend, Nancy Echard, told Fox 5.
“That’s how tight they were. You always saw them together, no matter where you were.”
An employee at Thurmont Senior Center, where the couple were regulars who played bingo there twice a month, said they had just finished lunch and left about 15 minutes before the fatal crash.
The senior center posted a touching tribute to the late couple – parents of three, grandparents of five, and great-grandparents of six – hailing them as pillars of the community who were never seen without each other.
“To those of us here at the Senior Center, they were simply quite the pair,” Tuesday’s Facebook post said.
“You rarely saw one without the other, and that was no accident, they were two people who genuinely chose each other, every single day. In the end, even in their passing, they were not apart for long. They were a living reminder of what lasting love looks like, and we were blessed to witness it.”
The loving pair, devout churchgoers, regularly brought flowers to friends in nursing homes and were known for deeply cherishing their friends and large family, always uniting everyone for holidays, birthdays, and celebrations, their obituary said.
Marilyn devoted 25 years to chiropractic care before retiring in 2023, and Kenneth spent his life working in marketing.
Grief-stricken family members were comforted that the elderly couple died together and hope their love and legacy will live on.
“If there’s one thing we could share about my grandparents, it’s not only the 70 years they’ve had together and that they chose to be together every day and chose to go away together and leave this earth together,” their granddaughter Kristie Hopkins told the outlet.
“Their legacy is just how to be humans – be humble and kind and graceful to others and help strangers in need.”
Maryland
Power restored to University of Maryland after campuswide outage
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (7News) — A campuswide power outage at the University of Maryland prompted crews to respond overnight, including dispatching staff to assist people stuck in elevators.
In an advisory, the university said Facilities Management staff were on site assessing the situation and that crews were being dispatched to individuals in elevators.
Just after 1:30 a.m, the university said power was in the process of being restored across campus and that most residence halls had power. The university said steam and hot water would continue to improve as full campus power restoration continued.
SEE ALSO | Iranians rally in DC for democracy and Iranian leadership back home
Pepco said that around midnight, it began receiving calls about an outage impacting the university. Pepco crews responded and determined Pepco equipment was not the source of the outage.
As of publication, university officials have not responded to 7News’ request for a comment.
Maryland
Body pulled from river near Bladensburg Waterfront
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — An investigation is underway after a body was spotted in the Anacostia River near the Bladensburg Waterfront in Maryland on Saturday.
The Prince George’s County Park Police confirmed on social media around 4:50 p.m. that officers responded to the area after reports of a dead person in the water.
Authorities said the investigation is in its early stages.
Officials have not released the identity of the person, and the cause of death has not yet been determined.
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This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
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