
Certain states like Maryland will be hit so hard by Trump's new bill that even some local Republicans are forced to push back.

Looking to separate himself from Donald Trump's wildly unpopular tax scheme, while also trying to win re-election in a deeply blue state, Maryland's Republican governor is moving quickly to try to protect citizens from the GOP tax bill that was just rammed through Congress.

Larry Hogan plans to offer a bill to the Maryland General Assembly that would protect Marylanders from being “negatively affected” by Congress's newly passed tax bill, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The outlines of Hogan's plan suggests he wants to take any additional revenues the GOP tax bill creates for Maryland and return it to taxpayers in the state, many of whom will see their taxes go up under the GOP plan due to loss of federal deductions and exemptions.


Specifically, the GOP's $10,000 cap on the federal deduction for paying state and local income and property taxes could hit Maryland hard. "Maryland, a high-income state that relies heavily on income taxes at both the state and county level, is among the states most heavily affected by the deduction cap," the Sun reports.

Hogan has heard criticism from Maryland Democrats who stress the time to fight the bill would have been before it was passed into law. “I wish the governor had stepped up and spoken up about the tax bill earlier on,” said Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch.

Republicans like Hogan face a mounting electoral blue wave forming in 2018, powered by deep, widespread resentment toward Trump. The GOP's historically unpopular tax bill, which specifically targets voters in high-income states like Maryland, will only make it harder for many incumbents like Hogan to survive.

Maryland's chief executive isn't the first Republican governor who has refused to endorse the tax bill.

Earlier this month, 13 GOP governors — or more than one-third of GOP governors in America — refused to sign off on a Republican Party letter praising the proposed legislations. Among them were Chris Christie of New Jersey, John Kasich of Ohio, Rick Scott of Florida, Rick Snyder of Michigan, and Brian Sandoval of Nevada.

Previously, Phil Scott of Vermont had already announced his opposition to the bill, saying residents of his state will be “on the losing end” of the GOP’s tax scam.

The Republican Party owns this disastrous tax scam bill, and it's going to be difficult for any GOP member to run away from it. But many will try.