Maryland exemption stands

This article was originally printed in Numismatic News.
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The Maryland House of Delegates adjourned its legislative session April 11 without acting on a bill to repeal an exemption from the state sales and use taxes on coin and precious metals transactions.

Failure to make it out of the Revenue Committee was hailed as a victory for the numismatic community by Whitman Expo General Manager David Crenshaw.

Whitman operates three major coin shows in Baltimore each year and Crenshaw participated in a numismatic coalition against the bill.

“This was a classic case of the numismatic community coming together quickly and effectively to get the job done. Whitman committed the necessary resources to engage a top-flight lobbying firm, The Rasmussen Group, and we certainly brought a lot of people together, but it took all of us to ensure the defeat of this wrong-headed measure,” Crenshaw said.

Crenshaw also singled out Delegate Melvin Stukes, D-Baltimore City, as instrumental in ensuring the bill never gained traction.

“Delegate Stukes understood from the beginning that repealing this particular tax exemption would hurt the economy of Baltimore,” he said.