Hogan vetoes 18 bills, including ballot signature measure

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced vetoes of 18 bills Friday, including a measure that would have allowed voters who forget to sign their mail-in ballot envelope to do so after mailing it to get it counted.

The Republican governor also vetoed a bill that would have allowed union dues to be tax deductible, as well as a bill that would have stayed eviction proceedings against tenants who could show they are awaiting a determination about rental assistance.

The Maryland General Assembly, which has a supermajority of Democrats, won't have the chance to override these vetoes when they convene in January for their regular 90-day session, because it is the last year of the term.

On the ballot bill, Hogan said the measure did not address election security concerns as more people in Maryland are voting by mail.

“While this legislation allows a voter to provide a missing signature in by one of several ways — including in person, mail, email and text — it remains silent on basic security measures such as signature verification — with Maryland being one of only nine states that does not conduct signature verification — and does nothing to address ballot collection,” Hogan wrote in his veto letter.

The governor said allowing union dues to be tax deductible promoted “an unfair advantage to unions and activists.”

“By using the tax code to confer political power to unions, it creates a political advantage — not only to the unions but also to the political parties and candidates supported by them,” Hogan wrote.

The term-limited governor also vetoed two measures relating to evictions, including a bill to require a landlord to comply with a county’s licensing regulations before filing for repossession of a property. The other stayed eviction proceedings for...