Sales tax lightning rod of session : Adding services to mix sets up a lively debate

You don't have to pay it when you get a haircut, go to the dentist or have the family dog groomed, but you do if you rent a tuxedo, spend a night in a hotel or have the family dog stuffed for posterity.

The sales tax has been around in Maryland for about 60 years and typically only pops up when a resident buys a new shirt or blender.

As the state's economy shifts from one based on goods to one centered on specialties, however, lawmakers are starting to eye the selective world of service taxation.

Tomorrow night, the General Assembly will reconvene to debate how to end the state's $1.7 billion deficit. One of the special...