A $36.9 billion state budget for fiscal 2014 easily passed the House of Delegates and state Senate Friday, with less Republican opposition than last year. The budget raises overall spending 3% and is $500 million less than Gov. Martin O'Malley originally proposed, largely by setting aside funds in case federal budget cuts impact state revenues. [...more]
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s budget passed the Senate in a landslide vote, with only five Republicans voting against it and seven Republicans voting in favor along with 35 of their Democratic colleagues. The passage of a $36.8 billion budget was preceded by an exceptionally short debate, which lasted only an hour and included no Republican proposals to cut state spending in fiscal year 2014. [...more]
In an annual exercise in fiscal futility, House Republicans unveiled their alternative to Gov. Martin O'Malley's 2014 budget Thursday, this time calling for zero growth that would require the governor to cut 2% from his request. [...more]
House Appropriations subcommittees began the process of cutting Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed $37 billion budget Wednesday, but the reductions were relatively modest. [...more]
Drug treatment advocates and addiction counselors testified at a budget hearing Wednesday to protest a proposed $4.5 million cut to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration budget, which they said would have a devastating impact on Maryland’s cash-strapped drug treatment programs. [...more]
The debate over transportation funding in the Maryland General Assembly moved to the Senate Budget Committee Tuesday, with some senators arguing for more transit spending and others claiming that the state devotes too many resources to its transit system already. For the second time in five days, the Maryland transportation secretary was confronted with tough questions from lawmakers, who asked him why drivers should pay for the cost of running the transit system. [...more]
Gov. Martin O’Malley on Wednesday proposed a total budget for fiscal 2014 of $37.3 billion, a $1.5 billion increase or 4.3% more than this year’s total spending, including money set aside as a surplus and rainy day fund. [...more]
As Republican delegates railed against the proposed state income tax hike Wednesday afternoon, a lone freshman Democrat from one of the most liberal and affluent districts inside the Capital Beltway got up to explain why she too could not vote for the taxes. “I believe this discriminates against two-income families with children at home,” said Del. Ariana Kelly, a Bethesda mom with two young children at home. [...more]
The action on the budget and tax hikes was all over but the shouting by Republicans as the House of Delegates approved a final spending plan, shifting half of pension costs to the counties, and raising state income taxes on people making over $100,000 per year. Republicans opposed the move, joined by 10 Democrats against the budget change and pension move, and 18 opposed to the tax increases. [...more]
As one delegate put it, it was déjà vu all over again as the House of Delegates on Tuesday rejected amendments to a revised spending plan and $300 million in tax hikes that had often been proposed in the regular 90-day session. The Senate passed the bills earlier in the day, and the House is set to take a final vote Wednesday. [...more]
