Tag: Michael Busch
Hogan’s $42 billion budget not causing much indigestion — yet
Legislators and nonprofit groups are still digesting the $42.3 billion budget Gov. Larry Hogan submitted Wednesday. But there were few signs of indigestion over a proposal that increases spending by $2 billion (5%), while setting aside a record $1.5 billion in reserves and surplus. “We don’t know until we get into all the details” is the way House Speaker Michael Busch summed it up after breakfast with the governor and fiscal leaders. House Appropriations Committee Chair Maggie McIntosh had lots of unanswered questions, as well.
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Hogan’s honeymoon with legislature is over, Senate GOP leader says, but House speaker disagrees
“The honeymoon is over” at the State House, Senate Republican Leader J.B. Jennings told an audience of county officials Friday. “This session is not going to be the lovefest we had last year.” House Speaker Michael Busch, a Democrat, disagreed with Jennings assessment that there won’t be another love fest. “I don’t know why not,” Busch said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to work together with the governor to come up with the best solutions for the people of Maryland.”
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Deschenaux to replace Aro as head of legislature’s nonpartisan staff
The Department of Legislative Services, the legislature’s nonpartisan staff, will get new leadership and a reorganization next year as Executive Director Karl Aro retires, and Warren Deschenaux, director of policy analysis, takes his place. The move was announced late Monday afternoon by Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch. With a staff of 384 and a budget of almost $48 million, Legislative Services performs most of the functions for the Maryland General Assembly
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100 days: Hogan fires back on education funding debate
Gov. Larry Hogan did not give a final decision about whether to fund a requested $68 million to aid counties with higher costs of education during a 100 days in office press event on Thursday. Also on the menu were the governor’s responses to the Freddie Gray investigation ongoing in Baltimore City, transparency and overtesting in public schools.
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Republicans stand and cheer Hogan speech, while Democrats sit on their hands
Right after Gov. Larry Hogan finished his State of the State speech Wednesday, one Republican lawmaker quipped that the Democrats were heading to the nurse’s station. They wanted to have their hands looked at after sitting on them for an hour.
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UPDATE: Full $40.4 billion budget now out; Hogan released half of budget with sketchy details
Newly sworn in Gov. Larry Hogan released about half the state budget Thursday, the $16.4 billion general fund budget — spending funded by sales, income, and corporate taxes and gambling.
The budget reduces $766 million in planned spending increases, with health care providers, state employees and aid to education taking the biggest hits.
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Senate president announces committee assignments
Senate President Mike Miller announced the full slate of committee assignments Tuesday, finding places for the 11 new senators and shifting several of the incumbents. The Democratic presiding officer determines the committee assignments for both Democrats and Republicans in the 47-member Senate.
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Rascovar: McIntosh bites the budget apple
Until last week, Del. Maggie McIntosh was an important member of the House of Delegates leadership.
Now, suddenly, she’s a Very Important Person.
The new chair of the House Appropriations Committee holds the second-most powerful post in the chamber. It even could put her in prime position to succeed House Speaker Mike Busch whenever the Annapolis lawmaker decides to give up his gavel.
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Gambling in Md. Part 1: Low-income players drive lottery sales, big source of state revenues
This is the first part of a four-day series by Capital News Service examining how Maryland uses gambling to raise revenues.
It starts with the state’s 40-year-old lottery, now the fourth largest source of state revenue. This article looks at how lower income ZIP codes contribute a disproportionate share.
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Extra tax break for ‘House of Cards’ folds in final hour
Six lawmakers, three from each chamber of the Maryland General Assembly, standing in a ring in the House of Delegates lounge at a half hour before midnight, vehemently haggling over a single bill.
They had only 30 minutes before the close of the 2014 session, and they needed to find middle ground on legislation that would grant the popular Netflix drama an additional $3.5 million in tax dollars.
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Miller ‘reluctantly’ supports estate tax cut he’s sponsoring
Though he’s listed as chief sponsor of a bill that would cut Maryland’s estate tax, Senate President Mike Miller said Wednesday he only “reluctantly” supports his legislation, and its House equivalent, which delegates passed last week.
But, Miller said, it is important to keep Maryland’s rate competitive to those of other states.
Read MoreHouse votes to cut taxes on the wealthiest dead
The House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved a tax cut in Friday’s session that would benefit Maryland’s millionaires after they die.
In a 120-13 vote, the House voted to exempt more assets from the estate tax, which taxes a property of a deceased individual if it’s valued at $1 million.
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