Tag: Warren Deschenaux
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
Read More$300 million pension payment on chopping block to balance Md. budget
Much or all of an annual $300 million extra payment into Maryland’s pension system is on the chopping block as Senate budgeters seek to balance Gov. Martin O’Malley’s $39 billion budget at a voting session Friday.
Read MoreMd., Va. among top five states for government-funded jobs
Maryland and Virginia are among the top five states in the nation in the dubious competition for most government-financed employment, according to a new economic study. It turns out Virginia, Maryland’s closest fierce competitor for business, edges out Maryland in most categories for taxpayer-funded jobs.
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Staff tells legislators to keep current lid on state debt
The legislature’s fiscal staff told lawmakers Thursday that they should not follow an O’Malley administration proposal to increase Maryland’s authorized debt by $375 million over the next five years.
The staff said this is one way to reduce debt service — payments of principal and interest on the state’s bonds — that will grow by 24% in those five years. It would be the largest increase in any budget category.
Read MoreSome state workers doubled their salaries into six-figures with overtime
Some Maryland state government workers more than doubled their salaries with overtime payments in 2012, and more than 3,300 topped $10,000 in overtime payments. Government workers who got paid overtime had total earnings of up to $160,000 annually, though only 212 out of tens of thousands of employees making overtime made more than $100,000 total from the state.
Read MoreUnexpected drop in Medicaid costs helps O’Malley budget, but there’s more borrowing too
Legislative analysts told lawmakers Monday that Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed budget contains a number of fiscally responsible moves they had recommended in previous years and an unexpected $200 million drop in the cost of Medicaid health care. But it also extends for another five years $411 million in borrowing to replace cash from special funds used to finance other programs.
Read MoreBartlett and Delaney face off on jobs and health care in debate
Considered “the most endangered Republican incumbent in the nation” by Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball team, 10-term Rep. Roscoe Bartlett met with Democratic challenger John Delaney for their sixth and possibly final debate of the election season Sunday in Frederick.
Playing to an audience of roughly 100 people, Delaney at times sounded like he was trying to make a case for Mitt Romney’s presidency, perhaps trying to appeal to independent and Republican voters. Bartlett probably reminded some of why he is so vulnerable.
Read MoreBudget stalemate persists as Senate and House fail to compromise
NOW WITH VIDEO
It’s called Sine Die — without a day — but it actually might be doomsday, with budget cuts substituting for the tax hikes House and Senate refuse to agree on.
With the end of the legislative session 10 hours away, members of the Senate and House of Delegates met again and decided not to compromise.
Read MoreDoomsday budget spreads the pain to many programs
There’s something for everybody to hate in the doomsday budget with $720 million in cuts previewed to Senate budgeters Tuesday.
Most of these are real cuts, not just reductions in future spending increases.
Read MoreTotal state budget: How big is it really?
Gov. Martin O’Malley used a 38-page PowerPoint presentation full of numbers, charts and graphs to unveil his fiscal 2013 budget plan last Wednesday. But one key number was missing.
What is the total budget?
Read MoreSpending committee recommends halving next year’s deficit; both cuts and tax hikes possible
Legislative leaders Thursday night embraced a “balanced approach” to balancing next year’s state budget, recommending that the governor halve the ongoing billion-dollar deficit using both unspecified spending cuts and possible tax hikes.
Read MoreMaryland leaders struggle to find money for a construction jobs program
The governor and legislative leaders want to boost jobs in the hard-hit construction industry, but are struggling to find the money to do it. More debt and higher taxes are some of the options.
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