The Maryland General Assembly convened its annual session Wednesday afternoon in Annapolis. It comes as the state is facing a budget hole of $761 million — with no clear path on how it will be filled.
That hole doesn’t seem big given the state budget is about $63 billion, but something will have to give as lawmakers must pass a balanced spending plan by the time they adjourn April 8th. Governor Wes Moore will release his budget plan later this month, and if cuts alone were used to plug the gap, then future transportation projects would likely be what is hit hardest.
When asked Wednesday during a press gaggle at the Statehouse whether any tax or fee increases should be passed to mitigate any spending cuts, the Governor didn’t say no — or yes. “I think that anything or any conversation around taxes, people need to understand my bar for that is very, very high,” Governor Moore said. Continuing on the subject of proposed tax or fee hikes, Moore added that the state “cannot grow our economy on the back of working families.”
Fellow Democrat, State Senate President Bill Ferguson, has been sounding a similar tune as lawmakers gather, meaning the answer to the multi-million dollar question won’t come until April.