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By Paul Kiefer

ANNAPOLIS – Gov. Wes Moore plans to change how Marylanders take deductions on their state income taxes, but officials in some of the state’s poorest counties say that plan could force them to cut services.

“You mentioned that the federal government is creating chaos for our state government in an effort to balance their budget,” Del. Jefferson Ghrist, a Republican representing Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, told Gov. Moore in a recent budget hearing. “It appears that your budget does sort of the same thing to our county governments.”

Moore’s administration, however, contends that the reforms will provide tax relief to a majority of Marylanders – including residents of lower-income counties – even if those county governments face a revenue loss.

“This proposal leaves more cash in the pockets of the majority of Maryland’s households,” said Budget and Management Secretary Helene Grady.

Lawmakers in Annapolis are weighing a two-pronged approach to tax reform intended to shift the scales in favor of low- and middle-income households.

Moore’s proposal to double the state’s standard deduction would provide a tax break to Marylanders who opt not to itemize their income tax deductions – many of them low- and middle-income. To account for the resulting revenue loss, the governor’s office proposes ending the practice of itemized deductions, which would mean a larger income tax bill for many high-income Marylanders.

But county governments also collect income taxes, and a tax break for lower-income Marylanders would deal a blow to some counties’ budgets.

Representatives from Allegany County appeared in Annapolis last week to ask lawmakers to soften that blow.

“Governor Moore discussed the idea that no Marylanders should be left behind,” Allegany County Attorney T. Lee Beeman told lawmakers on Friday. “Ultimately, his proposal this year will do exactly that in Allegany County. It will leave Allegany County behind.”

If the General Assembly moves forward with doubling the standard deduction, Allegany County would stand to lose $3.2 million in revenue next year, according to Maryland’s Board of Revenue Estimates.

While the vast majority of county residents would receive a tax cut, “we’ll be looking at probably cutting potentially each and every service we have,” said Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett. “We’re pretty slim as it is.”

Last year, the county laid off emergency services staff and scaled back employee health insurance in response to a $13 million deficit. Additional cuts could mean scaling back snow clearance operations in the winter, public transit service and support for the county’s library service, he told Capital News Service.

If Allegany County raised local income taxes to the maximum rate allowed under Maryland law, he added, the county could only make up for half of the projected losses created by doubling the standard deduction.

Allegany County is not alone. Del. Malcolm Ruff, a Democrat representing Baltimore City, noted that doubling the standard deduction could undercut services in his district.

“Baltimore City would lose approximately $40 million over the next five years based on those changes,” Ruff said.

The Board of Revenue Estimates projects that half of Maryland’s counties and county equivalents would lose income tax revenue if the state moves forward with the proposed changes to deductions. Those include all but one of the 10 poorest Maryland counties as of the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey.

“Contrast that with our friends in the beltway corridor,” said Beeman. “Montgomery County stands to gain $300 million in income tax revenue over the next five years. It’s a shocking contrast.”

Meanwhile, some members of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland have expressed concerns that eliminating itemized deductions would have a disproportionate impact on majority-Black districts in the Washington suburbs.

Residents of Charles and Prince George’s Counties itemize their deductions at higher rates than residents of any other Maryland counties. That presents a political challenge for someone like Sen. Michael Jackson, a Democrat representing parts of Calvert, Charles and Prince George’s Counties. Residents in those districts are more likely than other Marylanders to see their tax bills increase under Moore’s plan.

Jackson told CNS that he and other caucus members representing those counties are in talks with the governor to address their concerns.

But Moore’s current proposals drew praise from some outside observers.

“Itemized deductions are regressive,” said Miles Trinidad, a state policy analyst with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan think tank. “These policies offer the largest benefits to higher income taxpayers and little if any benefits to low- and middle-income families.”

Grady, meanwhile, notes that the governor’s tax reforms would offer a tax cut to a majority of Marylanders, and that aid to local governments accounts for a third of general fund expenses in the proposed 2026 budget – aid that would support both public school systems and county governments.

The governor’s office also underscores that Maryland’s standard deduction is only a third of Virginia’s, meaning that some poor and working-class residents who would pay no income tax in Virginia make enough to pay income tax in Maryland.

While Moore’s proposal would still leave Maryland’s standard deduction lower than those in Virginia and Washington, his office argues the change is in the interest of fairness.

However, given the dire state of Maryland’s budget and the prospect of dwindling federal support, Grady also noted that the state may not be in a position to simultaneously offer tax cuts to most Marylanders and shield counties from the statewide budget crunch.

“Given the general fund challenge, it would be very difficult to insulate counties entirely from impacts,” she said.

Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat representing Baltimore City, echoed Grady’s sentiment.

“I appreciate [the governor’s] approach of bringing forth a proposal that attempted to balance state needs, local needs and our business climate,” he said. “But we’re dealing with an unprecedented situation, and so just as the state is having to tighten the belt. I think local jurisdictions are going to be in a similar place this upcoming year.”

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By Sasha Allen and Jack Bowman

ANNAPOLIS–Gov. Wes Moore called on lawmakers Wednesday to “confront the crisis with courage” in the coming months as they try to close their massive budget gap and navigate an unpredictable new administration in the White House.

The state is being tested by unprecedented fiscal challenges, Moore said, while also by “a new administration in Washington that sows uncertainty, confusion and chaos.”

“While there are many opinions about how we ended up in this crisis,” Moore told lawmakers, “let’s work together to make sure there is never a question about who solved it.”

The remarks came as part of Moore’s third State of the State address, where he recounted the successes of the first half of his administration and laid out the challenges to come. Those remarks were immediately met by critique from Republican colleagues dismayed by Moore’s budget plan – and by his words about President Donald Trump.

“I didn’t like the shots that he was taking at the new federal administration who’s been in office for a mere two weeks blaming, somehow, our financial crisis on potentially what could come out of the federal government,” Republican House Whip Jesse Pippy told reporters.

“I wish I would have heard some accountability from some of the policies coming out of Annapolis and the policies coming out of the second floor, and we didn’t hear any of that,” Pippy said. “And that was disappointing.”

It’s not yet clear how much Trump policies will trickle down into Maryland and affect the state’s budget crisis. Moore is intent on bridging an almost $3 billion budget deficit through program cuts and tax hikes, but the gap could grow much larger if the federal government suddenly decides to drastically cut Medicaid funding to Maryland, for example.

Moore warned of tough decisions ahead, acknowledging the state’s “distinct reliance” on D.C. and the need to break it.

In his address, Moore made a case to the legislature for tax code reforms and changes to state programs like the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, measures that could pull the state out of the current budget crisis.

The Blueprint, passed in 2021, called for costly improvements to public education to be phased in over the coming years. As it turns out, those ambitious standards are set to cost the state more than it is taking in in revenue, and Moore urged to lawmakers adjust for that.

“Working together to make the Blueprint more successful and sustainable doesn’t mean we’re backing down,” Moore said. “It means we’re stepping up.”

To supplement the cuts, Moore would also raise taxes on wealthy Marylanders. Under the current Maryland tax code, someone making $30 million a year is in the same tax bracket as someone making $300,000, Moore said. Moore said the new tax code would require those in the top tax bracket to pay a quarter point more than others.

“As someone who will be affected by this change, I am okay with paying a little more if it means we don’t have to lay off firefighters or police officers,” Moore said.

Senate Budget and Tax Committee Vice Chair and Democrat Jim Rosapepe said these changes would help families in Maryland.

“Governor Moore’s State of the State showed he’s the unTrump,” said Rosapepe, who serves Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County. “Wes focused on helping our working families.”

But Republicans are skeptical.

Republican Senate Leader Stephen Hershey Jr. said that Moore’s focus on eliminating this year’s 3 billion dollar deficit is leaving larger issues unaddressed.

“I think everybody in Annapolis here is focused on the $3 billion deficit that we have this year,” said Hershey, who represents Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties. “But it’s important to note, with the full implementation of the Blueprint, we’re looking at $5 and $6 billion deficits in the out years. And that’s something I think all of us Republicans believe we should be trying to address this year as well.”

House Republican Leader Jason Buckel said that there was more style than substance in Moore’s address.

“We’re happy to work with him on areas where we can but a lot of that was sort of smoke and mirrors,” said Buckel, who represents Allegany County. “A lot of puffery.”

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By Emma Tufo and Jack Bowman

ANNAPOLIS – Gov. Wes Moore proposed a budget Wednesday that would raise income taxes for Maryland’s highest earners and advance a broader plan he calls his “growth agenda” for the state.

Administration officials say that Moore’s budget plan is balanced and over time would reduce the state’s structural $3 billion deficit, in part by adjusting implementation of the ambitious education spending plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

“None of these things are easy. All of them are necessary,” Moore said in a news conference unveiling his plan.

As the state grapples with the growing fiscal challenge of a ballooning deficit, Moore’s budget is his attempt to make some tough choices and bring things back in line. The plan would impose tax hikes for the state’s top 18% of earners. It would also make difficult cuts to education and other programs, including some for people with developmental disabilities.

House Republican Leader Jason Buckel, who represents Allegany County, commended Moore for diagnosing the state’s financial woes, but he expressed concern about the proposed tax increases.

“It is encouraging to see that Governor Moore has made closing the deficit and growing Maryland’s economy a priority,” Buckel said in a Joint Republican Caucus statement sent to Capital News Service following the budget announcement. “However, parts of his budget plan may be giving with one hand while taking with the other. I am concerned that the tax increases in his budget may hinder our economic growth and not result in the revenues he anticipates.”

Senate Republican Leader Stephen Hershey Jr., who represents Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties, said he is specifically concerned about personal income tax hikes.

“The reduction in the corporate tax rate is something we’ve long advocated for,” Hershey said, “however the increase in the personal income tax will be a direct hit to Maryland’s small business community that file as pass-through entities on personal returns.”

Despite the increase in taxes for the wealthiest households, Moore’s proposal leaves taxes unchanged or reduced for 82% of taxpayers, according to administration officials. One official told reporters the average savings are estimated to be around $173 a year, while earners in lower- to middle-income brackets may see closer to $300.

Moore said the brunt of the tax increases will be shouldered by Marylanders with a household income north of $700,000 a year. In 2023, more than 18% of Maryland households were estimated to earn $200,000 or more a year, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

In another attempt to balance the tax model, Moore also proposed the elimination of the inheritance tax. The plan would eliminate the inheritance tax “in a way that is revenue-neutral, by also changing the exemption on our estate tax,” said Helene Grady, secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.

To attract businesses to the state, Moore presented a plan to lower the corporate tax rate over two years starting in fiscal year 2028.

“Economic growth is our North Star,” Moore said.

Moore’s proposal is just the beginning of a long conversation that lawmakers in the Maryland General Assembly will now begin. Democratic leaders will consider Moore’s choices, along with their own priorities, which may include protecting their sweeping education goals.

“The House will have a high bar for any cuts to the Blueprint,” House Speaker Adrienne Jones, a Democrat representing Baltimore County, said at an event hosted by The Baltimore Banner earlier this week.

Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat representing Baltimore City, echoed the sentiment, saying, “We’re not going to back down on our commitment to public education in the state of Maryland.” But he also said they will review the effectiveness of every state program.

Moore’s aides say he wants to adjust the implementation of the Blueprint in ways that would save $2.5 billion over five years.

“The governor will propose legislation to temporarily suspend the Blueprint’s requirement that teachers spend no more than 60% of their time teaching,” a senior administration official said,  “and the funding increases are tied to this requirement.”

Moore’s aides say this would ultimately increase the Blueprint’s effectiveness and improve schools.

The budget proposal also features a series of “cost containment measures” at the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration, according to another official.

“This is among one of the hardest proposals that we are bringing to the General Assembly, given the vulnerability of this population,” that official said. The cuts are meant to “sustain the progress we’ve made since fiscal ‘23, without continuing to grow unsustainably going forward.”

In a live-streamed news conference with reporters, Moore said it will be important to make “difficult cuts when necessary.”

“We need to rein in spending,” he said. “We need to tighten our belts. We need to spend wisely. We need to spend for the future.”

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By JACK BOWMAN

COLLEGE PARK – Gov. Moore is pledging to make Maryland the “quantum capital of the world,” proposing a significant investment into the industry of super-fast computing amid a budget crisis in the state.

Speaking at the College Park headquarters of IonQ, a leading quantum computing company, Moore said Tuesday he believes quantum is one of the industries in which Maryland has a competitive advantage, industries that could help grow an economy he said has been stagnant for too long.

“I refuse to have, in this moment, with the talent we have in the field, for Maryland to be a state that is just simply going to manage decline,” Moore said. “Maryland, if we grow, we win. We’re going to grow.”

In his address to the crowd, which included representatives from IonQ, the University of Maryland and other industry leaders, Moore announced a $27.5 million investment in the new “Capital of Quantum” initiative. Moore described the project as a joint venture between the state, the University of Maryland, IonQ, and “other partners in the quantum computing space.”

Moore described the goal of the investment as a simple one: “to make Maryland the capital of quantum of the world.”

The announcement of the initiative follows a week of financial volatility in the quantum industry. Stock for IonQ and other companies in the field have seen dramatic rises and falls over the past several days after figures like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg questioned the idea of quantum computing being ready in the near future.

Despite this, Moore believes investing in the industry is a good short-term bet, and an even better one in the long-term.

“I think this is actually a smart bet for our GDP growth early,” Moore told CNS in a gaggle with reporters, “and I think it’s an incredibly smart bet for our long-term prospects of having something that Maryland can really pride itself on as having one of the leading spaces in the industry.”

Quantum computing, a rapidly-emerging industry in the technology space, involves using quantum mechanics to produce answers to problems far faster than current computers can. The applications of such technology are wide-ranging, including artificial intelligence, pharmaceutical research and cybersecurity.

“Quantum computing doesn’t just bend reality,” Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said at IonQ headquarters. “It redefines it, solving problems in ways we never, ever thought possible.”

Along with the focused spending in quantum computing, Moore also announced a larger $750 million investment in “economic growth and workforce development,” with a focus on leveraging the assets that Maryland has to grow the state’s economy.

“Oftentimes,” Moore said, “we have been asset-rich and strategy-poor. We haven’t prioritized the areas that need to be prioritized. Well, today that changes.”

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By Jack Bowman and Emma Tufo 

As the General Assembly starts its new legislative session this week, one big thing is on the mind of Maryland lawmakers: fixing a massive budget deficit that may call for tax hikes and cuts to beloved programs.

Gov. Wes Moore said on the opening day of the General Assembly that a “season of hard choices” is beginning and that balancing the budget is the top priority in the coming weeks and months. He said he would put forth a budget proposal that includes $2 billion in cuts.

“I inherited a structural deficit that is the largest we have seen in two decades,” Moore said at a panel hosted by The Daily Record. “We didn’t actually address the structural issues.”

One issue that Moore and other Maryland lawmakers are facing with Trump taking office is a potential rollback of federal dollars flowing into the state, a reality that would make eliminating the $3 billion deficit all the more challenging.

“Frankly, we have been building budgets based on the fact that trillions of dollars were coming from the federal government,” Moore told Daily Record journalist Jack Hogan. “That’s not happening anymore.”

Speaking at the same event, Senate President Bill Ferguson echoed Moore’s commitment to balancing Maryland’s finances, adding that addressing the deficit will be the number one priority for the General Assembly.

“The budget is going to drive a lot of the decision-making,” said Ferguson, who represents Baltimore City. “I think the expectation for the 2025 session is, we’ve got to figure out the budget first and foremost, and everything else is going to be secondary to that.”

The legislative session opened Wednesday with pomp and circumstance, with Moore addressing both chambers and members publicly praising their parties’ leaders. Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones were reinstalled as Senate majority leader and House speaker, to shouts and applause from their supporters.

All the while, the grim specter of the deficit – and the significant measures that will have to be taken to address it – hung over the proceedings.

Moore said that many of the planned cuts will be focused on making government operations more efficient.

“There is a lot that government can do to make sure we are tightening our belt, that we are being more efficient, that we are being swifter and faster,” Moore said.

The second part of improving efficiency, he added, is to ensure that funds flow towards goals and programs that are “effective and sustainable,” leaving those that don’t match that description on the cutting room floor.

One area that could potentially see cuts is transportation.

Michael Sakata, the president and CEO of the Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association, said he believes that such cuts would run counter to the state’s goals of building a more robust economy.

“We need to remain competitive by investing in transportation,” Sakata told Capital News Service, saying that, in a post-COVID world, people are commuting to work from farther away. They rely on efficient highways and infrastructure to get to their jobs, he said.

Sakata is not the only one with concerns about Maryland’s potential cutbacks.

Moore’s $2 billion of planned cuts still leave a third of the deficit untouched, without a clear plan as to how it will be addressed. Maryland Republicans are concerned that Democrats may implement tax hikes to address the remaining $1 billion.

Speaking at a news conference for Republican leadership, Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey Jr. said that Republicans will be against any such measures.

“The Republican caucus stands firm that we are not going to be supporting any type of tax or fee increases at all,” said Hershey, who represents Kent, Queen Anne’s, Cecil and Caroline Counties. “We are going to have to balance this budget strictly on finding additional cuts.”

One policy item that Republicans want to roll back is the 2022 Climate Solutions Now Act, which was aimed at reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s unworkable,” said Del. Jesse Pippy, a Republican who represents Frederick County. “We’re trying to solve a $3 billion budget deficit that’s going to balloon to $6.2 billion by 2030 and at the same time, we’re cutting our nose off to spite our face by passing unworkable climate solution legislation that is going to cost billions of dollars to implement.”

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By SAPNA BANSIL

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Amid a jurisdictional tug-of-war over the future home of the Washington Commanders, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Wednesday struck an assured posture on his state’s ability to keep the team in Prince George’s County.

“I’m very confident we’re going to put together the most attractive offer for them,” Moore said in an interview with Capital News Service. “I wish I could predict what they’ll do. But I can tell you the thing I do know is no one is going to put together a better package than the state of Maryland.”

Moore did not mention any rival locales by name, but he did allude to the political divisions that tanked other recent stadium deals in the region.

“We’re unified,” Moore said. “There is no daylight between the state leadership, local leadership, federal delegation, et cetera – no daylight. I don’t know if there’s any other jurisdiction that can make that same claim. And I think that that does and should matter to [the Commanders.]”

The Commanders, for their part, are also in active discussion with two other locations – D.C. and Virginia – about potential stadium opportunities there, a team spokesperson told CNS this week. The team is seeking a replacement for its dilapidated home in Landover, regarded as one of the worst venues in the NFL. The Commanders are bound by a covenant to play there through September 2027.

In Maryland, state and local officials have made financial commitments to entice the Commanders to stay. The state has already committed $400 million to turn underdeveloped land around four Metrorail stations in Prince George’s County into a mixed-use entertainment district.

“The amenities that we’re building are certainly community oriented, but I think it also helps the case of creating an active stadium district for the Commanders to stay in,” said Angie Rodgers, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for economic development.

In addition to the money from the state, the project has received an additional $100 million in public funds and attracted $2 billion in private investment, according to Rodgers.

“We’re making it really hard for the Commanders to say no to us,” Rodgers said.

Still, many fans would like to see the franchise return to D.C., where it played before relocating to suburban Maryland in 1997. Fans associate the District and the organization’s former home at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium with the team’s Super Bowl-winning glory years of the 1980s and 1990s.

D.C.’s bid comes with complications. Its proposal is currently tied up in the U.S. Congress, where a bill that would give the city authority to redevelop RFK Stadium is awaiting action in the Senate.

Another factor is the $515 million D.C. committed to renovating the downtown arena that hosts the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards, following a failed bid by the teams’ owners, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, to relocate the franchises to northern Virginia. The deal raises questions as to how much money might be left over for a Commanders stadium, though the team says it will continue pursuing its options.

“The Commanders remain equally engaged with all three jurisdictions on a new stadium,” team spokesperson Jean Medina said. “The District has made clear retaining the Capitals and Wizards does not affect their approach, nor does it affect ours.”

As for Virginia, it’s not yet clear what the fallout might be from its foiled effort to bring in the Capitals and Wizards. In December, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced an agreement with Monumental Sports on a new arena for the teams, but the deal died a few months later in the state legislature.

One Maryland lawmaker believes his state’s position on the Commanders is now stronger in the wake of that failure.

“I think that the decision in Virginia to not bring the Monumental Sports team over there sends a signal that Virginia has other plans for their economic development,” said Del. Jazz Lewis, D-Prince George’s, whose district includes the current Commanders stadium.

The offices of Youngkin and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser did not respond to requests for comment.

In a sweeping interview with CNS in his office conference room, Moore reflected on the recent developments regarding the Capitals and Wizards and said they “didn’t impact my confidence or desire” to retain the Commanders.

“I’m a fan of the Commanders being in Prince George’s County,” he said. “And I think we have a real vision as to what that can be and what that looks like.”

Steven Jacobs Jr. contributed reporting to this story.

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By KIERSTEN HACKER

Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS  — Gov. Wes Moore bragged the other day about “going 26 for 26” in passing his bills through the General Assembly, a display of bipartisan achievement he called “Maryland’s win.”

With his second legislative session now in the rearview mirror, Moore has been touting bipartisan support for his agenda the past two sessions since he took office in 2023.

Even though he and the General Assembly again failed to resolve the state’s projected long-term fiscal imbalance, Moore is still laying claim to a measure of victory. He managed to achieve his legislative goals while also navigating a crisis in the Port of Baltimore and the back-and-forth budget negotiations that had put the General Assembly at risk of an extended session.

“At a moment when people seem to care more where’d the idea come from than is it a good idea, we in Maryland, we’ve just chosen to move differently,” Moore said. “And it’s the reason we’re able to work together, that we’re able to get big things done.”

Moore celebrates his achievements as rooted in common ground, working all session to emphasize partnership and restore both bipartisanship in the legislature and cooperation with the executive — even as a rising star in national Democratic politics facing increasing divisiveness.

In January, Moore headed into the second year of his term with an extensive agenda of 16 bills and the goal of passing a state budget without raising taxes. However, in March, his plans were uprooted with just about two weeks left in the session when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed, launching Moore and his leadership into the national spotlight.

Out of the first-year honeymoon period, Moore planned to address key issues such as public safety, affordable housing and education while facing a projected budget deficit expected to balloon to billions of dollars in the coming years. He proposed a $63.1 million spending plan that closed an expected $1.1 billion cash shortfall without a hike in taxes.

But budget negotiations shaped up to be no easy task in the General Assembly. The House had hoped to pass a $1.2 billion revenue package to address education and transportation funding needs. The Senate didn’t think the time was right to impose new taxes on Marylanders.

While negotiations were underway, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore suddenly collapsed after a container ship collided with the structure. Moore’s attention immediately turned to Baltimore where he held daily press conferences, removing him from the public and daily wrangling of budget discussions in Annapolis.

“That’s the thing about being governor, is you don’t get to set the whole agenda,” Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel said. “Real events set the agenda. And so it was his first crisis and I thought he rose to the occasion.”

Even Republicans agreed with Moore’s priorities in responding to the Key Bridge.

“He’s rightly spending his time where the citizens of Maryland need him to be,” said Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey, R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s.

Lawmakers have repeatedly thanked Moore for his response to the crisis and his administration’s actions to get emergency legislation passed providing relief to port workers and businesses. Despite being absent as budget negotiations got down to the wire, many lawmakers, including key Republicans, have said publicly that Moore was exactly where he needed to be.

Sen. Johnny Ray Salling, R-Baltimore County, said Moore has been “above and beyond,” approachable and communicative about the next steps as a leader.

“I’ve always said we work together and we work across the aisle because it’s the only thing we can do to get things done,” Salling said. “But again, we might not agree with everything. But it doesn’t mean that we can move forward in other areas.”

Moore also put his weight behind the PORT Act, which will provide relief for port workers and businesses as well as establish a scholarship fund for families of transportation workers who died on the job. Sponsored by Senate President Bill Ferguson and Del. Luke Clippinger, both South Baltimore Democrats, the measure passed in the late hours of the final day of session.

Ferguson said he’s known the governor personally for a while and he excels as a leader of people as he did in combat. The law was the first of many to receive Moore’s signature.

“The legislation will empower our administration to stay nimble in our response in the collapse,” Moore. “Even though session is now over, it does not mean Maryland’s response will cease.”

Moore also racked up a win when the General Assembly responded to his pressure to reach a compromise on the budget. The spending plan they approved will increase taxes and fees on things like tobacco products and vehicle registration fees but does not include broader sales or income tax hikes. Revenues generated from these taxes and fees will be used to fund trauma resources, transportation projects and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan.

However, the state faces a darker fiscal picture down the road and will need to come up with new solutions for funding programs and projects. Moore has repeatedly said he has a “high bar” for raising taxes, and he has told reporters in recent days that will continue throughout his term.

This session was a year for smaller steps toward resolving more long-term budget issues, said Rosapepe, vice chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

The House wanted to pass an aggressive increase in revenues to fund priorities like transportation, education and the environment, which Rosapepe said are needed. But the Senate and the governor wanted to take it “one step at a time,” Rosapepe said, and they were able to work well with the House to reach a compromise.

“We made progress, we didn’t solve all the problems in the world, we rarely do in one session, we never do in one session,” Rosapepe said.

The budget ensures that “we’re not going backward” on transportation while funding the Blueprint for the next few years and making a down payment on climate change goals, Rosapepe said, but more steps will need to come in the future.

The rest of Moore’s bills on his agenda passed by midnight on the final day of session, including his package of housing bills.

Moore emphasized working in partnership with the General Assembly as a main theme of this session, and many lawmakers saw that come to fruition on both sides of the aisle.

“Governor Moore totally has a partnership mindset,” Rosapepe said. “And I hear my Republican colleagues speaking very highly of him too, in that regard.”

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By KIERSTEN HACKER

Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Wes Moore announced plans Friday for spending $90 million on reducing carbon pollution in Maryland, using an unexpected pot of money to fight what he called “environmental injustice.”

The largest portion of the money, $50 million, will go toward decarbonizing community buildings like hospitals, multifamily housing, and schools, under the plan Moore outlined. The state will devote $23 million to electric vehicle charging stations and $17 million to electric school buses for public schools.

Moore emphasized the need for partnership among advocates, lawmakers and his administration, unveiling the new details along with representatives of each, crowded elbow-to-elbow in his reception room at the State House.

“We’re joined today by members of every single segment of our society, who are all saying with a collective voice that the climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges that we share,” Moore said. The fight to make Maryland the “cleanest and greenest” doesn’t just take words, the governor said, “it takes work.”

The work takes funding, too, and like other issues being discussed in this legislative session, future funding solutions are uncertain. Eventually, the administration’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan will cost the public sector about $1 billion per year, according to the state’s own projections.

At the same time, state officials are obligated by their own 2022 law to decrease greenhouse gas emissions – and in fact to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. This year, the state had an extra accumulation of money in one of its funds, according to state officials, and Moore decided to use it to advance those goals.

State officials still face difficult fiscal choices in the next few years, with spending projected to outpace revenues by growing margins. Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain acknowledged that creative new funding solutions will be necessary to continue implementation of the agency’s plan in the years to come.

McIlwain said, the agency is still looking for solutions and will work in partnership to find them. Climate change is here, she said.

“This is real,” she said. “We don’t have time to play around and waste time. We have to do what we need to do to move forward.”

Long-term plans to address climate change and make Maryland a leader in climate action will be fiscally responsible, the governor said.

“If you look at how we have managed this entire budget, we have shown that being fiscally disciplined and being fiscally responsible and also being bold, don’t have to be mutually exclusive ideas, mutually exclusive thoughts,” Moore said.

According to Moore, his new proposal requires that a minimum of 50% of the investments go to “historically undervalued, historically under-seen and historically underestimated” communities. The installation of electric-vehicle charging stations will start in low- and moderate-income communities, the governor said.

Those who often come last, Moore said, should come first.

“Climate justice is economic justice,” Moore said.

Paul G. Pinsky, director of the Maryland Energy Administration, echoed the idea.

“Just as many of the problems that cause climate change are disproportionately affecting the underserved and overburdened, those very same people need to be part of the solution,” said Pinsky.

Children must be a part of the solution, too, leaders said. Kim Coble, executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, stressed the need to take action for the future of children and their health.

She said she is a new grandma, and she teared up at the podium as she pointed out her son in the audience.

“If we don’t take action for them,” Coble said. “What’s the point?”

The post Moore puts extra pot of cash toward green projects appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.

By KIERSTEN HACKER

Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Wes Moore delivered a State of the State address on Wednesday that candidly described some of the state’s most pressing challenges and called on lawmakers to join him in a spirit of “partnership” to tackle them all.

One year into his administration, Moore laid out several areas to work on, including public safety, affordable housing and economic competitiveness, among others.

Still, the Democratic governor described the state as “strong,” in part because his office is working collaboratively with the legislature. “I’m proud of what we’re doing. But most importantly, I’m proud of how we’re doing it. The executive and the legislature are working together again,” Moore said of the Democratic-led General Assembly. “That feels good,” he added, chuckling.

“For too long, we watched the executive pick fights with the legislature in the media, instead of showing real leadership and engagement in the State House,” he said, an apparent reference to former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, his immediate predecessor.

Republicans pushed back against some of Moore’s assertions, with Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey noting that a “lofty goal” requires more work than “grand declarations.” Republicans have a duty to raise concerns about legislative actions, even while working collaboratively, Hershey said in prepared remarks shared with Capital News Service.

“This is a vision we can certainly support,” said Hershey, who represents Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. “After all, our ultimate goal is the success and well-being of every single Marylander.”

With his first year in office under his belt, Moore is now diving into some of the more difficult challenges of his tenure. He inherited the sweeping education reform known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, and then he set his own costly goals, including the construction of the Red Line and the rebuilding of the American Legion Bridge. He also pledged to fill widespread vacancies in the government and eventually make Maryland the offshore wind capital of the world.

But now Moore is facing the realities of a tough financial picture with a projected deficit that could reach $1.78 billion by fiscal year 2028, mostly due to the costs of the Blueprint. With that reality looming over his plans and priorities, Moore appealed to lawmakers to work with him as partners in order to make Maryland more affordable, competitive, and safe, and to make it “a state that serves.”

“Partnership doesn’t keep score. Partnership has no ego. And partnership isn’t partisan,” Moore said.

Moore announced that this week his administration will release a State Plan, outlining specific actions and realistic goals to achieve his priorities.

One of Moore’s top priorities is public safety. At a time when many communities are worried about violence, Moore pledged his administration will take an “all of government approach” to the problem.

People shouldn’t have to choose between “feeling safe in their skin and feeling safe in their communities,” Moore said. In recent days Moore has joined lawmakers to announce legislation that will crack down on youth crime and proposed a package of three other public safety bills.

Other priorities Moore raised were affordable housing and childcare, important goals in what he refers to as the country’s seventh most expensive state. His proposed fiscal year 2025 budget also includes record investments in childcare without raising taxes, he said.

Moore also called for the state to support a world-class education system, prioritizing programs like the Blueprint plan that he proposes to fully fund in the new budget. The state should create more pathways to success for young people, Moore said, and also make it easier for people to start businesses.

“This will be Maryland’s decade,” Moore said. “Not because we say so, but because we make it so – together.”

In his response to Moore’s address, Hershey argued that the governor must push for a more proactive plan in addition to the three bills. The Joint Republican Caucus has proposed two bills, the Safe Communities Act and the Violent Firearms Offenders Act, and GOP leaders say they will continue to support the Gun Theft Felony Act proposed in the past.

“Our vision for Maryland is one where public safety is not just a priority but the foundation upon which all other aspects of society rest,” Hershey said in the written remarks. “It is impossible to envision a thriving state without a strong commitment to ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable and that our communities are protected from harm.”

Hershey also raised concerns about the possibility of tax increases to pay for all the Democratic priorities. Republicans support lowering the income tax rates and tax brackets, he said.

“We recognize that tax cuts are only achievable if we address the expensive mandates from the past and refrain from adding new ones that will further weigh down the budget,” Hershey said. “We must be disciplined in prioritizing the programs that are cost-effectively achieving their intended results while eliminating or scaling back the ones that are no longer necessary.”

The post Gov. Moore offers a sunny State of the State review despite challenges ahead  appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.