ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland lawmakers got back to work in the State House on Wednesday under a looming budget crisis. The state is $3 billion short. Legislators said they worry about how that deficit will impact state priorities. They are also asking the governor to slow down certain programs’ roll-out.

A Session of “Tough Choices”

Wednesday morning, the Maryland Senate Republican Caucus told the press the General Assembly will work to cut $1 billion from the budget. Governor Wes Moore (D-Md.) promised later the same day in a separate press conference he would complete a “minute, line-by-line” budget review. He called this session one of “tough choices,” adding he planned to cut $2 billion from the budget.

“I don’t think we can do lazy governance at this moment. I think we need precision governance,” Gov. Moore said.

Republican leadership said it would not support any increases in taxes or fees, instead suggesting cuts to programs that are not yet fully implemented. Gov. Moore did not say whether he would support such increases, but said unfunded mandates need to be “pressure tested.”

“I don’t fund on formulas, I fund [based] on results… I do have a very high bar when it comes to revenues, and we will not grow the economy on the backs of working Marylanders,” Gov. Moore said.

“The budget is definitely the elephant in the room.”

The governor insisted the state should invest more in the tech and health industries, and make it easier to do business in the state in general. He also called for a more efficient government, adding spending should be dedicated to initiatives that are “effective and sustainable.”

Gov. Moore said budget issues will be further discussed during Friday’s cabinet meeting.

The budget crisis is not lost on other lawmakers, either.

“The budget is definitely the elephant in the room. Certainly, we need to do our due diligence to ensure that we’re not hurting Marylanders by way of taxes or additional fees, for that matter,” said Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Md. District 37A).

Blueprint Rollout Too Much, Too Soon, Lawmakers Say

Namely, legislators are calling for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education program to be slowed or pared down. The ten-year, $30 billion plan was enacted in 2021. It seeks to improve education resources in public schools through a multi-pronged approach and a huge boost in funding.

But lawmakers still need to balance that mission with other needs like transportation and health care, said Del. Sample-Hughes.

“We might not have to do everything in one year. Case in point, the Blueprint. Put a pause on it, and make sure that we’re still addressing the education needs of our citizens, but at the same time let’s not go bankrupt,” Del. Sample-Hughes said.

State Senator Mary Beth Carozza (R-Md. District 37) agreed with that approach.

“It’s simply unaffordable. If you can’t pay for [Blueprint] you are passing on an unfunded mandate to the taxpayers, and in many cases to local governments and school systems… Take a slower approach. Maybe break down some of the issues,” Sen. Carozza said.

Revisiting The Big Plan

The Blueprint was implemented after the state’s Kirwan Commission convened to recommend how the legislation should be drafted.

Sen. Carozza said she remained heavily involved throughout the process from the beginning. She said she suspected it would balloon into something much bigger than what was imagined at the time.

“I realized when I started to attend the meetings there were no local officials… I have consistently been an advocate for local flexibility and local authority,” Sen. Carozza said.

Wicomico County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Micah Stauffer has been working closely with other superintendents and lawmakers to draft 30 recommendations for how Blueprint would be best rolled out on a local level, Sen. Carozza said.

Beyond that, Sen. Carozza said she believes some aspects of Blueprint could be peeled off and reintroduced as individual bills. She said doing so would make the goals of the lofty plan more attainable, and possibly affordable.

“Now that has come to a head with our budget crisis. I believe now we’ll be able to go back and look at some of these recommendations in a bipartisan way,” Sen. Carozza said.

Gov. Moore promised to rework the Blueprint with lawmakers this session. He said public schools need support to boost the overall economy.

“Just because we are spending more doesn’t mean we are getting more,” Gov. Moore said of the Blueprint’s price tag.

Legislators: State is Grappling With Energy Crisis

Meanwhile, lawmakers say they are also grappling with an energy crisis.

GOP leadership called the state’s current energy and environmental policies “crippling” to the private sector. In particular, they said the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 is “unworkable” and too expensive. The legislation mandates sweeping clean energy initiatives in Maryland.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers from the Eastern Shore agree the state needs to diversify its energy resources.

“What is concerning is that at the federal level, our incoming president is talking about doing away with wind projects altogether… We have to look at what we can continue to do, what makes sense,” Del. Sample-Hughes said.

Sen. Carozza called for the state to lean more into nuclear power and natural gas as energy sources.

In addition, Sen. Carozza stands in staunch opposition with several local municipalities and leaders against a planned offshore wind project by U.S. Wind. The project would bring wind turbines about a dozen miles off the coast of Ocean City. They would measure hundreds of feet tall, and be lighted at night.

“This project has grown as far as the size of the turbines, the distance from the shore, the impact on the commercial fishing industry, the impact on marine life, and the high cost for ratepayers and taxpayers… We should focus on increasing energy for those reliable and sustainable sources [like nuclear energy and natural gas,]” said Sen. Carozza.

Looking Ahead

The budget is expected to balloon to $6 billion by 2030.

Lawmakers say now is the time to tighten the belt and be more intentional about spending. State Senator Justin Ready (R-Md. District 5) said the crisis impacts Marylanders’ wallets. He called the cost of living “crushing,” an “epidemic” and a “self-inflicted wound.”

Sen. Carozza said this year’s session is an opportunity to address “major” issues within the state.

“We have to do so in an affordable way… We face even more of a budget crisis in the out years,” Sen. Carozza said.