ANNAPOLIS – If Maryland legislators can’t agree to raise taxes in the coming fiscal year, the result likely will be large cuts to education, state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said Thursday.
The “doomsday” budget proposal — a plan that relies solely on cuts to fill a $1.1 billion budget hole — that Miller, D-Calvert and Prince George’s counties, has promised to bring to the Senate floor will involve the state’s required “Maintenance of Effort” school funding by the counties and a controversial proposal to shift half the cost of teacher pensions to the counties, he said.
“Unless you want us to cut education, you’re going to have to help us with some of these revenues,” he said.
The budget proposal also likely will include cuts to state Medicaid funding, he said.
However, this type of cuts-only plan would be irresponsible, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Wednesday. His proposed budget includes $800 million of cuts and $311 million in new revenue.
