At the end of last week's legislative session in Maryland, the House and the Senate leadership couldn't agree on a gambling issue and, as a result, failed to pass new funding sources to support the State's budget. Instead, there is a doomsday budget lacking $512 million in new taxes and pension funding shifts to counties that will take effect in the event that there is not a special session called before July 1.
My perspective is that there will be a special session called as there is far too much at stake.
Not only is the political future of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Delegates hanging in the balance, but those areas impacted the greatest by the doomsday budget are the counties where the largest number of voters live. I attended a college board meeting yesterday and I received a listing of funding hits that each community college in Maryland would take and the highest dollar amounts are in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County.
The leadership including, the Governor, will not allow the doomsday budget to occur. All of these leaders are part of the Democratic Party and their political futures, including the lame duck Governor and the party's future are in serious jeopardy if this budget is implemented without $512 million in revenue enhancements.
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