ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's Senate president is bracing his colleagues about "very difficult" budget work after reviewing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's budget plan.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller told senators Monday night he predicts the Democratic-led General Assembly will be arguing about the budget down to the last day of the session.
Miller noted several things in the governor's budget plan, which was made public last week. He says education aid for the city of Baltimore declines by $25 million due to increased wealth and declining enrollment. But he says some other counties with lower enrollment than Baltimore receive supplemental aid, when Baltimore doesn't.
Miller, a Calvert County Democrat, also is highlighting transportation funding as a difficult area of looming disagreement.
Budget Analysis
Maryland analysts are scheduled to give lawmakers a fiscal briefing.
The Maryland Department of Legislative Services is set to give an overview of the state's budget and financial landscape on Tuesday.
Analysts will be giving the presentation to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. Those are the two panels that do most of the budget work in the Maryland General Assembly before bringing it before the House and Senate.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan submitted the state's $43.2 billion budget plan last week. The plan includes a surplus of about $449 million and a rainy day fund of about $1.1 billion. Lawmakers in the Democratically-led General Assembly will be working on the budget plan for most of the legislative session.
