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MD Pension System Could Shore Up State's Money Problems

Don Rush

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Senate is scheduled to consider proposed changes to the state budget.

Last week, a Senate budget panel decided to address a downward revision in revenues by tapping into money set aside to shore up the state's pension system in a long-term plan. The Senate is expected to consider the changes Wednesday.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed $39 billion budget would use one-third of $300 million that had been planned to be put back into the state pension system above the required annual payment. The governor proposed doing that indefinitely to help tackle a deficit in future years.

But senators on the panel decided to use more pension money in the short term. They plan to return to investing $300 million in the pension system in fiscal year 2019.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.