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House Approves $31 Billion Budget Along Party Lines
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The House budget contains a modest number of initiatives. Delegates set aside $25 million for a new fund to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. O'Malley had sought $50 million for the fund next year. The Senate also agreed to cut the funding in half. The fund was created in the November session.
The House version also includes $15.1 million to expand access to oral health services, $10 million for a small-business health subsidy program created in the special session and $5 million to enhance supervision of high-risk offenders by public safety agencies.
Funding for higher education would increase by 4 percent on a per-student basis next year, and state workers would receive a 2 percent general salary increase.
The sharpest exchange during the debate yesterday occurred once it became clear that significant numbers of Republicans planned to vote against the bill.
House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery) said he wanted to remind Republicans of some of the funding they would be voting against, including "historic" investments in public education. The House version of the bill includes more than $5.3 billion for public education, a 3.5 percent increase over the current fiscal year.
"If you want to walk away from that, be my guest," Barve said. "I'm not going to join you."
Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Calvert) responded with anger.
"Don't let anybody question your motivation on this floor," he said, adding that Republicans cared just as much about Maryland's citizens. "We're not voting against everything in this budget."
That sentiment was echoed by Del. Richard K. Impallaria (R-Baltimore County).
"It doesn't show in any way, shape or form that we don't care about our constituents," Impallaria said.
Republicans also sought to score points during yesterday's debate by pointing to tax increases passed during the special session. O'Donnell said the budget being debated on the floor was "contingent on massive, historic tax increases."
"We couldn't do this budget without those tax increases," he said.
In arguing for additional spending cuts, O'Donnell also pointed out that O'Malley plans to balance the budget in future years with revenue from slot-machine gambling, which is not a sure thing.
Voters will decide in November whether to legalize slot machines at five locations in Maryland. Legislative analysts project the machines could generate more than $400 million for the state by 2012 and significantly more thereafter.
