May 27, 2025

We Need a Return to Sanity in Maryland’s Budget

The 2025 Maryland General Assembly Session officially came to a close at midnight on April 7th. It’s an honor to serve in the State Senate and represent a large part of Carroll County as well as the Frederick County portion of Mount Airy. This was the toughest legislative session I’ve encountered in my time in Annapolis. We came into Session in early January facing a $3 Billion deficit for the coming year and it grows significantly in future years.

I’ve always believed it’s my job to advance common sense, fiscally conservative, pro-family policies. As one of only 13 Republicans out of 47 Senators I try to find common ground and work with people in both parties to solve problems and, most importantly, make it easier for working families, retirees and job creators to live and stay in our state.

Unfortunately, Governor Moore and a gerrymandered Democratic supermajority in the General Assembly keep doubling down on failed tax-and-spend policies, which have been driving people out for years. Our state government already spends more per resident than over 40 states in the country AND we have one of the highest combined tax burdens in the country. So, when faced with this self-inflicted budget what did Governor Moore and the Democratic General Assembly do? They made a lot of noise about “cuts” but the Democratic supermajority passed a combined $1.67 Billion in new taxes and fees – the largest tax hike in Maryland history, including a first-of-its-kind 3% sales tax on computer and IT services paid by every business and consumer in the state.

Unbelievably, it actually could have been even worse, Republican opposition coupled with public outcry helped kill other proposed tax hikes that would’ve raised taxes $3 Billion more!

Governor Moore has attempted to deflect blame for the State’s fiscal woes on President Trump but the State’s financial challenges existed long before the president took office. They are instead a direct result of two primary causes.

First, spending programs like the Kirwan Blueprint for Education that were mandated years ago are just now really taking effect. Blueprint requires tens of Billions of dollars in new spending and was rammed through by the Democratic supermajority over Republican objections and Governor Hogan’s veto. Then Governor Moore took office and not only made no changes to these mandates but added more cost by creating new state agencies and setting a goal of hiring 10,000 new state employees – that’s right – 10,000!

Second, Maryland has punished and persecuted job creators and entrepreneurs. Our private sector job creation has been at a standstill. Our state is far too dependent on federal government spending in our economy, a fact that other Senate Republicans and I warned about for years.

What is needed is what we Senate Republicans put forward this Session –  a right-sizing of state government to return to pre-COVID 19 levels, including an immediate non-public safety hiring freeze, elimination of large numbers of funded-but-vacant state positions, require state departments to reduce their budget 5% and common sense changes that would have balanced the budget without raising Marylanders’ cost of living.

Sadly, these floor amendments were rejected by the Democratic majority on mostly party-line votes. The House of Delegates Republican Caucus also offered similar alternatives which were shot down. The House Democratic majority then pushed through the largest tax increase in Maryland history.

Policies from the legislature should grow jobs and attract investment to Maryland, not actively chase them away. That will continue to by my focus serving in the Senate. As always I welcome feedback, comments and questions.

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