With federal largesse persevering with to rain on the states, Maryland’s fiscal leaders upgraded their income estimates for the subsequent two fiscal years on Thursday, and Gov. Larry Hogan (R) used the financial forecast to broaden a scheduled pay enhance for state workers.
However the fiscal officers additionally cautioned that the U.S. financial system has entered a brand new interval of uncertainty and warned that state budget-writers should put together for an financial slowdown.
“Amidst all these good vibes and one other fast uptick in revenues, let me be very clear: The social gathering’s over,” mentioned state Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) at a gathering of the Board of Income Estimates.
Formally, the board, which consists of the comptroller, the state treasurer and the state funds secretary, voted unanimously Thursday to spice up state income projections for the present fiscal 12 months to $23.7 billion, a rise of $1.2 billion from the final time a projection was issued in March. The fiscal leaders additionally set the primary income forecast for fiscal 12 months 2024, which begins subsequent July, at $25.3 billion.
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“The truth that Maryland’s financial system remains to be rising regardless of unexpected elements over the previous two years is a testomony to the sound, long-term fiscal selections made by this board, the Governor and the Common Meeting,” Franchot mentioned, after the official income forecast was delivered by Robert Rehrmann, the brand new division director on the Bureau of Income Estimates.
Whereas Franchot, Treasurer Dereck Davis (D) and Finances Secretary David Brinkley broadly agreed that fiscal vigilance and prudence might be essential within the years forward, that they had barely completely different interpretations of the that means and worth of the excess.
Davis famous that the state’s Wet Day Fund, which typically carries about $500 million, has now ballooned to greater than $1.6 billion. With so many Marylanders nonetheless economically needy after the COVID-19 pandemic, he argued, state budget-writers should discover a manner to make use of a few of that cash for residents with the best wants.
“Our job once we gather these tax revenues is to not have a strong checking account,” Davis mentioned, noting the pandemic has laid naked financial and academic inequities in communities of colour. “I see this now as a chance to pay down on among the guarantees we as elected officers made to the voters once we requested them to elect us.”
The Common Meeting, which appoints the treasurer and is taking over better budgetary powers within the new 12 months, is more likely to search extra aggressive spending applications within the close to time period to handle among the challenges that Maryland’s neediest households face.
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That plan of action was additionally endorsed Thursday by the Maryland Middle on Financial Coverage, a progressive assume tank and advocacy group.
“Maryland’s present fiscal energy permits us to construct alternative for all Marylanders and be sure that communities throughout our state thrive,” mentioned Benjamin Orr, the middle’s president and CEO. “Tens of millions of Marylanders are struggling to satisfy fundamental wants akin to conserving a roof over their head and placing meals on the desk. Structural limitations constructed into our financial system disproportionately push these burdens onto Black and Brown Marylanders. We are able to and will construct financial safety and alternative for all by way of reforms akin to increasing our state youngster tax credit score and bettering our unemployment insurance coverage system.”
However Brinkley, who will put together a part of the upcoming fiscal 12 months funds earlier than handing it off to the subsequent governor when Hogan leaves workplace in mid-January, praised Hogan’s fiscal stewardship and warned towards profligate spending, reminding his colleagues that budget-writers are working with “different individuals’s cash.”
“It’s not a free-for-all,” he mentioned. “The fiscal leaders need to be aware not simply of the forest, however the bushes.”
Even together with his funds chief’s observe of warning, Hogan introduced moments after the Board of Income Estimates assembly that he would broaden a pay enhance for state staff that the legislature had approved earlier within the 12 months. All state workers will now get a 4.5% increase on Nov. 1.
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In a press release, Hogan forged his announcement as a part of an ongoing effort by the administration to recruit and retain workers within the state workforce.
“After as soon as once more holding the road and bringing fiscal accountability to Annapolis, we’re capable of take further steps to honor our firefighters, regulation enforcement officers, nurses, and state workers for the significant work they do to alter Maryland for the higher,” he mentioned. “This price of residing adjustment will assist state workers and their households with the challenges they face from historic inflation and — amid the post-pandemic labor scarcity — immediately’s actions advance our enhanced efforts to recruit and retain a gifted workforce.”
However the narrative isn’t that easy. The legislature handed funds language this 12 months that organized for a increase for state staff who belong to AFSCME Council 3, the biggest public worker union within the state, however the Hogan administration had resisted implementing the rise. As an alternative, his directive makes the increase accessible to all state staff.
Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3, hailed the wage enhance, however faulted Hogan for not doing extra for state staff throughout his eight years in workplace and mentioned extra credit score for the increase rested with the legislature.
“Let’s be clear — this can be a direct results of the work our union and members throughout the state have executed with the management of the Home and Senate,” he mentioned. “We recognize [House] Speaker [Adrienne] Jones and [Senate] President [Bill] Ferguson’s management and imaginative and prescient to make sure that state workers have further assets to cope with rising inflation and to supply for his or her households and family members.
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“It has been a financially devastating eight years, as common wages for state workers have fallen behind the speed of inflation by practically 33.3%. This wage enhance is a mirrored image of what occurs once we be a part of collectively to demand what we deserve, and that is only a first step to proceed to struggle for higher pay and respect.”
BALTIMORE – With a little more than two months until election day, the majority of Marylanders surveyed in the new Gonzales Poll would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump for president.
A total of 820 registered voters in Maryland who indicated they are likely to vote in the 2024 general election were queried for the poll by live telephone interviews, utilizing both landline and cellphone numbers between August 24 and August 30.
A cross-section of interviews was conducted throughout the state, reflecting Maryland’s general election voting patterns, the pollster said.
The Gonzales Poll stated that “the margin of error, per accepted statistical standards, is a range of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points and if the entire population was surveyed, there is a 95% probability that the true numbers would fall within this range.”
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Presidential survey
According to the latest Gonzales Poll, 56% of Marylanders surveyed said they would vote for Harris over Trump for president.
The poll says 84% of Democrats support the Harris/Tim Walz ticket and 80% of Republicans support the Trump/JD Vance ticket. Also, 83% of Black voters polled would vote for Harris/Walz.
Among the independents, 38% favor Harris/Walz and 36% prefer Trump/Vance, according to the poll.
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Gov. Moore’s approval gets a bump
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who led the state’s response to the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March, has the approval of 64% of Marylanders surveyed. Moore has a 35% “mostly soft approval” among Republicans who were surveyed (7% strongly approve, 28% somewhat approve),” the poll shows.
His approval rating increased by 33% since the last Gonzales Poll in the winter.
Last month, the governor spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris, who was nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.
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He framed Harris’ candidacy as “the story of a prosecutor who defended our freedoms and had Maryland’s back when we needed it most. And now MVP: We’ve got yours.”
President Biden’s approval
The Gonzales Poll shows that 53% of Maryland voters surveyed approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing, while 45% disapprove. Seventy-six percent of the Democrats believe Biden is doing a good job in office, and 84% of Republicans disagree.
State transportation and juvenile reform
According to the poll, 95% of Marylanders think it is “important for the State to invest in improving its transportation infrastructure.”
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And, when it comes to juvenile crime, voters were asked, “What type of laws, in your opinion, ultimately better help our children under 18 who commit crimes – Laws that are strict, which include things such as juvenile detention and boot camps. This hold individuals responsible and accountable for their behavior; or Laws that are lenient, which include social programs and counseling. This recognizes that society is responsible for much of this behavior?”
The poll shows that 58% of Marylanders are in favor of strict laws, which holds juveniles responsible and accountable for their behavior, and only 34% desire laws that are lenient.
“A majority of nearly every demographic group backs strict laws to inspire a sense of personal responsibility and to best assist our juvenile offenders ultimately realize at least a chance at a successful, happy life,” the poll said.
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Is the country going in the right direction?
Fifty percent of Marylanders polled say the country is headed in the right direction, while 45% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.
According to the poll, 93% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the right direction are voting for Harris/Walz, and 70% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the wrong direction are voting for Trump/Vance.
In the previous poll, 41% of voters said the country was headed in the right direction.
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“The mood of voters in Maryland vis-à-vis how they perceive things overall going in the country is a tad less grumpy than it was in winter,” the Gonzales Poll said.
Adam Thompson
Adam Thompson is a digital content producer for CBS Baltimore.
Proud Montgomery County, MD resident Gavriella Kaufmann (Potomac) won her episode of FOX’s game show “Name that Tune”, which aired last week.
Kaufmann, who was born and raised in Potomac and graduated from Churchill High School in 2015, stated in an interview with FOX 5, that she has always been into music and referred to herself as a music and game show savant. When she saw an ad on LinkedIn about being on season 4 of the game show, she immediately knew she had to do it.
“I’ve loved game shows for as long as I can remember, and music has always been a huge part of my life. Being on Name That Tune was the perfect combination of both passions—it was like a dream come true.” Kaufmann told us.
The episode had a happy ending, with Kaufmann winning a whopping $85,000! She added, “When I was on Name That Tune, I was so focused on doing my best and naming as many songs as possible that I completely lost track of the score. It wasn’t until Jane, the host, told me my total. I was in complete shock, but it was such an incredible moment!”
Who’s ready for Big Ten play to begin? In all honesty, I am not. I really wish Michigan State football had more tune-up games after seeing them struggle against Florida Atlantic and only win 16-10. But unfortunately, that is not how the schedule unfolds for Michigan State this season.
The Spartans will hit the road for an early Big Ten game as they face Maryland on Saturday at 3:30 pm. Going into the season I thought Michigan State and the Terps were on a pretty level playing field, but after seeing both teams play week one that doesn’t appear to be the case.
And Vegas agrees.
As you all know, Michigan State only beat Florida Atlantic by six and did not look very impressive, especially on the offensive side of the ball. So it’s no surprise that MSU will be the underdog next week. But 7.5 points feels like a lot, and according to the Lansing State Journal’s Graham Couch, it likely will only go up from there.
So does Vegas have it right or are they underrating Michigan State?
Looking at Maryland’s week one game against UConn it appears Vegas has this line right. The Terps were up 23-0 at halftime and never looked back and went on to win in dominant fashion 50-7. UConn and FAU are very similar in terms of what level they’re at in college football, so that drastic of a difference in the final score is very scary.
So Vegas probably could’ve gotten away with Maryland being even bigger favorites in this one.
But maybe Vegas saw what I did and thinks a lot of Michigan State’s mistakes on Friday are easy to fix. Maybe they think Aidan Chiles will be much better next week. The Spartan’s defense was also fairly dominant so there isn’t much of a chance Maryland scores 50 points next week either.
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I tend to not bet on Michigan State games, but even if I did this would be a line that I would avoid because who knows how much Jonathan Smith’s squad will improve by next week, and who knows how much Maryland might struggle against a Power Four opponent.