Doomsday Budget

ANNAPOLIS -- After a one-day recess, Maryland's lawmakers were to return tomorrow to try to pass a balanced budget.They began their extraordinary extended session yesterday the way they ended their regular 90-day session at midnight Monday: arguing.They argued over whether they should keep working, or take a break to cool off and rest up.They argued over whether they should pass their so-called "doomsday" budget and let the impact of drastic cuts sink in, or try again to pass a tax increase that would make those cuts unnecessary.

Saying he can't design a budget without knowing how much money he has, County Executive Robert R. Neall is considering delaying introduction of his fiscal 1993 spending plan until after May 1, the date mandated by the county charter.He said yesterday he doubts he can meet that deadline unless the General Assembly agrees on a state budget,which contains aid to local governments, by the middle of next week.Delaying the introduction of the local budget is "certainly an option if the legislature doesn't act in timely fashion," he said.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller sent out a letter this week to the 46 other members of the chamber saying that there has been "tremendous misinformation" circulating about the final day of session and insisting that he did not hold up the state's budget over a bill to expand gambling. "It has been alleged that the impasse was somehow connected to gaming," Miller wrote. "That is patently untrue. " The tone is different from the one Miller took the day after session ended.

"The Maryland General Assembly meets in Annapolis each year for 90 days to act on more than 2300 bills including the State's annual budget. " That's the first line in the Maryland General Assembly's official web page. But this year, it's a lie. Because this year, lawmakers failed to act on the state's annual budget, ending their 90-day session at midnight before they could vote on a hastily arranged compromise reached by their leaders, and prompting the so-called "doomsday" budget to kick in, a budget balanced by millions of dollars in cuts.

Gov. Martin O'Malley will meet with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch Thursday afternoon in the State House as the three begin making plans for the 2013 legislative session. O'Malley spokeswoman Takirra Winfield said likely topics include the state budget, transportation funding and the governor's proposal to encourage offshore wind power. She said she did not know whether another potential issue, repeal of the death penalty, would come up. Winfield said she did not know the exact time when the three would meet.

The recent op-ed written by William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, is similar to Chicken Little declaring that the sky is falling ("Doomsday for Md. higher education," April 24). Mr. Kirwan states that "under the doomsday budget, the USM would be cut nearly $50 million" and would "dictate a double-digit increase for in-state undergraduate tuition, an increase significantly higher than the 3 percent included in the governor's budget proposal. " However, based on information found on the USM's own website (www.usmd.edu)

We all know that the cost of higher education continues to increase at an exponential rate. The problem is real and, not to sound apocalyptic, getting worse. Recently, as has already been reported, the state legislature failed to approve its proposed budget and ended up with a "doomsday" budget that shortchanges the University of Maryland College Park and many other institutions and government programs. Specifically, the doomsday measure includes a potential 10 percent (or greater) tuition increase.

In a sign the House may be moving closer to the Senate position on shifting part of the state's teacher pension costs to the counties, the delegate who chairs the House Appropriations Committee said Wednesday that the lower chamber is considering such a move. Del. Norman Conway, a Wicomicom County Democrat, said Gov.Martin O'Malley's proposed pension shift is "still in play" despite vocal opposition from many county leaders. "We've recognized that at some point we're going to have to Become partners with the counties on retirement issues," the chairman said.

The Maryland Senate spent Wednesday afternoon plowing through the state budget bill and a companion measure shifting part of the cost of teacher pensions from the state to the counties, turning back Republican attempts to amend the legislation. Late in the afternoon, after giving preliminary approval to both measures, senators turned to the big fight of the week: consideration of a revenue bill that includes a $416 million increase in state income tax rates. If that measure and the budget companion bill don't pass, almost $750 million in contingent cuts in the budget bill would take effect.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's suggestion that the General Assembly hold two special sessions this year has earned him derision from Republicans but the support of  at least one group -- the state NAACP. The civil rights group on Thursday endorsed the governor's idea of holdiing one session in May to raise taxes and take other steps to avert deep cuts to popular programs and another in latte summer to consider the thorny question of expanded gambling in Maryland. The proposal is now being considered by House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V.Mike Miller.