Governor Moore on Wednesday proposed cutting just under $150 million in state funds scheduled to go to a wide range of programs and services this year in order to cover increasing costs for child care and Medicaid. His plan for “targeted and strategic spending cuts” is a proactive measure, and the first time in recent years the state has made adjustments to the already-enacted budget, according to the Moore administration. The new cuts would trim thousands, and in some cases millions, of dollars dedicated to agencies like the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Health and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The governor reaffirmed that the reductions will not affect, or even “cut a penny for,” critical services like transportation and K-12 education.
What’s next: The roughly $63 billion annual budget went into effect July 1, though the governor has the authority to reduce specific appropriations by up to 25 percent with Board of Public Works approval, which Moore chairs. The other members are Treasurer Dereck Davis and Comptroller Brooke Lierman, who are scheduled to vote on the plan at their next meeting on July 17.
