[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6619873,"mediaKeyId","2827208-e1118d9ee46238cc842a3471dd443363","parentId",2827208,"title","Maryland Senate advances budget reconciliation bill after hours of debate over taxes, transfers and education funding","audioSeconds",1468,"startMs",9598000,"endMs",11066000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2827208-e1118d9ee46238cc842a3471dd443363&start=9598&end=11066","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2827208-e1118d9ee46238cc842a3471dd443363/thumbnail_9598000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6619873/Maryland/Maryland-Senate-advances-budget-reconciliation-bill-after-hours-of-debate-over-taxes-transfers-and-education-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619873-6580bc5055cb5fd1615fc6dd0f88fe2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431000&Signature=NtFtnPBjdRupFNvnvMKl6~oeM28B9lS8dpB5Hwk8AiKeu-CE9SHvDqSQNaCHTjlf4cG~B-vd4TbFjN~u-mP6r4SVJc170mZswAdslT8W~cOJlQOkxdzin1cmoylPvXoZSbgvTACWDT3sp~6ZwKtcWL4te3krmvSMJOkJ5b2HD-tmOgl7iaSuaIXZRM2C21lNBHq8P~dA7EyCiY1Kr8QT4p~CtMvlndIZThwF7CHtikhxE3L7HCGWcpWLZbEzBg5JNH8hNwl4xY5UobQy1iinVpHpuVPo0e5TlshHXsoCO3L6RyD25sIMScOYFMKVuQ8BTleUyd97B98rKCwcNskyrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Senate Sessions","date","2025-03-31T22:51:09.18Z","article","ANNAPOLIS, March 31 — The Maryland Senate spent much of Monday’s session wrestling with House Bill 352, the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025, as lawmakers debated tax increases, one-time transfers from special funds and how fast the state should pace major education funding known as the “Blueprint.” After detailed committee presentations and multiple roll-call votes on amendments, the Senate adopted the committee report with numerous amendments and laid the bill over under the rule for later consideration.

The Budget and Tax Committee chair, presenting the package to the full chamber, said the committee moved 70 amendments intended to produce a structurally balanced plan that reduces an earlier projected imbalance from roughly $2.9 billion to about $300 million in fiscal 2027. “We had three goals,” the chair said. “We ended up with a cash surplus, we increased the rainy day fund to 8 percent, and we cut the structural deficit dramatically.”

Why it matters: HB 352 is the legislative vehicle that implements the Senate’s changes to the governor’s proposed budget and the companion Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act that contains tax and policy changes. The measure affects tuition aid, transportation funding, public safety, health programs, and the Blueprint education program, and it contains numerous temporary transfers and contingent provisions that will affect county budgets and ratepayers.

Key elements and debate

- Tax and fee changes: The bill includes a slate of tax and fee adjustments that drew sustained scrutiny. Among the changes discussed were a phased increase in the vehicle sales tax (vehicle excise tax) to 6.35% in FY 2026 and 6.5% the following year, a new $5-per-new-tire fee intended to bolster the Transportation Trust Fund, increases to vehicle inspection and registration fees, and higher cannabis and sports-wagering tax shares. “These are regressive increases,” the minority leader said in floor debate, urging caution about the cumulative effect on households and small businesses.

- One-time transfers and special funds: Senators repeatedly questioned temporary transfers from dedicated funds. The committee’s report transfers money from several dedicated accounts into the general fund, including a $230 million transfer from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (money collected from energy-related charges on utility bills) and transfers from the local income tax reserve. Some senators objected that transfers from funds that ratepayers or property owners expect to be used for specific purposes (for example, energy programs or open-space preservation) amount to hidden tax increases. The chair said the transfers were used to address immediate fiscal needs and that some transfers were one-time measures.

- Rainy day fund and structural balance: The committee preserved a stronger rainy day target — the chair said the bill keeps the rainy day fund at roughly 8 percent, above the statutory 5 percent target — and emphasized the package is intended to leave the state in a better structural position going into the next fiscal year.

- Education Blueprint and local impacts: A string of amendments sought to slow or pause Blueprint allocations and to reduce or re-time certain new education spending. One proposal that would have paused portions of the Blueprint for two years failed on a roll call. Supporters of the education investments said the Blueprint addresses long-term gaps in student outcomes and that trimming now would cut services to students and communities. Opponents argued pacing the implementation would relieve pressure on county budgets and avoid tax increases on residents.

- County fiscal effects and local option measures: Several senators from more rural counties pressed for clarity on how cost shifts (including pension costs and local education obligations) will affect county budgets. The committee included a provision authorizing counties to increase the local “piggyback” income tax rate by 0.1 percentage point if they choose; the chair noted that, taken together, the package provides counties substantially more state education funding while giving them optional local tools to raise revenue.

Votes and formal actions

- Committee amendments: The chair moved and the Senate adopted the committee’s extensive set of amendments, grouped and voted in batches (amendments 1–70 across multiple agency categories), largely by voice vote or without objection, with some separate roll calls on floor amendments. The adoption of the final committee report as amended was recorded and the Senate laid HB 352 over under the rule for continued floor consideration.

- Roll-call outcomes on floor amendments: Several high-profile Senate floor amendments were defeated in recorded votes, including a sweeping package offered by minority senators that would have imposed a 5 percent across-the-board agency cut, hiring freezes and other revenue-side alternatives to tax increases. Recorded counts were reported on the floor when taken.

Funding details senators highlighted

- Structural deficit reduction: The chair said the committee’s approach reduced a roughly $2.9 billion projected structural gap for FY 2027 to about $300 million.

- Strategic Energy Investment Fund: The bill redirects $230 million from the fund to the general fund for FY 2026, a temporary transfer that drew criticism because the fund is normally supported by charges collected from ratepayers for energy and efficiency programs.

- Rainy day fund: The package maintains an 8 percent rainy day target and leaves the state with a multi-hundred-million-dollar cash surplus in FY 2026, according to committee figures.

What was not decided Monday

Senators held off final passage of the bill under final third-reading vote; HB 352 was laid over under the rule for later floor action so the chamber can process additional amendments and for members to prepare for final action. Committee leaders told members that if federal changes or new information emerge — such as unanticipated federal reimbursement losses — they will reconvene leadership to consider adjustments.

Context and next steps

The Senate’s action on HB 352 is part of the end-of-session budget process that must be completed before the legislature adjourns. The bill is linked to companion revenue measures in the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act; those revenue provisions were debated in the Senate and include the tax and fee changes described above. Leaders cautioned the package includes a mix of one-time transfers and ongoing policy changes, and several provisions are contingent on related legislation.

Quotes

“We were recommending 70 amendments to the budget,” said the Chair, Budget and Tax Committee. “As I mentioned on the floor, we worked very hard this session in collaboration with the governor and our colleagues in the House to bring a budget before you today that puts Maryland in a strong fiscal position.”

“The problem with thinking about a rainy day fund and the surplus of a rainy day fund is that it’s one-time money,” said the chair. “If you use that money, it’s gone. You use it when you really need it.”

“The question is not whether this will work, it’s how much longer before we are in the same place again,” said a senator who supported deeper cuts and local options. “There’s an expectation from home that something new is coming out of this budget.”

Ending note

Lawmakers left the chamber with key policy disagreements unresolved and the budget package still subject to further floor amendments and votes. The Senate will resume floor work on the bill under the rules and senior leaders said they expect more sessions this week and possibly additional special sittings as they finalize the fiscal year 2026 and related policy packages.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Floor Session, 3/31/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","ANNAPOLIS, March 31 — The Maryland Senate spent much of Monday’s session wrestling with House Bill 352, the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025, as lawmakers debated tax increases, one-time transfers from special funds and how fast the state should pace major education funding known as the “Blueprint.”","taxTitle","SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15090,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6619869,"Senate lays over several energy bills after debate over permitting, storage and nuclear policy",109,11011000,11120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2827208-e1118d9ee46238cc842a3471dd443363&start=11011&end=11120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2827208-e1118d9ee46238cc842a3471dd443363/thumbnail_11011000.jpg","/articles/6619869/Maryland/Senate-lays-over-several-energy-bills-after-debate-over-permitting-storage-and-nuclear-policy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619869-263a7d6e8e3cd9251df684c2312c1e8b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431000&Signature=Y09iOQhh2b6z5fcXz7nDiiM3yFM2fezCONPMwD8stZIT47uohw~nMFI9mxm4oss7Gc6BV-NZ7J2sNGGteOYNLne9YnOLmOieKgwBdw-oJFjFg8HnGV2pyIr1qG22LtWKN4LoI1F9265o5m4oH2c74P1kBN0HIvuGw-0FFe118LUKVCm6YFJvqAOKSzxhvJNeTv135aEliIVSEmaXZueWMBKGPiy~bqSlpwekAkLMZ5Y58BvIo-0cQuPPlipZD6YCJnWOhi3wqtHGdfZ3YHa-TPHi07~hKiXuJ-3IN~saPlYb~7BnWRaPM9EWFLR8T8F3JYPWdPEenelg744JFtPD-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","ANNAPOLIS, March 31 — The Maryland Senate on Monday considered several energy measures and moved them to lay over under the rule, sending key policy questions back to committee and leadership for further work before final floor action.

What lawmakers took up

- SB 937, “Next Generation Energy Act” (sponsor presented): The bill creates a temporary expedited approval track for certain dispatchable generation and a procurement process for a target amount of dispatchable capacity. It also creates a zero-emission credit mechanism intended to incentivize new nuclear power. The sponsor said the provision is designed to address near- and mid-term reliability needs while the state transitions to lower-emission resources.

- SB 931 and related measures: Those bills would change permitting, siting and equipment standards for utility-scale solar and storage projects, add new public‑interest review factors and authorize local governments limited authority to create community solar auto-enrollment programs. The bills also contain restrictions on certain behind‑the‑meter co‑location unless an equivalent amount of additional clean generation is added.

- SB 909 (work group, data and transparency): A separate bill would establish an independent modeling and forecasting office, and a work group to study public works contract and apprenticeship transparency via a publicly available data dashboard.

Why it matters: Senators framed the package as a response to reliability concerns in the regional grid and a desire to accelerate dispatchable, low- or zero‑emission generation. Sponsors argued the bills create targeted incentives and a narrow expedited permitting path; critics said the proposals raise local control, conservation and environmental review questions that require more deliberation.

Votes and actions

All bills were laid over under the rule after committee sponsors described committee amendments. Senators noted the measures will be revisited during continued floor deliberations on energy and as the budget process moves forward.

What’s next

Committee sponsors asked members to expect further floor action and signaled continued negotiations among the administration, the Public Service Commission and environmental and local government stakeholders.

Quote

“As amended, this bill establishes the strategic energy planning office as an independent energy modeling and forecasting division,” said a committee floor leader while describing SB 909. “The office must develop wholesale market and bulk power system risk reports.”

Ending

Lawmakers laid the measures over for later floor action; sponsors said staff will continue to refine permitting language and procurement details before the bills return to the floor.","ANNAPOLIS, March 31 — The Maryland Senate on Monday considered several energy measures and moved them to lay over under the rule, sending key policy questions back to committee and leadership for further work.","actionData","errors"]

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Maryland Senate advances budget reconciliation bill after hours of debate over taxes, transfers and education funding

Senate lays over several energy bills after debate over permitting, storage and nuclear policy