Maryland Budget

The Senate and House need to reconcile differences before sending a budget package to the governor for his signature.

The 2025 General Assembly session comes to a close on April 7, a week from Monday. Lawmakers are working to finish a budget by then.

Republicans unsuccessfully fought against proposals to increase spending on education and health care.

The proposal includes a new 3% tax on data and IT services.

The controversial proposal is estimated to bring in $1 billion a year.

The 2.5% tax would cover accounting, landscaping, and valet parking, among others.

Maryland business leaders oppose the move, which is estimated to raise roughly $1 billion.

The fund shuffling comes at the cost of some state employee raises.

Governor Moore calls for spending reduction on 988 suicide prevention hotline and in-school behavioral services as a youth mental health crisis increases.

Legislative leaders say the cuts are necessary to prepare for likely cuts in federal spending.