State Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said he plans to fight higher education cuts.
The University System of Maryland could face significant cuts if the “doomsday” budget bill – passed in the waning hours of the legislative session’s final day Monday – is left in its current form.
As the clock struck midnight at Monday’s legislative session, the state Senate and House passed a balanced operating budget but failed to pass a bill that would generate enough revenue for the state.
Many state lawmakers called it a “doomsday” budget because of the severe expected cuts to health care and education if a special session isn’t called; higher education overall could see a $63 million cut, and the system could receive $50 million less in state funding, according to university lobbyist Ross Stern.
“We’re clearly upset and very concerned about the budget as passed; the only way to solve that is for a special session to occur,” system lobbyist P.J. Hogan said. “I think everything will be on the table from significant tuition increases to reduction of student services, larger class sizes, probably fewer sections; it’s going to be painful one way or another.”
Gov. Martin O’Malley would have to call for the General Assembly to reconvene at a separate special session – outside of the allotted 90-day session – to vote on the revenue-generating bills. Those would offset the $512 million cuts that Monday night’s meeting triggered.
“I have to tell you that, sadly, we did not protect the priorities of public education like we should have, like we could have, as we had the ability to, and we didn’t protect affordable college,” O’Malley said in a press conference at around 1 a.m. in Annapolis yesterday.
The Senate and the House both passed budget bills in the weeks leading up to the last day of session that included cuts to the system. The Senate version included $5.3 million cuts, while the House version, which raised less revenue, saw a more significant cut of nearly $20 million. After the bill went to committee last week, both chambers voted on the Senate’s funding to the system.
However, the budget was prepared to trigger several automatic, across-the-board cuts should the General Assembly fail to raise significant revenues, according to Sen. Roger Manno (D-Montgomery). This scenario unfolded Monday at Sine Die – the last day of the state legislative session where lawmakers have to vote on bills that have been introduced since January or the legislation is killed for that year.
“Folks are about to see under a microscope what the failure of revenue looks like,” Manno said. “It’s more than I think any of us can bare, and I think it’s going to be an extraordinary wake up call.”
While O’Malley originally proposed allocating $9.5 million to the system if tuition is capped at a 3 percent increase, Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) said the potential cuts would increase tuition even more.
“If the university system were to protect its budget, it would end up with a 10 percent tuition increase,” he said. “It would be very damaging to students.”
In addition to a potential tuition hike, Stern said the reductions could eliminate cost-of-living adjustments in their salaries for university faculty.
Many lawmakers feel the failure to pass revenue measures and the cuts that would follow warrant O’Malley to authorize a special session to bring the issue to a full body vote. However, others, such as House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Calvert and St. Mary’s) said the current budget is preferable to one that would enact more taxes.
“It’s not a ‘doomsday’ budget; the Earth is not going to stop spinning on its axis,” he said. “The budget is balanced in its current form. There is a silver lining to a very poorly, poorly managed legislative session.”
O’Donnell added allowing a special session would only open the door to further burdens on state residents, such as increasing the gas tax and the income tax for high-income earners.
“It’s not necessary to have a special session,” he said. “That would be the only reason for them to come back, to raise taxes and continue spending increases.”
Despite his opposition, O’Donnell said he expects the chambers to reconvene. As of last night, O’Malley had not said if he will call for a special session.
Although the large reductions are in place, the House and Senate passed a capital budget – which is the money that funds construction and planning projects – that includes millions of dollars in funding to this university, affording the university all of the projects they requested from the governor.
“Everything got through that we wanted,” Stern said. “We’re very excited and happy about that.”
bach@umdbk.com
