Democratic majority muscles spending, tax plan through preliminary vote

House Appropriations Chair Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) during Tuesday’s budget debate in the House of Delegates.(Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)

The Maryland House of Delegates could give its final approval Wednesday to a fiscal 2026 spending plan that includes more than $1 billion in new taxes.

House Democrats and Republicans engaged in a sometimes testy, nearly seven hour debate of a two-bill package. Republicans, who make up less than 30% of the 141-member House, offered up 20 proposed amendments on those two bills.

House Appropriations Chair Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) said Republican amendments would make cuts to education in some counties, aid to poor children, and students with disabilities.

“So yeah, you know what? This is a difference in values. We disagree,” Barnes said. “And it’s nice that we can finally have a real conversation about our difference in values, because we would rather tax millionaires a little more so that students with disabilities can get the services they need; because we would rather take a little cut to tourism rather than a cut to every kid in this state or families who need Medicaid.

“So look, we can argue this all day,” he said. “We have a difference in values. The paper says what it says. We disagree. We chart a different path.”

The issue of values became one of a number of running themes.

House Minority Whip Jesse T. Pippy (R-Frederick) proposed an amendment to cut a 1% cost of living increase for state employees. The money would instead be pushed to services at the Developmental Disabilities Administration.

“Let’s talk about values. These are the minority party values,” Pippy said. “We value our most vulnerable over state employees getting another raise because, quite frankly, they’ve had a 36% increase in salary and benefits for the last few years.”

Maryland’s $67 billion budget — a figure that includes all spending including general and federal funds and higher education — is one-tenth of a percent higher than the current year.

The $27 billion general fund budget, which encompasses state revenue from sources including income and sales taxes, is $414 million less than the current year.

The plan also solves a projected $3 billion deficit for the coming year. The solution involves more than $2 billion in…