Will the Governor’s Budget Address the State’s Unmet Needs?

January 17, 2017 by Natalie Neill in 2017 session, Blog, Budget and Tax

This morning, Gov. Larry Hogan set the stage for another year of missed opportunities for investing in Maryland’s future as he promised his next budget will provide even less money for state services, as a whole, than the current budget does. Despite the governor’s claims that this won’t harm the services Marylanders rely on every day, the fact is that the state is already falling short in many areas. We see it in the form of longer waiting lists, fewer supports for families who are struggling to make ends meet, and the inability to make meaningful new investments in Maryland’s future.

Some of the unmet needs in the current state budget are outlined in our new report.

This year could be an excellent opportunity to build on our state’s strong economic foundation and continue on the path toward broad prosperity. However, the governor’s expected limited spending on already underfunded programs will slow progress and prevent our economy from reaching its full potential.

Years of budget cuts following the recession harmed the state’s ability to meet many residents’ needs. Further reducing funding levels for effective programs is unnecessary and puts the modest economic gains we’ve seen since the recession at risk.  Lack of resources is not the issue – the state could fund targeted investments in education, infrastructure, transportation and public safety if it stopped carving out tax breaks for large corporations and our wealthiest residents.

We know long-term economic stability depends upon a well-educated workforce, but funding for education lags behind what is needed. Last month, an independent assessment of Maryland’s education system found it would take an additional $2.6 billion to reach an adequate funding level. While Gov. Hogan has said he will provide the full amount of education funding state funding formulas require, this will still leave us short of providing every child in Maryland a fair chance at success. Why would we shortchange a critical investment in the next generation?

We also know our safety net programs work, but at current funding levels they cannot reach every family that is struggling to make ends meet. Waitlists for childcare, housing, and services for seniors and people with disabilities run hundreds of names long. Child welfare case managers are overburdened. Some school nutrition assistance programs, proven to improve health and educational outcomes for children, can’t reach all areas of the state where they are needed due to lack of funding.

This is just the start of a long list of unmet needs across the state. Maryland’s budget should prioritize spending that benefits the economy as a whole and include everyone. As the official budget documents come out tomorrow, we will see how well the governor’s budget addresses these challenges.