Budget Update: A Successful First Week

I recently received the following email.

November 2, 2007

Dear George,

The Senate President, Speaker and I just finished a press conference to sum up a successful first week of the budget solution special session. Last week, the General Assembly's leaders agreed on a schedule of joint Senate-House hearings, the committees kept to that schedule, and heard testimony in packed public meetings on all six of our bills.

Starting tomorrow, both houses of the General Assembly will begin work on our proposals to craft the final consensus solution to our inherited $1.7 billion budget deficit. And both the President and the Speaker are confident in their members' ability to get this job done now.

Today's hearings focused on creating a Green Fund to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and on slots - an issue that has bogged down our state government for too long.

We're putting forward a referendum, because it's time to let the people decide on slots, once and for all - as part of a fair, long-term solution to our inherited budget deficit. We need to recapture millions of dollars being spent in neighboring states for Maryland priorities - as well as preserve open space and jobs.

If there's one thing I'm certain about heading into this second week, it's that the men and women of the General Assembly want to solve our budget problem. And most are willing to work hard to find common ground in protecting education and the other priorities so important to our quality of life. Together, we will succeed in getting Maryland back to making progress.

Thank you for your help moving Maryland forward. And if you would like to contact your legislators to support our solution, you can reach them at: http://app.streamsend.com/c/31152/701/rJUM36S/JQDW?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fmdelect.net%2F.

Sincerely,

Martin O'Malley
Governor

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Office of The Governor - 100 State Circle - Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1925