Lawmakers must pass a budget bill by March 31st.
Frederick County State Senator Karen Lewis Young
Annapolis, Md (KM) The 2025 Maryland General Assembly is nearing the end, and lawmakers have yet to adopt a budget bill. That deadline is March 31st.
The state is facing a nearly $3 billion deficit for fiscal year 2026. The Governor has submitted a budget with two-thirds cuts, and one-third revenue generators.
“It’s going to painful. In fact, extremely painful. But we are getting close,”: says Frederick County State Senator Karen Lewis Young, who is describing what cuts will need to be made to bring this budget into balance.
But she says a number of programs which affect our core values will need to be cut, and a number of people will be affected. “To give people medical care that afford it overwise. To feed children that aren’t getting proper nutrition overwise. To help the elderly where they have no other place to go. And to assist those with disabilities to have a basic quality of life,” she said.
Lewis Young says what needs to be done is to “look for protections for the absolutely most vulnerable. The reality is we’re going to have to find some revenue and fee increases to fund that.”
However, a number of legislators don’t want to increase taxes or fees to close the budget gap. “When you got people pushing back on additional revenue, you just have to make some very, very challenging decisions,” says Senator Lewis Young.
The 2025 General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn Sine Die on Monday, April 7th at 12-midnight. But Lewis Young says lawmakers may be back in session before the year is out. “We may be very well be back here in September because there’s a major unknown which is what the federal government is going to do going forward,” she says. “And so many of our programs that do help fund the most vulnerable with health care and services are federally subsidized.”
Through all these concerns about the budget, Senator Lewis Young says there is some good news. The Route 15 widening project is still in the Governor’s budget as is the downtown Frederick hotel and conference center.
By Kevin McManus