After the General Assembly’s embarrassing ending to the legislative session last week left a budget shortfall of $70 million — and that’s AFTER $500 million in spending cuts promised by the “doomsday budget” the state defaulted to when the session ended — Gov. Martin O’Malley’s budget secretary, Eloise Foster, has advised him to refrain from signing any bill that costs the state money until the budget is balanced.
And without a special session of the legislature to revise the budget, the state’s budget office will have to hunt for additional places to cut spending, and the governor will bring those cuts before the three-member Board of Public Works for approval.
Perhaps this whole lame situation will encourage the governor and Maryland lawmakers to call a special session, put a little more time on the clock, roll up their sleeves and get the budget straight.
