ANNAPOLIS 鈥斅燤aryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a new education spending plan that he says would deliver on a promise made when Maryland passed legislation allowing gaming in the state a decade ago.
At a news conference at the State House in Annapolis, Hogan described his 鈥淐ommitment to Education Act of 2018.鈥� He said the bill would add $4.4 billion to public education spending over the next 10 years.
Hogan said his bill will create an education 鈥渓ockbox鈥� and make sure that revenues from casinos 鈥� money intended for education 鈥� could not be siphoned off for other purposes.
Hogan added that under his proposal, the first 20 percent of casino revenues would go toward school construction and an additional $100 million would go to K-12 operational spending.
Last month, Democratic lawmakers 鈥� including House Speaker Michael Busch 鈥� announced their own education funding bill, saying it would create a lockbox and fulfill the promise of using revenues from the state鈥檚 casinos to fund schools.
Hogan says unlike the Democratic proposal, his bill wouldn鈥檛 require a referendum.
鈥淭he voters need to get what they were promised,鈥� he said, noting that his proposal, if passed, would take effect once signed into law.
Asked if failing to hold a referendum to get a constitutional amendment would render his bill a lockbox in name only, Hogan told reporters, 鈥淵es, some future legislature and future governor could pass a new law saying we鈥檙e not going to fund education, but I think that鈥檚 an unlikely occurrence.鈥�
Hogan appeared at the news conference with his Budget Secretary David Brinkley and Comptroller Peter Franchot. As he referred questions to Franchot, who sits on the three-member Board of Public Works alongside the governor, Hogan joked: 鈥淚t鈥檚 Happy Valentine鈥檚 Day! My bromance with the comptroller is well known.鈥�
Franchot, who鈥檚 joined Hogan in grilling Baltimore County and Baltimore City officials over school construction funding when they came before the Board of Public Works, said he had long been skeptical of using casino money to fund schools. But he called Hogan鈥檚 bill 鈥渁 great proposal.鈥�
Franchot said Hogan鈥檚 proposal is 鈥渓ong overdue.鈥� Making reference to the lack of air conditioning in Baltimore County schools and a lack of heat in many Baltimore City schools, Franchot said: 鈥淭hat is simply unacceptable. And this legislation will supply the much-needed and long-overdue funds to support these critical capital improvement programs.”
鈥淭he fact of the matter is that this is a direction we took about a month ago,鈥� said House Speaker Busch when asked about Hogan’s proposal.
Busch was referring to the legislation that he supported 鈥� and that was announced at a news conference on Jan. 30聽鈥� that would call for a referendum in order to wall off casino money for education spending. The Democrats, in announcing their bill, referred to that as creating a 鈥渓ockbox.鈥�
Delegate Maggie McIntosh, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the referendum on education spending is a necessary part of guaranteeing that education money actually makes it to the classroom.
鈥淧ut it on the ballot, let the voters lock it through a Constitutional amendment,” McIntosh said. “And that way, the legislature can鈥檛 change it, the governor can鈥檛 change it聽鈥� only the people of Maryland can change it.鈥�
Wednesday evening, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker issued a statement in response to Hogan’s proposal.
“Governor Hogan could have locked this fund three years ago, but has chosen not to until now.聽This appears to be yet another example of Governor Hogan playing election year politics. Our students, parents, and teachers are counting on this funding without any political games.”
