Hogan Submits Funding To Battle Baltimore Blight

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has budgeted $18 million to support a plan to address urban blight in Baltimore.

The Republican governor included the money in a supplemental budget for the next fiscal year on Thursday. Hogan proposed the plan last month to demolish thousands of vacant buildings over four years to help pave the way to revive impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhoods.

But Democrats questioned why the governor did not include money in his state budget proposal last month.

The overall plan is to commit $75 million over four years.

It's the second supplemental budget Hogan has submitted, and it comes early in the 90-day legislative session. Last week, Hogan submitted a supplemental budget providing $15 million for long-running financial challenges with Prince George's County's health care infrastructure.