Maryland Budget Analyst Warns Of Future Spending Concerns

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A leading budget analyst for Maryland's legislature is telling lawmakers they need to do more to address future state spending, especially due to uncertainties about how federal spending decisions could affect the state.

Warren Deschenaux said Gov. Larry Hogan's budget plan makes hard decisions to balance the books for the next fiscal year. But he says the Republican governor's plan to address mandated spending in future years is "relatively weak tea."

He says "the bottom line is that for all its bells and whistles, this is just another kick-the-can-down-the-road budget."

Deschenaux says state officials generally have only addressed short-term budget problems since the Great Recession, without addressing longer term fiscal constraints. He says he's hoping the Democrat-controlled legislature will do more this year to address the long-term problems.

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