The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • A2

2 THE BALTIMORE SUN NEWS FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 Maryland senators voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $47.9 billion state budget that to fight the spread of coronavirus and restores funding to health, education and cultural programs cut in Republican Gov. Larry spending plan. The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 47-0 to approve the budget with bipartisan support. Sen. Guy Guzzone, a Howard County Democrat who is chair- man of the Budget and Taxation Committee, said the amended budget continues to ramp up funding for a sweeping overhaul of public schools pro- posed by the KirwanCommission.

said. planning for the future. planning for what going to do with Kirwan.We’replanning for the troubleswe see nationally and internationally with coronavirus.We’re trying to be as responsi- ble aswe can in puttingmoney The budget contains $10 million pro- posed by Hogan to help with the response to the spread of coronavirus in Maryland, where 12 cases have been confirmed.That’smoneyontopof theupto $50 million the legislature already author- ized the governor to draw from the so-called rainy day fund. got $60million to deal with issues the state may Guzzone said of Hogan. TheSenatemadeanumberof changes to budget, including restoring some spending reductions proposed by the governor.

Senators restored $39.5 million for developmental disabilities, behavioral health and Medicaid providers; $18.2 mil- lion for community colleges; $11.1 million for independent colleges; $1.6 million for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; and $200,000 forMaryland Public Television. Guzzone said the funding for theorches- tra would help the BSO get back on its feet after financial struggles. the commitment to the Guzzone said. idea is the BSO can succeed and over time have much less reliance on the The budget also includes a raise for state workers and a raise for state law enforcement officers. The spending plan is slightly smaller than the one proposed by Hogan.

Senators freedupmoneybymakingdozens of small cuts throughout the budget, including a $7.1 million reduction to busi- ness tax credits and eliminating long- vacant positions throughout state govern- results in a cut in the transportation department and a $2.5 million cut in the prison system. Hogan proposed a budget in January that included $355 million to pay for additional public school programs that have been recommended by the Kirwan Commission an amount in- creased to $362 million under the Senate spending plan. Lawmakers in the House of Delegates already have passed the Kirwan Commis- legislation to overhaul the public schools at an eventual cost of $3.8 billion annually through expanded prekindergarten, improved career and col- lege prep programs, additional community schools, more support for high-poverty schools and increased teacher salaries. The bill nowawaits approval in the stateSenate. Both chambers are now considering different versions of tax packages that could raise about $700 million annually to help pay for the education overhaul.

not enough to fully fund all 10 years of the plans, but would pay for more than half. Among the revenue-raising proposals under consideration: New taxes on digital advertising anddigital downloads of things like music, books and movies; and increas- ing the tobacco tax. Guzzone said the Senatewas not taking up aHouse proposal to expand the sales tax to certain so-called luxury services, such as fur cleaning, marina services and country clubmember- ships. TheHouse gave final approvalThursday to four of the tax bills aimed at generating money for Kirwan. The bill applying the sales tax to luxury services is still pending in the House, which is scheduled to take it up during an evening session onThursday.

tomake surewehave the next five years fully ramped up and said Senate President Bill Ferguson, a BaltimoreDemocrat. Though the budget must be balanced each year, legislative budget analysts say concerned about the size of the structural deficit in future years, shortfall by fiscal fiscal year 2025. Sen. Andrew A. Serafini, a Washington County Republican, called the budget a that included but he said like to see more money dedicated to the rainy day fund.

Likewise, budget secretary, David Brinkley, called on lawmakers to restoreany reductions to the rainyday fund in light of the spread of coronavirus. the inevitability that this situa- tion is escalating, we urge the legislature to preserve as much money in the rainy day fund as Brinkley said. The version of the budget reduces an appropriation to the so-called rainy day fund by $284 million, but includes $1.2 billion in the rainy day fund and $129 million in cash reserves in the general fund. being mindful of the economic situation at the moment and pre- Ferguson said. The budget now advances to the House for consideration.

Baltimore Sun reporter Pamela Wood con- tributed to this article. GENERAL ASSEMBLY Senate approves $47.9 billion budget $10 million earmarked to combat coronavirus By Luke Broadwater Sweet treats for everyone Rachel Nye, of Canton, and her dog Taco enjoy an ice cream outside BMore Licks on Eastern Avenue on Thursday. BARBARA HADDOCK SUN PICTURING MARYLAND House of Delegates has passed a package of campaign finance reform legislation aimed at preventing corruption and helping the State Board of Elections investigatewrongdoing. deserve to know their state legislators and public officials are working for their constituents, not said House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, a Baltimore CountyDemocrat, in a statementThurs- day.

legislative package seeks to restore public trust by making state public officials more accountable and transparent.Wecanandmustdobetter.” The package of seven bills that advanced Wednesday aims to eliminate conflicts of interest by prohibiting for- mer administration secretaries from lobbying their department for a year after leaving office, increasing criminal penalties for bribery, and prohibiting a family members from serv- ing as their campaign treasurer. The legislation also seeks to increase oversight and accountability by adding two positions to the State Board of Elections to help audit, investigate and enforce campaign finance laws and requiring campaigns to produce bank statements if theyareassessedacivil fine by the State Board of Elections. The House also is expected to advance legislation to expand the State Prose- ability to investigate misconduct in office. is the most meaningful cam- paign finance reform package in the last 10 said Del. Nick J.

Mosby, a BaltimoreDemocratwho is chairman of the election law subcommittee and was lead sponsor of four of the bills. are making sure regulators have the tools they need to conduct proper audits and investigations to root out badactorswho are abusing the system for personal Several of the bills are meant to address weaknesses in state election laws made clear by recent corruption cases. The package comes after former Tawanna Gaines was sentenced to six months in prison formisusing campaign funds for her personal benefit. As part of that case, daughter and former campaign treasurer, Anitra Edmond, was sentenced to probation on a related charge ofwire fraud. Lastmonth, formerDemocratic Balti- more Mayor Catherine Pugh was sen- tenced to three years in prison for conspiracy and tax evasion concerning the sale of her self-published books.

Among the allegations prosecutors made in that case was that Pughused illegal strawdonations tohelp her campaign. The bills now advance to the Senate for consideration. have taken common sense steps tobetter ensurepublic officials liveup to their oaths of office and if they there will be said Del. Brooke Lierman, a Baltimore Democrat who is chairwoman of the land use and ethics subcommittee. GENERAL ASSEMBLY House passes sweeping ethics, campaign finance package Legislation aims to help oversight, avoid corruption By Luke Broadwater The Maryland House of Delegates ap- provedabillThursday thatwouldbanstores and restaurants from giving customers plastic carryout bags inmost cases.

The lopsided95-38vote in theDemocrat- dominatedHouse cameafter years of efforts from environmentalists to tax or ban the bags. Several Republicans decried the measure as unnecessary. Del. Mark Fisher, a Calvert County Republican, said banning things such as bags and straws the best way to improve the environment. is what Stalinists Fisher said.

Del.KumarBarve, aMontgomeryCounty Democrat who leads a committee that reviewed the bill, countered that the legisla- tion is a andwell thought out based on the experiences of cities and countieswith similarmeasures. Montgomery County has a 5-cent fee on plastic bags. Howard County approved a 5-cent fee gone intoeffect yet, and Baltimore also passed a law that gone intoeffectyet thatwouldbanplasticbagsand charge a 5-cent fee onpaper andother bags. The statewide bill, which would go into effect in July, has exemptions for bags such as thoseused ingrocery stores forbulk items like nuts and candy, seafood and meat, bakery goods and flowers; bags for produce used by farm stands; as well as newspaper bags, dry cleaningbags and ice bags. all seen the effects of having too much plastic in our neighborhoods and said Del.

Brooke Lierman, a Baltimore Democrat who is the chief sponsor. After the vote, the House Democrats posted a celebratory video on Twitter, showingaplasticbagspinning in thewindto The text on the video read: went around and around on this bill. But banning plastic bags by passing House Bill The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. A companion bill sponsored bySen.MalcomAugustine,aPrinceGeorge’s County Democrat, has not advanced in the Senate. GENERAL ASSEMBLY Maryland House OKs ban on plastic carryout bags By PamelaWood Adogwas pulled by an alertworker from trash incinerator Monday morning, filthy andunable towalk andwith bitewounds.

The dog was in dire shape and needed emergency care, according to Baltimore Animal Rescue Care Shelter, which took him in and named himDonut. Nonetheless, theshelter foundhehadasweetdisposition. case is so heartbreaking, but we are remaining positive that he will over- come and find said Bailey Deacon, a spokeswoman for the shelter. Deacon said. just sat on the examroom floor folded over in a little lump.

Whenever a hand or face got close to his he justwanted to lick Deacon saidDonutwas transported to an emergency clinic for treatment and for his wounds to be cleaned of trash and debris. Veterinarians were unable to tell what state he was in before the injuries suffered by falling out of a 30-foot roll-off dumpster during unloading onto the sorting floor of the Wheelabrator waste-to-energy facility inWestport. A front-end loader operator spotted Donut and jumped into the trash to rescue said. unknown how he got into the dumpster. someone have purposely thrown him away in the Deacon said.

did hewander or fall into the dumpster on his own? All we can do is speculate. Whatever the circumstance, sweet Donut is now safe, and very lucky to be Donut is among thousands that come to BARCS through an agreement with Balti- more City Animal Control, which respond- ed toWheelabrator. Last year, the nonprofit shelter BARCS took in about 11,500 animals total from animal control, as strays or surrendered animals. About 1,000 of them need emergency care, which is funded through partner clinics and a fundraising campaign called the Franky Fund Program. two front legswerebadly injuredand likelyneed surgery, the shelter said.

Injured dog saved from trash incinerator ByMeredith Cohn.