The Week Ahead

Now that the governor has released his budget, the legislature and MBTPI are putting noses to the grindstone.  Don’t forget to check back here for more post about specific aspects of the budget, and look for our Instant Analysis this week and the annual Regular Person’s Guide to the Budget in a couple of weeks.

Monday, January 23^rd

The Federal Reserve Bank provides an update on Maryland’s economy to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriations Committee at 1:30 pm in the Joint Hearing Room. 

The Federal Reserve briefing is followed at 3pm by the Fiscal Briefing from the Department of Legislative Services (DLS).

Tuesday, January 24^th

The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases state unemployment figures for December 2011.  Maryland’s unemployment rate fell half a percent in the first two months of the fourth quarter.

The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee has a busy briefing schedule on Tuesday:

Starting at 1pm, the committee will be briefed by the Maryland Association of Counties and the Maryland Municipal League, who will surely discuss the governor’s proposal to transfer pension costs to the counties. 

Then Baltimore City Schools will brief the committee on an alternative financing proposal at 1:30pm.

Alcohol tax revenues will be the focus of the next two briefings, from the Interagency Committee on School Construction at 2pm and the Developmental Disabilities Administration at 2:30

Finally, the Maryland Alliance for the Poor (@MAPAdvocacy, blog will update shortly), which MBTPI is a member of, will brief the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.  We will be highlighting the need for critical services for Maryland’s most vulnerable and asking legislators to protect them.

The House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on the new youth detention facility in Baltimore City, which Occupy Baltimore brought attention to last week.

The House Ways and Means Committee will receive a fiscal briefing from DLS at 2pm in the House Office Building.

Wednesday, January 25^th

The Senate Budget and Taxation committee continues its briefings, with K-12 education at 1pm and the University Maryland’s study recommending against a College park-UM Baltimore merger at 3. 

Thursday, January 26^th

The House Appropriations Subcommittees start off their agency budget hearings. The Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources holds a budget hearing on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.  1pm in Room 150 of the House Office Building.

Friday, January 27^th

The House Appropriations Committee receives a Capital Fiscal Briefing at 1pm in Room 120 of the House Office Building. 

This will be immediately followed by a briefing from the Maryland Alliance for the Poor, which MBTPI is a member of and will participate in.  We will be highlighting the need for critical services for Maryland’s most vulnerable and asking legislators to protect them.