The House Republican Caucus presented their  budget reconciliation plan for FY 2012 before the House Appropriations Committee on March 1.  For FY 2012, the plan proposes to make an additional $621 million in spending reductions, cancel the proposed raids on the Bay Restoration Fund and Program Open Space, and the raid on the Transportation Trust Fund.  In addition, the plan proposes to eliminate the structural deficit by FY2013 through a reduction in state spending and a gradual rollback of the increase in sales and corporate income taxes beginning in FY 2014.  As reported on the Maryland House Republican Caucus blog:

“This plan represents months of deliberations and tough choices”, said Delegate Gail Bates, the Ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee.  “There are no easy solutions.  But this plan puts us on a path to fiscal stability and allows us to alleviate the tax burden on our citizens.  It will also lessen the tax burden on businesses allowing them to expand and add jobs to our economy.”
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“There seems to be an unfortunate and growing appetite for tax increases among many in the House and Senate”, said House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell.  “Soaring gas, food, and energy prices could have a devastating impact on our citizens and economy.  We do not need to add on the burden of even higher taxes.  The Republican members of the Appropriations Committee have done an excellent job disproving the fallacy that tax increases are required to achieve sound fiscal footing.”

Other items of interest include:

1. Deleting the Geographic Cost of Education Index Funding Formula
2. Basing the Education Aid Formula on Average Daily Attendance
3. Levying a per-employee administrative charge to employers who participate in the State Retirement and Pension System to help fund the agency’s budget, this would apply to the local boards of education, local libraries, and community colleges
4. Charging counties for the cost of local parole hearings and investigations
5. Reducing Baltimore City’s share of HUR by $60 million.

House Republican Caucus Budget Reconciliation Presentation.