As Monday afternoon turns into Monday night, the General Assembly has yet to unveil a fiscal package for FY 2013. Under the Constitution, an operating budget bill must be enacted by the end of the 90 day session, or the General Assembly is required to go into an “extended session” for work on the budget alone.
The Maryland Reporter covers some of the impasse and the potentials for effects if a budget deal is not reached tonight.
As of 5:30 Monday, the House had not yet returned to the floor for a scheduled 5pm session, while its Ways and Means Committee was meeting to discuss gaming legislation, which has become heavily tied to the overall budget and fiscal package.
On the Senate floor earlier today, Senate President Mike Miller indicated that a failure to have a budget agreement by 7pm would doom the process, as the appropriate printing and amendments could not be completed to enable final voting.
6pm update — From the floor of the Senate: a budget conference report has been signed, but no deal yet on a revenue bill. With the “doomsday cuts” of some $250 million triggered by the absence of revenue legislation still embedded in the budget bill. Work continues on the revenue bill. Meanwhile, the House Ways and Means Committee has approved its gaming bill, by a 14-4 vote with multiple abstentions.
