State confronting ‘two storms,’ Moore tells county leaders

Using nautical language inspired by the State House’s proximity to the Naval Academy, Moore described the “two storms” state and local governments are confronting.

“I know we are facing steep challenges,” Moore said, according to prepared remarks provided by his office. “Maryland is in the path of two storms: First, we face an historic budget crisis, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. And second, we are about to swear in a new administration in Washington, D.C., that casts uncertainty on our future.”

Moore blamed the state’s looming $2.7 billion budget shortfall on the “sugar high” of federal largesse doled out to help states deal with the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, along with sluggish financial growth. The state’s ongoing, complex education reform plan, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, also continues to strain government resources.

“We need to grow,” Moore said. “It’s the key to securing Maryland’s future. Anyone who thinks we can just cut our way to greater prosperity isn’t being honest. Anyone who thinks we can just tax our way to greater prosperity is not being honest. Now is the time for us to make the hard choices that will help us build a durable economy – one that is business-friendly and invests in growth.”

Moore proposed jump-starting the state economy in different ways. He said he would issue an executive order – “the most sweeping economic executive action I have taken since being sworn in” – to make Maryland more business-friendly by cutting red tape on permitting; prioritizing three sectors of the economy, life sciences, I.T., and aerospace and defense, taking advantage of the resources that already exist in the state; and better coordinating with local jurisdictions on economic development strategies.

Moore also said he would introduce a bill in the upcoming General Assembly session to increase the state’s housing supply and said he would seek some alterations to the way the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is being implemented. While calling the education reform plan “a central piece of our education strategy,” he proposed pausing a provision of the Blueprint providing teachers with more “collaborative time” out of the classroom.

But he vowed to help school districts build out their pipelines for recruiting teachers and said that pausing the “collaborative time” contained in the Blueprint would give school districts more time to recruit and retain teachers.

“Growth is the most powerful tool we have in our toolbox,” Moore said. “But it is not – and cannot be – the only one. We are in a moment of profound consequence, and we are willing to use every tool in our toolbox if it means getting Maryland’s fiscal health on track.

“There will be choices in our new budget that some of you will not like. Quite frankly, there will be choices in our new budget that I don’t particularly like,” he said. “But we need to make hard choices now if we want to unleash our full potential as a state and lay the foundation for a brighter future.”