Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller predicted Friday that the General Assembly would not approve any of the tax cuts proposed by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan this year, saying the state's priorities must be balancing the budget and providing adequate support for schools.
Miller, a Calvert County Democrat, said any consideration of tax cuts should wait until the state budget was showing a surplus.
Hogan has proposed several tax decreases, including an elimination of a provision indexing the gas tax to inflation and a phase-out of income taxes on pensions of military veterans and retired public safety workers. He has also proposed the elimination of personal property taxes paid by small businesses to the counties, with the state making up the loss in local revenue with increased aid.
The Senate president said Hogan's budget cuts the state's per-pupil school aid by about $200.
"That can't be allowed to stand," he said.
Miller said the state's priorities need to be "public education, public education, public education."
While the gas tax does not directly affect the general fund budget, Miller has previously said the state can't afford the loss of revenue to the Transportation Trust Fund.
Hogan contends that lawmakers should vote each time the gas tax goes up instead of having automatic inflation increases. He campaigned on a theme that the state needs to cut taxes to improve its business climate.
Hogan spokeswoman Shareese Churchill said the administration is pleased that Miller shares the governor's priorities of "a balanced budget and record funding for education."
"The administration is hopeful the demand for tax relief by Maryland citizens won't be ignored by the General Assembly," she said.
Hogan's budget for local school aid is a record $6.1 billion but Democratic lawmakers contend that next year's spending increase fails to keep up with growing enrollments.