Extra Thornton money won’t be included in O’Malley’s budget

Governor-elect’s comments come as the General Assembly opens its 423rd legislative session in Annapolis

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo J. Adam Fenster⁄The Gazette Governor Martin O'Malley and Lt Gov. Anthony Brown greet Senate President speaker Mike Miller.

ANNAPOLIS — Gov.-elect Martin O’Malley will not fully fund an education aid formula that would greatly benefit Baltimore city and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, he said Wednesday.

‘‘We will be looking to ramp up the [formula] in the years ahead,” O’Malley (D) said in an impromptu news conference outside the State House.

During the gubernatorial campaign, O’Malley pledged support for the geographic cost of education index, or GCEI, which would distribute about $100 million extra based on each county’s cost of living. Under GCEI, Baltimore could receive $16 million, Montgomery could get about $20 million, and Prince George’s could receive about $30 million, the most for any Maryland jurisdiction.Ten other jurisdictions would receive money, but far less.

The GCEI was part of the Thornton Commission’s recommendations for extra education funding to the counties. Although the other recommendations have funneled millions more into county school systems, no state budget has included anything for the GCEI.

‘‘You can’t say you’ve fully funded Thornton until GCEI is funded,” Sen. Patrick J. Hogan (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village. Hogan is the vice chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee.

O’Malley told reporters that his administration would ‘‘make progress” in funding GCEI, as well as more money for school construction and holding down college tuition.

Although GCEI remains unfunded, the state is scheduled to spend an extra $580 million in other education aid, O’Malley said.

O’Malley’s comments came as the 423rd General Assembly opened, and 188 legislators, including 45 new lawmakers, were sworn in. House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach were re-elected to their positions of leadership.

‘‘I’m looking forward to working with all of you,” O’Malley told the senators. ‘‘We have a lot of challenges and a tremendous amount of goodwill.”

O’Malley, who will be sworn in next week, also said he wanted to work with Republicans. ‘‘Progress is bipartisan,” he said.

Observers believe the focus of the 90-day session will be health care as lawmakers weigh a number of proposals designed to reduce the number of uninsured residents in the state, estimated at about 750,000.

One proposal would double the tobacco tax to $2 for a pack of cigarettes. Proponents say the increase will price cigarettes out of reach for teenagers as well as generate $200 million for health care expansion.

Busch said the state should aim to cut the number of uninsured Maryland residents in half.

Any legislative proposal, however, will have to face a souring Maryland economy. A $413 million budget deficit looms in O’Malley’s first budget. Fiscal projections show the shortfall worsens in future years.

‘‘We have a tremendous amount of assets here,” Busch said. ‘‘But we also have great challenges in front of us.”

Busch and Miller have outlined an aggressive agenda that includes early voting, ‘‘clean cars,” a new Public Service Commission and more money for transportation and education.

On Wednesday, the State House was jammed with lawmakers, lobbyists and media members.

‘‘It’s a great day for Democrats in Maryland — and in Congress for that matter,” said Del. Gerron Levi (D-Dist. 23A) of Bowie.

Staff Writer Sean R. Sedam contributed to this report.