Bipartisan measure proposed by Maryland lawmakers would include health care cuts

State lawmakers in Maryland on Thursday presented an additional $440 million in cuts from the state budget proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), including $32 million in cuts from Medicaid spending, the Washington Times reports.

To address the estimated $1.7 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2009, the House lawmakers' plan would make cuts to Medicaid, stem cell research, teacher retirement payments for educators and higher education funding. Lawmakers are participating in a special session convened by O'Malley to consider his budget proposals, according to the Times (LoBianco, Washington Times, 11/2).

A joint Senate-House hearing on Thursday addressed the governor's health care proposal. O'Malley's health care plan would increase subsidies to small businesses providing coverage to workers and raise the eligibility for Medicaid to include parents with incomes less than 116% of the federal poverty level. The same eligibility requirements could apply to childless adults. Governors' aides testifying at the hearing said the measures would counter the effects of rising health care costs, citing the fact that 800,000 state residents lack coverage.

Opponents say the proposal is a way for O'Malley to curry support for higher taxes. State Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R) said, "I believe it has more to do with politics than it does policy. In the end, all roads lead to higher taxes" (Smitherman, Baltimore Sun, 11/2).

Editorial
"It's time for members of the General Assembly to start asking questions about the ways in which illegal aliens could obtain benefits through O'MalleyCare," according to a Washington Times editorial. "O'Malley claims they cannot, pointing out that illegal aliens are ineligible for Medicaid," but "given how illegal alien-friendly the governor and most General Assembly Democrats have been, ... a measure of skepticism is in order," the editorial continues. The Assembly must "begin asking serious questions about what safeguards the O'Malley administration would institute to prevent illegals from benefiting from the governor's health plan," it concludes (Washington Times, 11/2).