Latest news with #BillFerguson
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
About $80,000 raised to support Maryland AmeriCorps programs gutted by Trump
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) speaks at a news conference Thursday in Baltimore about $80,000 raised to support AmeriCorps programs cut by the Trump administration. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters) Private donors have chipped in $80,000 to help AmeriCorps programs in Maryland that were slashed by the Trump administration, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Thursday at a news conference in Baltimore. That money is just a fraction of the millions in federal funds that Maryland lost when the cuts were announced last month, leading to the elimination of at least 550 positions at organizations around the state. But state officials are also issuing a broader 'call to action,' urging the public to donate time and money to organizations rocked by the abrupt cancellation of AmeriCorps programs. The initial donations, from organizations including Baltimore Gas & Electric and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, will support two city organizations that had been getting AmeriCorps funding: the Digital Harbor Foundation and Elev8 Baltimore. Ferguson said the funding will let the organizations, one of which is in his district, 'weather the storm' while litigation to restore the AmeriCorps funding proceeds. 'For them, services were interrupted immediately, and this funding will help them to restore some of those services immediately,' said Ferguson, an AmeriCorps alum himself. 'The courts are the bulwark of our democracy. Unfortunately, the courts cannot keep pace with the actions that we know are coming from Washington, D.C.' Officials said it's hard to pinpoint an exact number of cuts and job losses, since AmeriCorps funnels some of its funding through states, while other funding is distributed in other ways. But they now say at least 550 jobs were lost in Maryland as a result of the cuts, more than twice the initial figure they shared. As Trump slashes AmeriCorps, states lose a federal partner in community service In addition to nonprofits, such as CASA and Habitat for Humanity, the list of agencies affected includes Frostburg and Salisbury universities and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, all of which hosted AmeriCorps members for programs such as food pantries and mentorship initiatives. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources was hosting 41 AmeriCorps workers in state parks, who were all dismissed while preparing for the peak summer season. In defending the cuts, President Donald Trump's (R) administration has cited consecutive financial audits 'failed' by AmeriCorps. 'President Trump is restoring accountability to the entire Executive Branch,' a White House spokesperson said in a statement earlier this week. But Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, who is leading a court challenge to the cuts with 24 other states and the District of Columbia, said the president cannot make those cuts without congressional approval. When asked about the audits, Brown said his suit is not focused on the validity of Trump's arguments for cutting AmeriCorps, but on the procedural violations. 'He's exceeding his authority, and he's violating the processes that he would need to undergo in order to roll back or curtail AmeriCorps,' Brown said. The Justice Department agreed to an expedited timeline for the Maryland lawsuit, Brown said, with briefs filed by the end of next week, and hopes to receive a ruling on its preliminary injunction 'shortly thereafter.' If granted in full, the injunction would temporarily reverse the cancellation of more than 1,000 AmeriCorps programs nationwide, as well as the termination of about 85% of AmeriCorps staff and the cancellation of the National Civilian Community Corps. Eight AmeriCorps workers had been serving at the Digital Harbor Foundation, said Jade Burnham, the foundation's director of AmeriCorps services. She said all of them have since been dismissed, and that if the AmeriCorps program is not revived she is likely to lose her job at Digital Harbor as well. After learning about the initial donation of funds, Burnham said she is hoping that she can bring back at least some of the workers. The foundation provides digital education, and focuses on expanding technology and internet access, Burnham said. Thursday's news conference was held at Digital Harbor's tech lab on Federal Hill, in Ferguson's district, which hosts 3D printers, computers and work spaces for students. 'These programs are not a waste of taxpayer dollars, but an investment in our communities,' Burnham said. 'In the wake of its abrupt termination, we are hearing from those very communities. They are reaching out to us: 'Where did the support go?'' Marylanders can donate directly to impacted organizations, officials said, or use a fund established by America's Service Commissions to provide emergency financial assistance to dismissed AmeriCorps workers, many of whom have lost access to stipends, housing, health insurance and other benefits. The fundraising campaign is national, but donors can funnel their donation to Maryland by selecting the state from a dropdown menu on the website. At Elev8 Baltimore, the donations announced Thursday will allow the organization to go back to 'business as usual,' said Executive Director Alexandria Warrick Adams. The nonprofit provides mentoring services to vulnerable middle- and high schoolers, she said. 'We're talking about young people that have the most need to have trusted adults in their lives,' Warrick Adams said. Warrick Adams said Thursday's news should only be the beginning, for organizations struck by the loss of expected AmeriCorps funds. 'I cannot express our gratitude enough for this opportunity, but there is more. This is a call to action. This is not a one-and-done,' she said. 'We've got a lot of years ahead of us to commit to young people, to commit to Baltimore, to commit to the community.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Blueprint' bill that avoids some of the most severe education cuts is signed into law
Gov. Wes Moore (D), left, shakes the hand of state Board of Education President Joshua Michael. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) Even as changes to the state's education reform act were being signed into law Tuesday, state officials and advocates were already talking about changes they want to see next in the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. The debate over House Bill 504 – the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act – was among the sharpest in the 2025 General Assembly session, with the governor and lawmakers, particularly the House, split over changes to the expensive plan that were needed as the state grappled with a $3 billion budget deficit. But Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday, standing next to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County), thanked them, several lawmakers and education officials for their work on the bill, which passed on the last day of the 90-day session last month. 'While this legislation is an important step forward, it cannot be the last step that we take on education,' Moore said at Tuesday's bill signing ceremony. 'While we refine our strategy to ensure we aren't just spending more, but that we're spending smart, I will continue to use every option available to me as governor to improve our schools and deliver for our students.' The final bill did not contain some of the deepest cuts that were offered to try rein in spending on the 10-year, multibillion-dollar Blueprint plan. But it also did not include some of the flexibility for local schools boards that some administrators had been pushing for. State Board of Education President Joshua Michael, who attended the bill signing ceremony, said the governor and legislature helped to improve the Blueprint plan through their negotiations. But Michael said it would have helped if they had included funding for a teacher coaching program, a recommendation made by a nonprofit's report last month on reading. 'We're pleased that the legislature authorized the program, but we need resources,' Michael said. 'We're going to continue to press forward with the tools that we have around the literacy policy and the math policy, and we're going to work with the legislature and the governor to see what we can do in the future.' Moore in January proposed a Blueprint reform plan that called for a four-year pause in the expansion of teacher 'collaborative time' – hours when teachers are not in the classroom but are planning for meeting. State education leaders have said at least 12,000 new teachers would have to be hired to fully implement collaborative time. The governor also proposed a decrease in funding for special education, low-income and English language learners, and keeping funding for community schools – those that receive concentration of poverty grants – at current levels for two years. Lawmakers pushed back hard against reductions in funding that would affect those students in most need. Legislators were ultimately able to preserve most of the funding for students in need, and advocates praised lawmakers like Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) for not backing down over funding for underserved students. Atterbeary, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee that assesses education policy, said Tuesday the legislature may need to assess education funding in the near future, especially 'with the climate' in the federal government led by President Donald Trump (R). 'Why should we say to our most underserved communities, to our minority communities that at the national level when our president is saying, 'We don't care about you,' and WE'RE going to double down and cut their funding. No. Absolutely not,' said Atterbeary, who didn't attend Tuesday's ceremony. 'I couldn't do that as a mother. I couldn't do that as a woman. I couldn't do that as an African American and I absolutely couldn't do it as a legislator,' she said. 'Ultimately, the legislation in terms of that aspect passed as we wanted.' 'Give faith' Advocates such as Riya Gupta remain pleased the Blueprint bill passed, but she said more money is needed for mental health, behavioral and other wraparound services for students in the upcoming 2025-26 school year. Under the Consortium on Coordinated Supports, which is part of the Blueprint plan, the governor proposed to fund those services at $130 million for next fiscal year. The House proposed just $40 million, but ultimately Senate language was adopted that allocated $70 million next year and $100 million a year thereafter. Gupta, interim director for the advocacy group Strong Schools Maryland, which focuses on protecting the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, said Monday that the state cannot make a habit of analyzing Blueprint funding, as it did this year. She also said parents, students, advocates and community leaders should be given ample opportunities to become involved in any policy discussions for next year's legislative session. 'We have to bring them to the table,' she said. 'We have to give the faith to listen to their ideas that are also in line with the vision of the Blueprint.' Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore), who voted against the bill last month, agrees more local input is needed. Carozza said she will continue to push for recommendations offered in December by a superintendent's association. Several of the association's proposals became legislation sponsored by Sen. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick), and later amendments offered by Carozza, but none of the proposals advanced beyond a Senate committee. 'There were too many missed opportunities to do more on Blueprint revisions and to give our local school systems the flexibility they need…' Carozza said Monday. Carozza and other Republican lawmakers expressed concerns about future funding for the multibillion-dollar plan, now in its third year. Some have said future budgets will not only affect school systems, but also county governments, which may not be able to pay for increases in transportation, special education or other programs. Although the Blueprint is funded in the next two years, the subsequent years are slated to shift to the state's general fund with projected deficits up to $6.2 billion by fiscal 2030. 'Which translates to new and even bigger taxes,' Carozza said. 'We cannot move forward with the Blueprint by doing major cost shifts to the counties.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ferguson: Maryland would lose $430 million in Trump ‘skinny budget' proposal
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) told reporters that the possibility of a special session later this year may be less likely than a month ago but is "not off the table." (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) Maryland could see another $430 million in targeted cuts as part of President Donald Trump's so-called 'skinny' budget proposal, Senate President Bill Ferguson said Tuesday. Ferguson, meeting with reporters, said a new analysis of the federal spending proposal includes hundreds of millions in reductions to low-income housing and energy assistance programs. This is on top of expected cuts to Medicaid. Trump's proposed reductions are in addition to what Ferguson and others worry will be seismic changes to Medicaid spending and cost-sharing with the state. The ongoing uncertainty about continued federal budget and employee cuts has done little to ease the concerns about how Maryland will be affected. 'I would say the health care system cuts are the ones that are the most concerning,' Ferguson said. 'The $430 million will be very painful, but we can weather that storm in the short term, and that doesn't necessarily push us immediately into a special session. 'I would say what happens to get to the bigger health care cuts is where that's going to be the big lever … the decision point for us to come back, I think, because it will have such a disruptive impact on our entire health care system,' he said. The Senate leader also tried to ease concerns that lawmakers will need to return later this year to address the impact of additional deep federal cuts. 'There's a lot of factors here, of things that could drive a decision to come back,' Ferguson said. 'And so right now, I would say it's more unlikely than likely, but it … is not off the table anyway.' Ferguson cited a new review of Trump's budget proposal by the Department of Legislative Services. It said that included in the new round of proposed cuts is: $148 million in funding for Section 8 housing programs. $94 million from energy and heating assistance programs for low-income families. $61 million from a revolving loan program for clean water and drinking water. Ferguson later added that cuts to the AmeriCorps program troubled him. Ferguson described the firings as 'a destruction of American values that are volunteerism and service that are core to the American spirit. And I think cuts to AmeriCorps are just a symbol of everything that is wrong moving forward.' Roughly 250 people in the program in Maryland were fired. 'We're working on what we can do about that,' Ferguson said. The Senate leader is holding a news conference in Baltimore Thursday related to the AmeriCorps firings. Gov. Wes Moore (D) and legislative leaders have been bracing for a wave of additional federal budget cuts by the Trump administration. First, the House and Senate passed a compromise budget package that included $1.6 billion in new taxes and fees. They also shored up the budget with cuts and cost shifts to local governments of about $2 billion. House Republicans Monday called on Moore to veto four bills that raise fees, a request that drew a sharp retort from Ferguson. 'The beauty of not being in charge is that you don't have any accountability for actually governing,' Ferguson said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Republicans in the House and Senate comprise about 30% of their respective chambers. 'None of us wanted to do any of the taxes or fees. Right? Nobody wants to make those choices,' Ferguson said. 'But we have responsibilities to maintain our commitments, to invest in Maryland, to make sure that we are protecting the most vulnerable amongst us. And so, I imagine our good friends on the other side are going to make light of some of the tough choices that were made. 'I get it, it's politics, and people want attention. It's a frustrating time for everyone,' he said. 'But I think given the circumstances, we made the most balanced and fair decisions to balance the budget in the ways that don't have an outsized negative impact on specific individuals and allow us to protect the most vulnerable.' Ferguson attempted to foreclose the idea of more tax increases next year. 'I don't foresee that as even a remote possibility,' Ferguson said. 'I think the challenge with coming back is that, if it is necessary, it's because we're making even harder decisions about what more to cut.' The budget moves this year erased a projected $3 billion fiscal 2026 budget gap. Lawmaker said they also shrank a similar projected deficit for fiscal 2027 from about $3 billion to an estimated $300 million. Those projections do not consider other cuts that Trump could impose. The legislature created a joint committee to monitor real and proposed cuts and how they might affect Maryland. That panel will meet 'in the near future,' Ferguson said. 'We want to make sure that we have enough substance and real clarity, as much clarity as can be obtained before we post one of those hearings,' Ferguson said. 'We don't want to just meet for the purposes of meeting. We want to make sure that it's kind of giving us a better insight into where things stand.' The committee will also likely guide Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones on any decision to bring the 188-member legislature back to Annapolis before January 2026. 'So, I think we'll have a better idea of what a special session looks like when we start to pull those joint hearings together,' Ferguson said. 'It's really tough to say until the until Congress moves on a budget. So, we have ideas, but we don't know the answer.' Earlier this year, Moody's — one of three key bond rating agencies — said Maryland faces the most risk among states from those looming cuts and firings. As many as 109,000 Maryland residents could be thrown off Medicaid, according to one recent estimate. Ferguson said Tuesday that reductions needed to pay for Trump's tax cut proposal would require significant cuts to Medicaid. Ferguson said changing how those costs are shared to a 50-50 split with the federal government could require the state to come up with an additional $1 billion 'or release 300,000 people from their secured health insurance, so they would be uninsured.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ferguson rolls out ‘scary' list of cuts, favors broadening business sales tax list
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) laid out $1 billion in potential service cuts that he said "scare me because they're very real and being contemplated" as lawmakers struggle with the budget. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) The leader of the Maryland Senate unveiled $1 billion in new budget cuts Friday that he said could be considered as state leaders contemplate continued uncertainty in the federal budget. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said the legislative session now entering its final three weeks 'is continuing to be the most uncertain session that I have ever experienced in this role and in the 15 years I've served in the legislature.' Lawmakers are moving closer to finalizing a fiscal 2026 budget that must address a projected $3 billion structural budget gap as well hundreds of millions in lower-than-expected revenues announced earlier this month. They got a rare bit of good news when it appeared Congress would be able to avert a potential federal government shutdown at midnight Friday. A new report by Moody's Ratings ranks Maryland at the most risk from federal budget actions. Gov. Wes Moore (D) proposed a budget with $2 billion in cuts and a tax modernization plan that would cut taxes modestly for 60% of Marylanders, while raising taxes on the state's highest earners. Lawmakers are expected to tinker with Moore's proposal, and recently added a plan for a possible 2.5% tax on services between some businesses. The Senate president said his chamber will expand Moore's $2 billion in cuts by as much as $500 million, and warned of more if there are additional spending and employee reductions at the federal level. Ferguson showed reporters a graphic of 10 possible budget cuts of about $100 million each, what he called '10 illustrative, real examples, things that we are actively contemplating incorporating into' a potential budget. They include three Medicaid cuts that would net $100 million each: Dropping coverage for more than 11,000 people; cutting dental care for every Medicaid recipient; and eliminating Medicaid coverage for pregnant women who earn 264% of the federal poverty level. Another nearly 37,000 people could lose food stamp benefits, 36,000 could see unemployment claims go unpaid and more than 114,000 households would lose home energy assistance. The list also included several public safety measures, including releasing more than 1,500 inmates or closing either Spring Grove Hospital or Clifton T. Perkins. Both offer forensic psychiatry services to people charged with crimes, including violent offenses. 'As we face these difficult choices, these are just 10 examples of how you get to the next billion,' Ferguson said. 'We have got to figure out a path towards sustainable revenues as well. And so that is … the balanced approach that we are going to continue to try to take.' Ferguson, who has said he has a 'high bar' for raising taxes, was asked if the chart was meant as a scare tactic to boost acceptance of a coming increase. 'All of those cuts certainly scare me. And they scare me because they're very real and being contemplated,' Ferguson told reporters. 'We are constitutionally required to balance our budget. We will, and we are going to make additional cuts. We are at the place now where we are talking about core service provision of the social safety net that's impacted if we just had a cuts only approach,' he said. 'And so yes, it is scary, and we know that … this is what we should be counting on government to be able to provide. And I believe most Marylanders agree.' One revenue source under consideration is a tax on some services between businesses. The current proposal – late-filed bills in the House and Senate — includes a 2.5% sales tax on business-to-business services including accounting, consulting and tech services. Tech services and consulting would pay 66% of the tax under the current proposal. Business leaders voiced their opposition during hearings Wednesday. But Ferguson said he believes some version of the tax will be included in the final budget plan for fiscal 2026. He added his chamber is looking at excluding independent contractors, sometimes called '1099 employees.' Other changes could come to sole proprietorship businesses or specific industries that are disparately impacted. He did not give an example. A plan could emerge for a services tax that applies to more businesses, but at a lower rate. 'I would love to find a way to have a broader base and a lower rate, which I think is a more efficient tax approach,' Ferguson said. 'But we have to figure out how far we can get in cuts, and then what the gap would be, to see what we're going to need in order to be sustainable moving forward.' The legislature is also facing growing public outcry over spiking utility costs that are expected to shoot up again in the summer. Utility companies and regulators were grilled Wednesday by two committees seeking answers. Ferguson said days earlier that the hearing was about finding options for immediate rate relief and was not meant to 'create scapegoats and bogeymen' to deflect ire away from lawmakers. Solutions remain elusive. 'We are looking for any possible solution to get money into the hands of ratepayers to help with the burden of increased energy costs,' Ferguson said. But he acknowledged the challenge 'because I'm not sure that there is a short-term solution. We know that we have to make decisions today that allow for longer-term solutions, getting more Maryland-made energy so that we have greater predictability, reliability and affordability and energy. But we are looking forward to putting some measures in the budget this year that will at least get some level of resources to ratepayers who are really struggling.' Ferguson was asked if the relief would be meaningful. 'I think anything is meaningful, and it's in the eye of the beholder,' he said. 'We'll do whatever we can that is fiscally responsible for the long term … financial health of the state to help ratepayers however we can, while building for the future.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland needs to make its voice heard with other states warning against nuclear war
The mushroom cloud of a hydrogen bomb test as part of Operation Ivy in 1952. (Photo from U.S. Department of Energy) The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is now at 89 seconds to midnight, inching closer to apocalyptic midnight than ever before, due in part, to the growing risk of nuclear war. Treaties between Russia and the U.S. have been abrogated. Experts warn that, if nuclear war occurs, it will likely be unintended, the result of dangerous policies compounded by misdeeds, miscommunication, and mistakes. In the '80s, The Nuclear Freeze movement created public pressure that helped lead to a reduction in weapons and risks. Now, there seems to be a growing public concern again that policies need to change. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) have written, 'The Maryland Legislature is the representative body of the people and the strongest laws are those that have public input from the start.' In that spirit, the Assembly has an opportunity to pass Senate Joint Resolution 4 and House Joint Resolution 6 on the Use of Nuclear Weapons, responding to an effort by Marylanders, and people across the country, calling for simple changes to dangerous old cold war nuclear policies and take us Back from the Brink. Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@ We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. In addition to the Doomsday Clock, the U.N. secretary general, editors of over 100 medical journals across the world, former members of Congress and others have been urging the public to understand how close we are to using these weapons. The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was just awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, an aging group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors who have been telling their terrifying stories, and pleading for nuclear abolition. Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence increase the risk of unintended escalation and of 'deterrence' failing. Russian President Vladimir Putin talks of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. is spending enormous amounts of money on upgrading the entire nuclear weapons complex, fueling a new nuclear arms race among all of the nuclear nations and costing Marylanders over $2 billion in taxes in 2024 and the nation nearly $2 trillion over 30 years. The Air Force is planning to put weapons in space that would damage an enemy's early warning system. The Los Alamos weapons lab is ramping up production of plutonium pits for new nuclear weapons. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to resume testing of nuclear weapons though the last test was in 1992. Nuclear war does not have to be our fate and people in Maryland are joining others across the U.S. to demand change. Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Howard and Anne Arundel), Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George's) and many cosponsors, responding to input from the public, have introduced the joint resolutions on the use of nuclear weapons. They are similar to ones passed in Baltimore, Frederick, Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, all modeled on the five points of the Back from the Brink campaign. They convey the wishes of many Marylanders that our government initiate multilateral talks for a verifiable agreement for nuclear disarmament among the nuclear-armed states. This could pave the way some day for all nuclear nations to join the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, now ratified by 73 nations. In addition, it calls on the U.S. to take four simple steps to reduce the risk of unintended nuclear war: renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first; end the president's sole, unchecked authority to launch a nuclear attack; take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert because if launched in error, they cannot be recalled; and cancel plans to replace our entire arsenal with enhanced weapons. Our resolution, if passed, will help to protect all Marylanders by turning public pressure into political pressure, joining eight other state legislative bodies, and over 75 municipalities and counties who have already passed similar legislation. Our resolution has no fiscal price tag, but in taking a step toward preventing nuclear war, it is priceless. A New York Times series coincidentally called Back from the Brink, concluded that the public must not wait to address this growing risk of catastrophe: 'Citizens, therefore, need to exert their influence well before the country finds itself in such a situation. We should not allow the next generation to inherit a world more dangerous than the one we were given. ' Delegates and senators, we need your help now while we have time. For our children's sake. Pass this resolution, joining other states across the nation to take us back from the brink of nuclear war.
