Maryland House Of Delegates Override Hogan's Veto Of Measure To Boost School Funding
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- House Democrats are pushing to pass a bill that will increase funding for Maryland schools, but Gov. Larry Hogan is making clear he's not on board.
The Maryland House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly to override Gov. Hogan's veto of a comprehensive K-12 education measure that would boost school funding by billions over a decade.
Shamoyia Gardiner is the Deputy Director of Strong Schools Maryland, an organization that's been advocating in favor of the Kirwan Commission.
"We're excited for what this means for students and school communities across the state, but it's been a long time coming and we have a lot of work left to do now," Gardiner said.
It recommends expanding early childhood education, increasing teacher salaries and outlines college and career readiness programs.
Almost a year ago, the bill passed but Gov. Hogan vetoed it, citing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The governor said he's standing by that decision.
In a statement to WJZ, he said the plan will cost at least $6,200 in tax hikes and adds that during the global pandemic, the last thing Marylanders need is higher taxes.
But supporters say this blueprint is an investment in systemically underfunded schools and in no way will harm the state's economy.
"We are optimistic that the Senate will very, very soon follow suit and override the veto," Gardiner said. "We've got implementation to focus on and a whole lot of accountability to look forward to."
The Senate could call a vote as early as this week. If it does decide to override the governor's veto, then it would take 30 days for the bill's policies to go into effect.
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