ANNAPOLIS, MD—In a speech before the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Winter Conference on Thursday evening, Governor Wes Moore outlined the challenges facing Maryland’s economy and announced three key actions his administration will take to address them. Citing a structural budget deficit and uncertainty surrounding the incoming federal administration, Moore stressed the need for Maryland to focus on economic growth.

The Governor emphasized the state’s strong points, including low unemployment and ranking first in the nation for minority-owned businesses. However, he acknowledged the looming fiscal crisis, noting that structural budget deficits have been projected since 2017. To combat this, Moore announced he will sign an executive order aimed at improving Maryland’s business climate by streamlining permitting processes, prioritizing life sciences, IT, and aerospace and defense sectors, and enhancing coordination with local jurisdictions.

Moore also announced he will be introducing an education bill that builds upon the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform. The bill will focus on teacher recruitment and retention by strengthening the teacher training pipeline and delaying the implementation of “collaborative time” provisions to give school districts time to recruit and retain enough teachers.

Education and housing were also key components of Moore’s address. He pledged to introduce legislation building upon the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform, focusing on teacher recruitment and retention. Additionally, he announced a housing bill intended to increase housing supply and make Maryland more attractive to residents.

While acknowledging the need for fiscal responsibility, Moore stressed the importance of growth as a key factor in securing Maryland’s future. He stated his willingness to make difficult choices in the upcoming budget, emphasizing the need to balance fiscal health with strategic investments.

In his remarks, Moore also installed the 2024-2025 MACo officers, including incoming president Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Jack Wilson and outgoing president Congressman-elect and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr.

Excerpts from Governor Moore’s remarks as prepared:

“Maryland is in the path of two storms: First, we face an historic budget crisis, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. And second, we are about to swear in a new administration in Washington. D.C. that casts uncertainty on our future.”

“Today, Maryland has among the lowest unemployment rates in the country. And just three weeks ago, Maryland was ranked the top state in the country for minority-owned businesses. We are moving forward. But a fiscal challenge almost a decade in the making can’t be solved in less than two years. Since at least 2017, the Department of Legislative Services has been forecasting structural budget deficits in the State of Maryland. Now, those predictions have come to pass.”

“We are ready to work with the incoming administration to advance the interests of Marylanders. And where we can partner, we will. I believe there is still space for alignment, including on issues of transportation and infrastructure.”

“We need to grow. It’s the key to securing Maryland’s future. Anyone who thinks we can just cut our way to greater prosperity isn’t being honest. Anyone who thinks we can just tax our way to greater prosperity is not being honest. Now is the time for us to make the hard choices that will help us build a durable economy – One that is business-friendly and invests in growth.”

“In the next few days, I will be signing an executive order centered on strengthening Maryland’s economic competitiveness. This will be the most sweeping economic executive action I have taken since being sworn in as the 63rd Governor of Maryland.”

“The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is, and will remain, a central piece of our education strategy. But if legislative history is any teacher, we know two things about laws of enormous significance: They must always be refined after they have been passed and they cannot succeed alone.”

“This legislative session, I will introduce an education bill that builds on the Blueprint to help ensure that our children receive a world-class education… Our new legislation tackles the teacher shortage in two major ways. First, we will build off the foundation of the Educator Shortage Act by proposing new efforts to strengthen the teacher training pipeline. Second, we will issue reforms to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.”

“Since inauguration day, we’ve created over 50,000 new jobs in the State of Maryland. CEOs are taking notice. And they want to be a part of what we’re doing. But I can tell you that one of the first questions I get from CEOs when they’re thinking about coming to Maryland is about housing.”

“Growth is the most powerful tool we have in our toolbox. But it is not – and cannot be – the only one. We are in a moment of profound consequence, and we are willing to use every tool in our toolbox if it means getting Maryland’s fiscal health on track. There will be choices in our new budget that some of you will not like. Quite frankly, there will be choices in our new budget that I don’t particularly like. But we need to make hard choices now if we want to unleash our full potential as a state and lay the foundation for a brighter future.”

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office