May 2, 2007 |
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This is Governor Martin O’Malley. I’m proud to report that in this session, working together with the General Assembly, your State Government held the line on overall spending, while also making historic investments in public education and passing landmark environmental legislation. Legislation that reduces automobile emissions and restores the health of our Chesapeake Bay.
Working closely with the General Assembly and with members of both parties, we allocated $5.2 billion to fully fund local education under the Thornton School Plan. We also allocated $400 million for school construction, the largest single year allocation in Maryland history. We also appropriated $15 million in order to freeze in-State tuition for students at public colleges and universities.
On the environment this year we passed the Clean Cars Act to reduce auto emissions, the Oyster Restoration Act to restore this natural filter to the Bay. And we fully funded Program Open Space and provided record funding for cover crop programs, which not only help farmers but also protect the waters that flow into the Bay.