Brochin Ready for Budget Cuts

At a community meeting Wednesday night, state Sen. Jim Brochin floated several ideas to carve a significant chunk out of the state's $1.6 billion budget deficit.

The comments came at Brochin's Loch Raven town hall meeting, where Councilman David Marks, Towson police precinct Cpt. Al Jones and Baltimore County code enforcement head Jim Thompson also spoke.

Brochin specifically suggested cuts to the heritage tax credit for developers, aid to private colleges and the Maryland Health Insurance Partnership.

Additionally, Brochin advocated sharing some of the bill for teacher pensions with the counties. Currently, the state pays pensions for all teachers. Brochin supported a bill in the 2010 session to phase in pension sharing over several years. He admitted it would have an impact on counties.

"Baltimore County might have to turn around and have a hiring freeze ... but the state is still working on bare bones," he said.

Those ideas, he said, would close 60 percent or so of the state's budget deficit.

Brochin said he would support no tax increases to fill the gap. He would, however, support the 10-cent alcohol tax hike pushed by health care advocates, but only if the money raised goes to support those services, not into the general fund.

Separately, he advocated pension reform for state employees, noting he was the only Democrat in the 2010 session to vote to give up his pension. He suggested allowing future state hires to choose between a pension or a 401(k)-style plan.

"We can not afford to keep doing what we're doing," Brochin said.

Locally, Brochin wants to push for a "hybrid" Board of Education split between elected and appointed members. Currently, all members are appointed by the governor.

"I like accountability," he said. "I think a hybrid board might have a better mix."

Brochin also said he planned to introduce legislation in Annapolis on Thursday to limit state speed cameras in construction zones like the one on the Baltimore Beltway at North Charles Street. Brochin about his concerns that the cameras are flagging drivers when there are no construction workers present.