1ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland Senate Republican leaders are warning that the state’s finances are heading toward a breaking point after budget analysts revealed a projected $1.4 billion structural deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.

The forecast was presented during a Spending Affordability Committee briefing earlier this month.

Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said the report validates repeated Republican warnings about overspending and the long-term costs of new government programs.

“You can’t spend like there’s no tomorrow and act surprised when the bill comes due,” Hershey said, pointing to rising costs tied to the Blueprint for Education and other state initiatives.

He argued that despite record tax and fee increases, Marylanders now face growing fiscal pressure at home.

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