As the dust settles following the announcement from leaders in Annapolis that a deal on a budget framework has been reached, more details about what’s on the chopping block have come into focus. Gov. Wes Moore, House Speaker Adrienne Jones, Senate President Bill Ferguson, and budget leaders gathered in the State House rotunda touting the news about the framework deal. The agreement includes at least an additional $500 million in cuts to the budget, on top of the cuts outlined in Gov. Moore’s budget presentation. A sales tax increase, property tax hike, sugary drinks tax, snack tax and the broad 2.5% business-to-business service tax are off the table. On the table: a 3% IT and data services tax, the sales tax on vending machine purchases, an increase in vehicle excise tax and several other accelerations of tax increases. Friday, Sen. Bill Ferguson, a Democrat representing Baltimore City, said there are “hundreds of small cuts” to the budget that will be made by committee members as negotiations enter the final stretch, adding the cuts will add up to “hundreds of millions” of dollars.

However, beyond those smaller cuts, the University of Maryland System will see $111 million cut from the budget, Sen. Ferguson said, and vacancy reductions will also be “one of the biggest numbers.”

Sen. Ferguson said the Moore Administration has agreed to direct department heads to find between $100 and $125 million in additional cuts.

“We’ve given a structured goal that the administration has agreed to meet by finding additional cuts inside government operations,” Sen. Ferguson said. The details have been slow to emerge about what’s included in the budget framework and Republicans were quick to take shots at the Democrat leaders.

“Name one cut — couldn’t answer it,” House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy said Thursday after the news conference.

“To come out here and make it sound like they have as a solution, I just think it was misleading Marylanders,” Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey added.

During an interview for FOX45 News In Depth with Mikenzie Frost, House Minority Leader Jason Buckel argued that any tax breaks Marylanders would feel from income tax changes would be offset by the tax increases being discussed.

The House is expected start to debating the budget on the floor Tuesday.

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