Maryland Legislature Prepares to Divide Up a Budget Surplus

I remember reading back in pre‐​Internet times that Charles Peters, the West Virginia legislator who went on to found the Washington Monthly, used to say that state legislatures are just committees for dividing up the loot, though I can’t find it online. The Maryland legislature, which convenes today, has a veritable Scrooge McDuck pile of loot to divvy up—and every interest group in the state knows it.Maryland is currently blessed with an unprecedented $4.6 billion state surplus, and it expects a $1.9 billion surplus every year for the next five years. Legislators are ready to spend, the Washington Post reports:Lawmakers expect prolonged debate over how to best use an enormous pool of cash at policymakers’ disposal. The sum is so large it could accommodate massive infrastructure spending, some targeted tax relief and still pad the state’s savings account for years to come, lawmakers said. In addition, analysts expect Maryland to bank a roughly $1.9 billion surplus every year for the next five years, a stream that could finance ongoing programs or some tax cuts.