May 11th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Allegany County officials are among those supporting Governor Larry Hogan’s veto last week of the Kirwan Commission’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The Kirwan plan focused on five policy areas for K-12, including expanding early childhood education such as pre-K and increasing teacher salaries. It also was meant to include college and career readiness, aid for struggling schools and accountability in implementing new policies. The measure would phase in the recommendations over ten years and cost billions of dollars. Governor Hogan had criticized the Kirwan plan as unaffordable long before the coronavirus clouded Maryland's finances. The plan had the potential to significantly impact county budgets across the state. Allegany County Commissioners President Jake Shade praised the governor for his effort to reduce the fiscal hit.