January 3rd, 2020 by WCBC Radio

State lawmakers return to Annapolis next week as the 90-day session of the Maryland General Assembly officially opens at noon Wednesday. For the first time in more than three decades there will be a new leader in the senate with  Baltimore City state Senator  Bill Ferguson  expected to be elected the new Senate president succeeding Mike Miller, who stepped down after 32 years due to health reasons.  The biggest issue lawmakers will likely consider in the new year is how to pay for the state's share of the $4 billion cost of the Kirwan Commission public school reforms. While Ferguson told WBAL  "it is extremely unlikely" that lawmakers will raise the state's income, sales or property taxes- he didn’t provide any alternate funding plans to cover the cost of Kirwan…