State Board Returns to Familiar Job: Spending Money

Maryland's all-Democrat Board of Public Works (Gov. Martin O'Malley, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp) reconvenes today and for the first time since July, will spend more money in a week than it cuts. Following successive rounds of belt-tightening to close an estimated $700 million budget gap, the board will return to its usual bi-weekly work of stamping tens of millions of dollars in state contracts, wetland purchases, and grants. For a nitty gritty look at the board's work, click here.

Whether the board will have to make more cuts in coming months could be learned tomorrow when the Maryland Board of Revenue releases its latest projections for next year's state tax revenue.