O'Malley's budget includes 44 layoffs, furloughs

Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget for next year abolishes 202 state jobs, 44 of which are currently filled. State employees will be required to take up to another 10 furlough days. And O'Malley (D) is not tapping the state's "rainy day" fund to balance the state operating budget, though he does rely heavily on transfers from other state accounts.

Those were the among the new details that Democratic legislative leaders shared about the governor's budget following a luncheon at the mansion Tuesday. The Post reported Wednesday morning on many other aspects of the proposal, including cuts across most state programs, with the exception of K-12 education.

O'Malley was scheduled to meet with Republican leaders following the luncheon and brief the media on his spending plan at 2:30 p.m.

Both House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) expressed support for O'Malley's plan after emerging from the mansion.

Busch called it "a very solid budget that reflects recessionary times but still protects Maryland's priorities."

MIller said O'Malley had made some tough choices that will not be embraced by some of the affected interest groups.

"There are some significant cuts that a number of our partners are going to disagree with," Miller said.