Maryland lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on the state government’s nearly $71 billion budget, funding programs that range from improving public schools to staffing state agencies.

The plan turns a $1.4 billion deficit into a $250 million surplus and a $2 billion rainy day fund through a combination of cuts and one-time maneuvers to shuffle money around — avoiding unpopular tax hikes.

But the budget does not address long-term imbalances in the state’s finances. Democratic leaders say they’ll look at the bigger budget picture after this legislative session, with a study coming. Republicans, in the minority in Annapolis, are calling for a wholesale review of the state’s finances, especially its landmark education law, and warn that taxpayers will bear the cost in future years.

“A green vote for this budget is a signed confession for a tax increase next year,” Del. Matt Morgan, a St. Mary’s County Republican and chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said as he voted against the budget Thursday.

For three years in a row, the state has faced a gap between money coming in from taxes, fees and other sources and planned spending. The last two years, tax and fee hikes were needed to bring the budget in balance. Because this is an election year, lawmakers were loath to raise taxes again.

The Department of Legislative Services projects the budget shortfall to grow to $2.3 billion starting in July 2027, $3 billion the year after and nearly $4 billion in the budget year beginning July 2030, if left unaddressed.

One of the drivers is the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a collection of programs aimed at improving the quality of the state’s public schools. It was approved in 2020. Lawmakers assigned revenue sources to pay for some — but not all — of the programs.

“I think they’re going to be forced to think about all aspects of the budget and tax policy when they come back next year, because there will be a significant gap,” said Benjamin Orr, president of the Maryland Center for Economic Policy. The left-leaning think tank has advocated for closing corporate tax loopholes to raise money for government programs.

Another area of concern is the Developmental Disabilities Administration, which serves nearly 20,000 Marylanders. Growth in spending there has been rapid and unsustainable, leading to a painful $127 million cut in planned spending. The budget will include more than $7 million to pay for outside experts to review the department.

Democrats said they hope the study will help them find ways to fund the program consistently without having annual budget angst.

Meanwhile, Del. Ben Barnes, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said it’s possible the state will have more money coming into the coffers than expected because its projections are often conservative.

“We should do conservative estimating, but estimates are just that. They’re estimates,” said Barnes, a Democrat representing Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties.

As the budget moved through the process, Republicans launched failed attempts to modify it, including suggesting an across-the-board 5% spending cut.

Sen. Steve Hershey, the Republican minority leader, called it “an election-year budget.”

“I don’t think this budget clearly addresses that reality,” Hershey said as he voted against it March 18. “I think this only becomes more severe and potentially more costly for Maryland taxpayers by not addressing it this year.”

Republicans across the marble hall in the House of Delegates expressed the same concerns.

“We think that this budget is going to set us up in Maryland in the coming years for massive deficits,” said Del. Jesse Pippy of Frederick, the House minority whip.

Some, but not all, Republicans voted against the budget in the House and Senate. Del. Jason Buckel, the House Republican leader, bristled at the suggestion a yes vote was a guarantee of future tax increases.

“It is not a signed confession by myself or anyone else that we will ever support any of your tax and fee increases,” said Buckel, an Allegany County Republican.

He said he thinks there’s willingness from some Democrats to talk about long-term spending, particularly for the Blueprint education plan. He noted, though, that it will be difficult for Democrats to consider rolling back the Blueprint given that the teachers union is a strong supporter of the party.

“I think that there will be conversations and communications. We hope that they will be fruitful,” Buckel said.

Sen. Guy Guzzone, who chairs the budget committee, said lawmakers won’t abandon the Blueprint to balance the budget.

“To say that there isn’t a challenge and it isn’t significant would be wrong,” said Guzzone, a Howard County Democrat.

“But that doesn’t mean that we give up on the vision and trying to accomplish what we’ve wanted to do all along,” he said.

Moore’s budget secretary, Jake Weissmann, said his office is committed to looking at the big picture before lawmakers return to Annapolis in January.

“We’re going to be having these conversations over the interim,” he said. “Working together, and making the tough decisions to ensure Maryland continues to do what we have always done, which is balance our books.”

House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk said the work would be substantive.

“We will be doing work in the interim,” said Peña-Melnyk, a Democrat. “And we have had that discussion about putting together a work group regarding the Blueprint and looking at the budget overall.”

She noted that the state needs to stand ready to absorb financial blows from decisions made in Washington by President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress.

“This is not an issue unique to Maryland. A lot of states are facing it because of what’s happening next door,” Peña-Melnyk said. “But we are Maryland, and we will deal with it.”