Direct state aid to the County will increase by more than $56 million, with $53 million earmarked for Montgomery County Public Schools. This includes $24.4 million for implementation of the Education Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The County will also receive more than $57 million dollars for much-needed school construction. This funding is critical in addressing the backlog of projects in Montgomery County and ensures that our students will continue to have the best opportunities to learn and grow. Additional capital funding has also been secured for Montgomery College, our libraries, health facilities and parks which all contribute to our outstanding quality of life.
In addition, we want to congratulate our lawmakers for their efforts to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act. This bill requires the state’s electric utilities to acquire half of their energy from renewable sources by 2030. The bill also would require lawmakers to develop a plan by 2023 to put the state on track for totally carbon-free power by 2040. This measure falls in line with our goals here in the County to live and work green. We have been carbon neutral here since 2016 and have reduced our carbon footprint by 23 percent.
We are also grateful that legislation to create a panel that would look at the high cost of prescription drugs was passed. The panel will examine what other states are doing to reduce the prohibitive costs of some of these drugs.
We appreciate the service of our Montgomery County Delegation all year long but especially during the 90-day legislative session. We will continue to work with its members on the needs of our residents, as we begin our budget deliberations.
