Governors lay out next moves: a Montana budget, a Virginia agenda, a Maryland cabinet
Montana proposed a 4.7% flat income tax and $220 million in relief, Virginia previewed medical debt forgiveness and data center rules, and Maryland named acting secretaries for environment and emergency management.
- Governor Gianforte unveiled the Realizing the Montana Comeback budget for the 2029 biennium, proposing a 4.7% flat income tax rate and $220 million in permanent income tax relief. Self-reported m:…7506
- The Montana budget adds $300 million to the Budget Fund, which is projected to reach nearly $900 million, and includes $100 million for county roads and bridges. Self-reported m:…7506
- Governor Abigail Spanberger and General Assembly leadership previewed the Moving Virginia Forward agenda for the 2027 session, including a proposed medical debt forgiveness program. Self-reported m:…5012
- The Virginia agenda proposes a ban on using artificial intelligence to set worker wages and local approval for data centers using more than 25 megawatts of power. Self-reported m:…5012
- In Maryland, Serena McIlwain concludes her tenure as Secretary of the Environment on December 31, 2026, and Russell Strickland retires as Secretary of Emergency Management on December 8, 2026. Adam Ortiz and Dr. Earl Stoddard step in as acting secretaries. Self-reported m:…2594
Montana: tax relief and reserves
Governor Gianforte unveiled the Realizing the Montana Comeback budget for the 2029 biennium. The budget proposes a 4.7% flat income tax rate, and the tax proposals provide $220 million in permanent income tax relief. The budget also proposes increasing the earned income tax credit from 20% to 30%, m:…7506
The budget adds $300 million to the Budget Fund, and the total Budget Fund is projected to reach nearly $900 million. The budget doubles the Fire Fund, and the business equipment tax exemption is proposed to increase from $1 million to $3 million. The budget adds to the reserve, doubles the Fire Fund, and raises the business equipment exemption. m:…7506
The budget includes $100 million for county roads and bridges, $25 million for the Behavioral Health Systems for the Future Fund, $5 million for human trafficking shelter expansion, and $10 million for local 911 emergency systems. The list runs from roads to emergency calls, and each line is a specific sum attached to a specific service rather than a general promise. m:…7506
Virginia: the 2027 agenda
Governor Abigail Spanberger and General Assembly leadership previewed the Moving Virginia Forward agenda for the 2027 session. The agenda includes a proposed medical debt forgiveness program, and includes measures to expand housing near existing public transportation. The proposals address household costs from different directions: debt already owed, and housing near the transit people already use. m:…5012
The agenda proposes a ban on using artificial intelligence to set worker wages, and includes measures to crack down on AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The agenda also proposes requiring local approval for data centers using more than 25 megawatts of power, a ban on nondisclosure agreements between data centers and local officials, and stronger oversight of data center cooling water use. m:…5012
The agenda builds on measures from the 2026 legislative session, which raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour and capped out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month. m:…5012
Maryland: a cabinet handover
Governor Moore announced additional cabinet leadership transitions in Maryland. Serena McIlwain will conclude her tenure as Secretary of the Environment on December 31, 2026, and Adam Ortiz will serve as Acting Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment effective January 1, 2027. The environment post changes hands at the turn of the year, with no gap between the outgoing and acting secretaries. m:…2594
Russell Strickland will retire from his role as Secretary of Emergency Management on December 8, 2026, and Dr. Earl Stoddard will serve as Acting Secretary of Emergency Management effective December 9, 2026. Governor Moore plans to submit nominations for Adam Ortiz and Dr. Earl Stoddard to the Maryland State Senate for confirmation during the 2027 Legislative Session, m:…2594
What comes next
The Montana budget and the Virginia agenda are proposals, not enacted law. Montana's governor unveiled a budget that proposes a 4.7% flat income tax rate, Virginia's governor previewed an agenda for the 2027 session, and Maryland's governor plans to submit nominations for confirmation during the 2027 Legislative Session. Montana's budget is a proposal, Virginia's agenda is previewed for the 2027 session, and Maryland's nominations go to the Senate for confirmation during the 2027 Legislative Session. Governor Gianforte unveiled the Realizing the Montana Comeback budget for the 2029 biennium, and the tax proposals in that budget provide $220 million in permanent income tax relief. m:…7506 m:…5012 m:…2594
What is still unresolved
- Whether Montana's legislature will adopt the 4.7% flat income tax rate and the $220 million in relief.
- Whether Virginia's 2027 session will pass the medical debt forgiveness program and the data center measures.
- Whether the Maryland State Senate will confirm Ortiz and Stoddard during the 2027 Legislative Session.
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