Incoming Maryland governor ‘confident’ he can reach economic goals without tax hike

Just In | The Hill

Wes Moore, the incoming Democratic governor of Maryland, said he is “confident” he can reach his economic goals without raising taxes in the state.

Moore said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that economics will be his priority, and he is going to work to create pathways for “work, wages and wealth.” He said too many people are working in their jobs and still living below the poverty line, and he wants to make sure people own more than they owe.

Moore also said he plans to push for legislation to allow high school students to have an option to provide service to their communities for a year after they graduate.

Moore said he is “very confident” that he can accomplish the social programs he wants without tax hikes, adding that he is data-driven and heart-led as a leader.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve and I acknowledge that. But I don’t move without data,” he said.

Moore said Maryland has two jobs available for every person filing for unemployment but ranks 47th in the country in unemployment. He said the reason for this is that Maryland has a “dynamic” economy, but the state is not preparing people to participate in it.

Moore said the state should focus on job retraining, reskilling and fixing a “broken” child care system to get residents back to work. He said the state can leverage capital it has coming in from the federal government to fix inefficiencies so it does not need to worry about raising taxes.

He said the policies he is proposing are not only backed up by data but a pathway exists to make them “real and benefit all Marylanders.”

Moore won his election in November to succeed term-limited Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and become the first Black governor of the state.

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