Lawmakers reach final budget deal with billions in cuts and $1.6B in taxes

Maryland lawmakers are on their way to closing a massive state budget gap — the largest since the Great Recession — by raising a slew of taxes and fees and cutting government spending.Maryland General Assembly leaders finished budget negotiations Friday night, setting up final approval votes as the adjournment of their annual session looms on Monday.Democrats said they made difficult decisions in tough economic times, and they patted themselves on the back for working together — compared to division down the road in Washington, D.C.The budget agreement is “a testament to when we work together,” said Del. Ben Barnes, chair of the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee, as the deal was sealed.The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.“We’ve been through a lot to get here,” added Sen. Guy Guzzone, chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.The deal will hit the pocketbooks of Marylanders and the balance sheets of businesses to raise $1.6 billion as part of the budge...