ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Larry Hogan is vowing to fight Friday's decision by the General Assembly to override his veto and pass the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
"This is not the end of this fight. This is the beginning," Hogan declared.
It centers around a $4 billion education plan put together by Dr. Brit Kirwan, Chairman in the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education.
In its first five-years, the bill calls for increases in state funding for educational initiatives such as the expansion of full-day prekindergarten for low-income children, teacher pay raises, special education services, and enhanced college and career readiness programs including career technical education.
RELATED: Kirwan Commission votes on $4 billion school funding proposal
Following the bill's passage, Kirwan rejoiced.
"As a result, desperately needed resources will now flow to the schools and children across the state, including an army of tutors, a significant expansion of community schools and preschools, greater support for teachers and much, much more. With this action, Maryland is now on track to develop a school system that will be the envy of the nation and as good as any in the world," Kirwan said.
In 2019 Hogan called the Kirwan Commission, the "Kirwan Tax Hike Commission." The Governor said Friday that the bill, "cannot and it will not stand."
"It will impose crippling tax hikes on Marylanders who are already struggling to recover from this unprecedented pandemic," said Hogan. "It has no funding mechanism, no real accountability measures, and can’t guarantee real results for our kids."
READ MORE: Maryland legislature inches closer to passing new $250 million digital ad tax
To help pay for it, the General Assembly is in the process of overriding another Hogan veto of House Bill 732, which would create a new digital ad tax and increase sales tax on e-cigarettes and tobacco products.
Watch Hogan's entire response below.
