O’Malley confident on budget gap
With lawmakers preparing for cuts if new state revenues are not found, Gov. Martin O’Malley said he is confident the state “will choose to invest in solutions that protect our quality of life.”

Legislative leaders ask for review of state budget
In an effort to show the severity of the state’s projected $1.5 billion deficit, the General Assembly’s presiding officers have asked budget analysts to recommend potential cuts if options to generate new revenues are bypassed.

Delegates: Real estate could face new taxes
Any talks on the budget will include expanding the sales tax to embrace new categories of professional services, he said, and hiking tax on gasoline sales and the sales tax.

Still the nation’s richest, smartest
The Greater Washington region has the highest median household income, most educated workforce and highest gross regional product per capita out of the 10 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday.