Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland’s legislative leaders remain locked in a stalemate over a $20 million grant promised to Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC), with no signs of the deal moving forward anytime soon.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller have not scheduled a legislative policy committee vote on the conditional loan from the state’s Sunny Day Fund. A vote is the final step needed to finalize the grant. The money was negotiated to ensure that the aerospace giant’s consolidated Mission Systems Division stays in Linthicum.
The legislature approved the grant earlier this year when it passed the state’s budget, but Alex Hughes, Busch’s chief of staff, said the $20 million figure was just a placeholder. When the legislature passed the budget, there was no deal, Hughes said.