Nation IN BRIEF : MARYLAND : Troopers, Addicts Protest Budget Cuts

Maryland state troopers, cheered on by a group of drug addicts, marched on the Capitol in Annapolis, in an unsuccessful attempt to block approval of a $446.2-million budget-reduction plan. As troopers and their momentary allies stood outside the Statehouse, the Board of Public Works approved Gov. William Donald Schaefer’s plan on a 2-1 vote. State Treasurer Lucille Maurer had called for a delay on portions of the plan that will cut social programs and require the layoff of 1,766 workers, including 83 troopers. The addicts were protesting elimination of substance abuse treatment funds.