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Maryland Democrats, demoralized by their partys losses in November, have found a rallying cry: protect education spending.

Senior members of the House and the Senate joined the states largest teachers union at its headquarters in Annapolis on Tuesday to protest a budget proposal by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) that would curb planned funding of k-12 education in the coming fiscal year.

It is important for us never to cut back on our commitment to education, House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said at the packed event, at which the Maryland State Education Association unveiled a Web site where parents can see the potential impact of Hogans proposals on classrooms in their county.

Prince Georges County, for example, would get $6,909.92 less per classroom next year than expected, according to the Web site, which features a play on Hogans Change Maryland campaign slogan. The altered version: Dont Shortchange Maryland.

The news conference followed weeks of debate among Democrats over how to stand up to a Republican governor who prevailed at the polls by promising tax cuts and calling for spending restraint. It came a day before Hogan is scheduled to deliver his first State of the State address, which aides say will call for bipartisan cooperation in Annapolis and lay out the governors legislative agenda.

Hogan has stressed that his budget proposal still calls for record spending on K-12 education, even though counties would receive $144 million less next year than under current spending formulas.

We actually increased spending on education, Hogan said during a radio interview last week, in which he seemed on the defensive. We just didnt increase at the rate that people would like us to and that we would like to, frankly.

The governors aides pressed the same point Tuesday in e-mails and interviews, and noted that Hogan proposed spending $290 million next year on public school construction, roughly on par with levels of recent years under a Democratic governor.

We disagree that there are cuts, Hogans budget secretary, David Brinkley, told reporters in the basement of the State House. Brinkley said it is crucial to get spending under control following a period of escalating borrowing by the state, and said Hogan made some tough decisions in order to close an inherited $800 million shortfall.

While Hogan voters are likely to appreciate those considerations, Democratic lawmakers could get some traction with the public by standing up for education spending, some analysts said.

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As budget battle heats up in Annapolis, Democrats rally around schools funding