264 episodes

A podcast on Maryland policy and politics. Stay in the know about how the General Assembly, Governor, state agencies, and county leaders affect the essential services that Marylanders depend on each and every day. Tune in for deep dives into state and county issues, special guests from around the state, and our world-famous dad jokes. We’ve got you covered on the Maryland Association of Counties’ Conduit Street Podcast.

Conduit Street Podcast Maryland Association of Counties

    • News
    • 4.9 • 27 Ratings

A podcast on Maryland policy and politics. Stay in the know about how the General Assembly, Governor, state agencies, and county leaders affect the essential services that Marylanders depend on each and every day. Tune in for deep dives into state and county issues, special guests from around the state, and our world-famous dad jokes. We’ve got you covered on the Maryland Association of Counties’ Conduit Street Podcast.

    First Steps (and Next Steps) for the Fiscal Plan For FY25 and Beyond

    First Steps (and Next Steps) for the Fiscal Plan For FY25 and Beyond

    On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson talk through the Senate actions regarding the State's fiscal plan for the year ahead - the budget and accompanying reconciliation bill.

    Cuts to Highway User Revenues (but not the deepest cuts on the table), some restored funding for our community colleges, and... some more work to do on county priorities. They discuss the two waves of bad news that made this year's budget even harder, and then speculate on what lies ahead as the session starts to wind down.

    The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.

    Useful Links:
    Conduit Street Coverage of State Budget & Fiscal Issues

    • 39 min
    Counties Gain an Edge Through NACo

    Counties Gain an Edge Through NACo

    On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson and Shantelle Malcolm-Lym welcome guest Cathy Muse from the National Association of Counties Edge program. She talks through the various cost-saving tools available to all Maryland counties through NACo's partnerships that can help develop attractive employee benefits, manage public funds, and recruit top talent to the public sector.

    Muse draws on her own experience as a procurement specialist to explain NACo's newly launched Public Promise Procurement offerings, leveraging a fully competitive lead-agency model to streamline major purchases by counties - another great tool to help counties get the most from their tax dollars.

    Cathy has served in public procurement for over 40 years at the federal, state, and local levels. After retiring from Fairfax County, Virginia, where she served as the Chief Procurement Officer, Cathy joined the NACo EDGE team to develop procurement solutions for counties and launch Public Promise Procurement.

    The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.

    Useful Links

    National Association of Counties: Tools for Counties

    • 21 min
    What Do You Do About Fluky Formulas?

    What Do You Do About Fluky Formulas?

    On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss formula funding -- which aims to provide predictable and stable funding. But what happens when your funding formula… fails -- or at least delivers far less than expected?

    This episode covers funding formulas for two programs important to county governments, the Disparity Grant and Program Open Space. These are two programs that Maryland policymakers set up many years ago… both have special funding by law, rather than just fighting each year in the budget debate… and both are going over a cliff this year.

    The Disparity Grant Program provides noncategorical State aid to low-wealth jurisdictions. It promotes equity across jurisdictions to overcome disparate tax bases — ensuring that counties that rely on local income taxes for substantial revenue can generate sufficient yield to fund schools, public health, public safety, roadway maintenance, and other essential community services.

    Established under the Department of Natural Resources in 1969, Program Open Space symbolizes Maryland's long-term commitment to conserving natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for residents.

    The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.

    • 39 min
    Talking AI With Ben Yelin

    Talking AI With Ben Yelin

    On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson talks with Ben Yelin of the Center for Health and Homeland Security about the rapid growth of artificial intelligence technology.

    They discuss these capabilities' exciting opportunities and potential downsides – and their connections to public services and privacy. Public policy often struggles to keep up with the pace of emerging technologies, and this field seems like another complex example, though there are some reasons to remain hopeful. They also talk a bit about the human and analytic sides of modern football as Yelin pitches his 49ers as a new focus for disappointed Ravens fans.

    Ben Yelin, JD, is the Program Director for Public Policy and External Affairs at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, where he consults public and private entities on homeland security, cybersecurity, and emergency management policy. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he teaches courses on electronic surveillance and the Fourth Amendment.

    In 2021, Ben served as the co-chair of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council's ad-hoc committee on State and Local Cybersecurity and co-drafted a comprehensive report on Maryland's cybersecurity posture and a list of recommendations for policy changes. The report became the framework for a suite of bills enacted in the 2022 session.

    Ben also co-hosts the Caveat podcast, part of the Cyberwire network. This weekly show covers surveillance, cybersecurity, digital privacy, and more.

    The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.

    Useful Links

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: The Robots Are Coming: AI Through the County Lens at #MACoCon

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: President Biden Issues Executive Order to Establish AI Safeguards

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Here’s How States Are Regulating AI

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Suite of Strong Cyber Bills Signed Into Law

    University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security

    Caveat Podcast

    Follow Ben Yelin on Twitter

    • 46 min
    Smart Tech Development: Frederick’s Test Case

    Smart Tech Development: Frederick’s Test Case

    On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss fast-growing Frederick - both as a challenge and an opportunity. Attracting major technology companies presents unique challenges, but the upside is good jobs and local leverage into a vast commercial growth sector.

    The technology sector is driving tremendous demand for more computing and storage capacity. Data centers – the facilities that house the computers and equipment that power the information needs of the modern economy – are in high demand. They underpin industries — like healthcare, the public sector, manufacturing, financial services, and retail — as they grow and adapt to the digital world.

    According to a recent study, Quantum Loophole’s planned data center campus in Frederick County will generate $41 million in County tax revenue per annum and another $197 million for the State of Maryland each year, supporting approximately 1,700 jobs upon project completion. While data centers have tremendous economic benefits, they have also prompted concerns about environmental, land use, and energy consumption impacts.
    On the podcast, we dive into these challenges and an upcoming legislative effort to "thread the needle" and strike a smart balance between promoting technology and protecting natural resources.

    The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.

    Listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on the MACo website.

    Useful Links

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Tech Council Study: Frederick Data Center Project Represents $41M in Annual County Tax Revenue, 1,700 Jobs

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Governor Moore “Disappointed” in PSC Data Center Decision, Working on Legislative Remedy

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: #MACoCon Explores Bringing Data Centers to Maryland

    HB 579 / SB 474 -- Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Related Approvals - Definition of Generating Station (Critical Infrastructure Streamlining Act of 2024)

    • 29 min
    We Break Down the New Budget

    We Break Down the New Budget

    On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson walk through the recently introduced 2025 fiscal plan, starting the weeks-long deliberation on the State budget and the trimmings to balance it. They discuss the long-term cuts to transportation, offset by a temporary reprieve for this year, and the "re-basing" of support for community colleges. A tight budget, as the governor foretold when addressing county leaders at the summer conference, and the process of refinement starts anon.

    The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, and anywhere else you get your podcasts. Episodes are also available on MACo's Conduit Street blog.

    Listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on the MACo website.

    Useful Links

    Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Governor's 2025 Budget – What It Means for Counties

    Tweet Thread on Proposed Transportation Cuts

    • 36 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
27 Ratings

27 Ratings

Classicrocklover238 ,

Essential listening

State governments are essential to American Democracy. As a Maryland resident, hearing what is going on in my home state especially during the pandemic is important. 🙏

DJ1920 ,

The best podcast in Annapolis!

Extremely informative.

Sweatpants00 ,

Tis the Season for Conduit Street

Just when I was growing weary of dry in-the-weeds podcasts discussing micro and macro mechanics of a certain sub-population of society, “Conduit Street” was

BORN UNTO ME A PODCAST WAS BORN.
Unto me,
a podcast was given.
UNTO ME
A PODCAST WAS GIVEN
And the government shall be upon its shoulders
And the government shall be upon its shoulders
AND ITS NAME SHALL BE CALLED
CONDUIT STREE-EE-EET!
CONDUIT STREE-EE-EET!
The MACO POD!
The ever-podcasting state gov’t podcast
Of the Ole Line State.

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