Conduit Street Podcast

From the halls of the State House to the heart of county government, the Conduit Street Podcast breaks down the decisions shaping Marylanders’ daily lives. Produced by the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), this weekly podcast offers smart, accessible insights on the latest state and local policy — with counties always at the center.
Explore how legislation, executive actions, and agency decisions affect essential public services like education, infrastructure, public safety, health, and other core functions that matter most to Maryland residents. With special guests from across the state and the occasional world-famous dad joke, Conduit Street keeps you informed, engaged, and ready for what’s next.
Whether you’re a policymaker, a public servant, or just policy-curious, this is your front-row seat to Maryland’s political landscape.
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson…goes solo? Just kidding! He does set the stage, however, for a special recording from St. Mary’s County, where MACo President and Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Jack Wilson joins Michael for a briefing with St. Mary’s County leaders to talk all things local governance.
It’s a lively, conversation that hits the big levers counties are wrestling with right now: the State’s recent cost shifts (from tens of millions in teacher pensions to new assessment admin bills and even wrongful-conviction settlements), housing reform prospects that could realign local permitting and narrow public-input windows, and energy siting fights where Public Service Commission preemption leaves counties with a “weak hand” on large solar projects.
They also touch on the federal shutdown’s local ripple effects. If you want a real-world snapshot of budgets, Blueprint pressures, housing, and energy, all through a county lens, this field episode is for you.
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