The opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities across Maryland, and Baltimore City remains at the forefront of both the crisis and the response. In this episode, Karrington Anderson from the MACo policy team sits down with Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter to discuss the city’s evolving strategies for confronting opioid misuse, saving lives, and investing in long-term recovery.

Councilwoman Porter shares how her lived experience and legislative leadership shape her work, the city’s preliminary Overdose Response Strategic Plan, and the critical role of equity in harm reduction. From settlement funds and access to treatment to housing, workforce support, and stigma reduction, this conversation explores how Baltimore is working to turn immediate responses into lasting change—while providing lessons for counties and communities statewide.

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This week on the Conduit Street Podcast we bring you a special treat from the 2025 MACo Summer Conference, and it might involve MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson singing karaoke! 

The highlight of this episode, however, features a sit-down with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Michael Sanderson, where they tackle some of the most pressing fiscal issues facing the state and its counties.

From revenue projections and federal uncertainty to long-term budget obligations, Comptroller Lierman shared candid insights into Maryland’s fiscal outlook and what it means for local governments. The conversation covered structural budget gaps, the effect of demographic and economic shifts, housing affordability, and her office’s work to strengthen compliance in areas like short-term rentals.

Tune in for a thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion that underscores the importance of strong State-county partnerships in navigating today’s fiscal challenges—and planning for a more sustainable future.

Special Shoutout to the Band! The Klassix

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This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, we dive deep into the complexities of housing policy with Professors Christopher Serkin and Ganesh Sitaraman from Vanderbilt University. While zoning reform dominates the national conversation, our guests argue that the housing crisis demands a broader, more nuanced approach. From industrial policy and public housing options to creative tax incentives and market-shaping regulations, we explore innovative solutions tailored to local conditions. Plus, a fascinating case study on Nashville—a "YIMBY paradise" with unexpected outcomes—challenges conventional wisdom. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that goes beyond the usual talking points!

Show Notes: 

28 Post-Neoliberal Housing Policy Ideas 

Post-Neoliberal Housing Policy

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In this timely episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson and Karrington Anderson sit down with Gene Ransom, Executive Director of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, to break down how federal legislation and Medicaid changes could affect health care delivery across Maryland. 

From work requirements and uncompensated care to rural hospital challenges and the state’s unique Medicaid waiver, Gene shares insights that every county leader should know. Tune in to understand how these federal shifts could affect local services, budgets, and residents as our hosts break down what counties should be watching next. 

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In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko is joined by Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) Director Paul Pinsky and Program Manager Lacey Allor for a wide-ranging conversation about Annapolis, MEA's $64M county grant program (L-GEM), and Maryland’s energy future.

Together, they explore an insider’s perspective on the inner workings of Annapolis, Maryland’s current energy situation, and what a possible future looks like, and MEA’s on-time Local Government Energy Modernization Program, meant to provide block grants to local governments.

Director Pinsky also shares insights on both his long career as an elected official and now as the leader of one of the most high-profile agencies in the state. Whether you're a county leader, energy advocate, or just curious about where Maryland is headed next — this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 

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The Conduit Street Podcast shifts its focus to county best practices. Here, hosts Michael Sanderson and Karrington Anderson welcome Beverly Churchill from Queen Anne’s County and Stuart Sutley from Bolton to talk about a groundbreaking advance in employee health care. Queen Anne’s County, and others across Maryland, are using dedicated health centers to provide better care, improved customer experience, and reduced costs as they support their essential public employees. Learn the basics about this innovative approach in a timely and important conversation.

On this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Karrington Anderson and Sarah Sample from the MACo Policy team are joined by Special Secretary Emily Keller of the Maryland Office of Overdose Response. They discuss opioid remediation efforts and outcomes at the state and local level as well as recent legislative initiatives from the General Assembly session for combating the opioid crisis.

Show Notes:

https://stopoverdose.maryland.gov/orf/

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In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, we team up once again with our counterparts at the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) for Part 2 of our policy exchange. Dominic Butchko of MACo and Joe Lerch of VACo dive into the complex world of housing legislation, comparing how Maryland and Virginia address affordable housing, zoning reform, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

They unpack Maryland’s new “unreasonable standard” law, debate the state’s role in local land use decisions, and explore how short-term rentals (and even YouTube “Airbnb Millionaire” trends) are affecting the long-term housing market. From zoning flexibility to housing pipeline lawsuits, this episode takes a sharp and insightful look at how neighboring states tackle shared challenges in land use and housing policy.

Show Notes:

Maryland’s Housing Expansion and Affordability Act (2024)

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In this special crossover episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko of the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) teams up with Joe Lerch of the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) to explore how Maryland and Virginia are tackling the complex challenges of clean energy policy at the local level. 

Together, they unpack the parallels and contrasts between Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act and Virginia’s Clean Economy Act, digging into why Maryland is lagging in solar deployment despite ambitious targets, and how transmission grid bottlenecks across the PJM network are slowing down renewable energy progress on both sides of the Potomac. 

If you care about infrastructure, local control, and the path to clean energy, this episode is for you!

More Information:

• Maryland’s Pivotal 2025 Actions on Solar Energy Policy
• UVA Weldon Cooper - Solar Database
• PJM Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)
• Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems - Chesterfield County Project

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On this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, host Michael Sanderson is joined by Peter Claggett, a research geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Chesapeake Bay Program, to discuss how cutting-edge land use data is shaping Maryland’s environmental and planning future.

From award-winning modeling work to newly released hyper-resolution data, Claggett explains how decades of research are helping counties better understand impervious surfaces, tree canopy changes, and stormwater dynamics. Learn how these insights can guide smarter local development, improve stormwater planning, and support sustainability goals statewide. Whether you're in planning, public works, or simply curious about how science informs county policy, this episode delivers both big-picture thinking and practical applications.

Tree Canopy Factsheets

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