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.
Episodes
353 episodes
The Briefing Room Ep 1: Who Really Controls Maryland’s Energy?
The Conduit Street Podcast is launching something new.Introducing The Briefing Room, a new limited series designed to take a deeper dive into the complex policy issues shaping Maryland’s counties. In this first episode, host Domin...
News or Noise? Breaking Down Maryland’s 2026 Session
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, longtime hosts Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are "back in the saddle" with a post-session "news or noise" breakdown of what really mattered, and what didn't, from Maryland's 2026 legislative sessi...
90 Days Later; Sine Die Recap
This Week on the Conduit Street Podcast, we bring you an episode fresh from Sine Die to break down the 2026 legislative session from start to finish.With major leadership shakeups before session even began, a fast-moving 90 days, and ple...
Elections, Federal Executive Orders, and What’s Real
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally sits down with Maryland State Administrator of Elections, Jared DeMarinis, to cut through the noise surrounding recent federal election activity and what it actually means for Maryland. Fr...
Puzzle Pieces of the Balanced Budget
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson break down where Maryland’s budget and “Big BRFA” stand as the General Assembly enters its final weeks. As usual, their conversation covers a wide range of i...
A Day in the Life at MACo: Legislative Session Edition
As Maryland’s legislative session approaches crossover, MACo’s policy team is deep in the work of shaping legislation that affects counties across the state.In this episode of the Conduit Street podcast, Michael Sanderson is joined by Ka...
Session Updates on Housing, Budget Pressure, and the Road to Crossover
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, we check in on the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session as lawmakers approach the critical crossover deadline.MACo’s Michael Sanderson, Dominic Butchko, and Kevin Kinnally break down where thing...
Educating the Next Generation of Public Leaders
On this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson sits down with Dr. Roger E. Hartley of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of public service in Maryland.Har...
Local Leaders Rally To Avoid Highway User Revenue Cliff
As Maryland lawmakers weigh how to address a looming transportation “cliff,” local leaders are sounding the alarm about what’s at stake for local roads and bridges.In this special episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Michael Sand...
The Governor’s Budget and the County Bottom Line
In this week’s episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, our familiar hosts Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson take the microphone to walk us through Governor Wes Moore’s proposed FY27 budget and the accompanying Budget Reconciliation and Financ...
County Health on the Front Lines
As flu season intensifies and public health misinformation continues to circulate, counties remain on the front lines of protecting community health.In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Michael Sanderson and Karrington Anderson...
Setting the Stage for 2026: Affordability, County Priorities, and an Election Year Shift
As Maryland heads into the 2026 General Assembly session, county governments are confronting a familiar challenge, but with sharper edges.In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, MACo’s Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Domini...
Exelon Talks Energy Security and Rising Costs in Maryland
As Maryland heads toward another consequential legislative session, energy policy is once again front and center, and counties are feeling the pressure.In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Kevin Kinnally and Dominic Butch...
How Howard County Is Reimagining the Response to Homelessness
What does it take for a county to move toward functional zero for homelessness?In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, hosts Karrington Anderson and Dominic Butchko sit down with Kelly Cimino, Director of th...
Water, PFAS, and Climate Resilience: What Counties Need to Know
In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, our host Dominic Butchko is joined by Zach Schafer, Assistant Secretary at the Maryland Department of the Environment, for a wide-ranging conversation on the environmental issues sh...
From Policy to Progress: What’s Next for School Construction With Alex Donahue
Recorded live at MACo’s 2025 Winter Conference, this episode features an in-depth, candid conversation with Alex Donahue, Executive Director of the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC), on one of the most pressing challenges faci...
Professor Todd Eberly on “Interesting Times” in MD Politics
As Maryland heads into a challenging budget year and an election cycle legislative session, Professor Todd Eberly of St. Mary’s College of Maryland joins the Conduit Street Podcast to unpack the forces shaping the state’s political and economic...
Housing in 2026: Counties Come to the Table With Solutions
Housing will take center stage in the 2026 legislative session, and counties are ready. This week, Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Dom Butchko walk through MACo's major legislative initiative, the BAMBY Act (Build Affordably in My Backya...
Cybersecurity, AI Bots & Public Records: What Counties Need to Know
In this week's episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Karrington Anderson talks with Sarah Sample to break down the rapidly evolving world of Public Information Act (PIA) requests in Maryland and why counties are feeling the pressure. They talk...
Hot Takes: Shutdowns, SNAP, and the State of Countyland
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Karrington Anderson debut a new recurring segment – Conduit Street Podcast Hot Takes, where our hosts break down w...
Pitching Policy & Fielding a Federal Shutdown - A DC View with Congressman Johnny O
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson sit down with Congressman Johnny Olszewski, Jr., a former Maryland Delegate, Baltimore County Executive, and 2025 MACo President, now serving Maryland’s Seco...
A Seat at the Table: MACo's 24-County Tour Hits St Mary's
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...
Keeping the Lights On: Maryland, PJM, and the Future of Energy
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Dominic Butchko sits down with Jason Stanek of PJM Interconnection for a deep dive into Maryland’s evolving energy landscape. From the state’s growing dependence on imported electricity to the b...
Revenues, Roads, and Rising Risks
This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson unpack Maryland’s fiscal outlook. They break down the State’s year-end budget results, the new revenue forecast, and looming structural deficits. Th...
Libraries Leading Maryland
From literacy programs to telehealth pods, Maryland’s libraries are evolving far beyond bookshelves. Join this week's Conduit Street host, Sarah Sample, as she sits down with Maryland State Librarian Morgan Lehr Miller to explore how local libr...
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