Conduit Street Podcast

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Brad Phillips joins Kevin Kinnally and Drew Jabin to discuss the history and mission of Maryland's community colleges, their commitment to access and equity, and why -- as the state works to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic -- they may be more important now than ever. Brad Phillips is the Deputy Executive Director at the Maryland Associat...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, P.J. Hogan joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss election issues and breakdown the proposed constitutional amendment (Question 1) which, if approved by voters in the November election, would adjust the State’s budget process. Former Maryland State Senator P.J. Hogan serves as a member of the Maryland State Board of Elections and...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Dr. Mileah Kromer joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to breakdown the results from the latest Goucher College Poll , discuss the ins and outs of political polling, and debunk some common myths about polling methods and methodology. The Goucher College Poll measures the opinions of Maryland residents and voters on important policy, social...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson breakdown the latest state revenue projections, examine the role of federal stimulus funds in avoiding a catastrophic economic collapse, and explain why Maryland's better-than-expected fiscal picture may ultimately be at the mercy of Washington D.C. politics. As previously reported on Conduit Street , Ma...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are joined by MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu to breakdown MACo's 2021 Legislative Initiative to put public health first by protecting services and advocating for public health and emergency services to be properly supported with necessary funds to support staff, services, supplies, and technology...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are joined by MACo Policy Associate Drew Jabin and Maryland State Office of Rural Broadband Director Kenrick Gordon to breakdown MACo's 2021 Legislative Initiative to build out broadband access across Maryland. The Office of Rural Broadband ’s mission is to ensure that every rural Marylander has access t...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson breakdown MACo's 2021 Legislative Initiative to ensure fair funding and proper local input for elections in Maryland. As previously reported on Conduit Street , MACo’s Legislative Committee voted at the September 16, 2020 meeting to adopt the Association’s four priorities for the 2021 Maryland General As...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are joined by Alex Butler to discuss the roadmap ahead for the Maryland General Assembly.  Topics include the pros and cons of convening a special session amid the COVID-19 pandemic, how guidance from the Maryland Attorney General may lead to big changes for the 2021 legislative session, a new proposal to cap...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are joined by Natasha Mehu and Calvert County Health Officer Dr. Laurence Polsky to discuss the latest on state and local efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Polsky shares his insights on school reopening, contact tracing, Maryland's move toward Stage Three of the Roadmap to Recovery plan, and t...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss the latest news and notes from Annapolis, including updates on the November election, the ongoing negotiations over the next round of federal COVID-19 aid, Maryland's statewide rollout of text-to-9-1-1, and intriguing local issues. MACo has made the podcast available through all major platforms b...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Executive Director Graham Knaus joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson for a look at how the Golden State is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, school reopenings, elections, budget crises, and a number of other pressing issues in our respective states. Also this week, California's relati...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Alex Butler and Drew Jabin join Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss the latest on school reopenings, negotiations over the next federal COVID-19 stimulus package, unemployment benefits, payroll taxes, big changes for the November 3 election, and the road ahead for state and local budgets. MACo has made the podcast available through a...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, National Association of Counties (NACo) deputy director of government affairs Mark Ritacco joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to break down the competing coronavirus relief proposals being considered by Congress -- including the likelihood the next relief bill will include direct and flexible aid for state and local governments. As previ...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Howard County Public School System Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano joins Kevin Kinnally, Drew Jabin, and Michael Sanderson to discuss the health, safety, and logistical challenges of educating children in the fall. As previously reported on Conduit Street , local education agencies are developing plans to reopen in the fall – whether that o...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Beth Blauer joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss the role of quality data in helping governments make informed decisions in order to protect public health and support local businesses and workers. Beth also discusses her role in developing and maintaining the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Case Tracker -- which government agencies, publ...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss what may be on the chopping block as the State looks to offset COVID-19-related economic woes. Also this week, a recap of last week's Board of Public Works meeting, including a summary of what was — and wasn't — cut from the budget to account for increased spending and reduced revenues amid...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Senator Cheryl Kagan joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss the 2020 legislative session and what may on tap for 2021. Topics include elections, Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), telehealth, law enforcement, styrofoam, unemployment insurance, the debate over Maryland's state song, and more! From Senator Kagan's biography :...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Everett Sesker joins Kevin Kinnally, Natasha Mehu, and Michael Sanderson to discuss the state of policing. Topics include implicit bias, Maryland's Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights (LEOBR), the "defund the police" movement, community policing, and how new technology is playing a major role in how police serve and prot...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally, Drew Jabin, and Michael Sanderson discuss why an unprecedented number of COVID-19-related unemployment claims are putting tremendous pressure on all levels of government, what Congress has done (or neglected to do) to ease the burden on state and local governments, and explain why a technical fix is necessary to protect non-profi...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally, Natasha Mehu, and Michael Sanderson discuss the early returns from Maryland's presidential primary election, examine some of the administrative issues that plagued the process, and look ahead to how and why election policy, procedures, and oversight may look very different the next time around. MACo has made the podcast avai...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss the evolution of the podcast and ask listeners to weigh in on future topics, guests, bumper music, artwork, and more! MACo has made the podcast available through all major platforms by searching Conduit Street Podcast. You can also listen on our Conduit Street blog with a recap and link to the podcast...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Mike Ricci joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss the importance of communications in a time of crisis, including why reliable data underpins both crisis planning and response. Mike Ricci, the director of communications for Governor Larry Hogan, previously served as the director of communications for former Speaker of the U.S. Hou...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss why an unusually quiet "veto day" still made plenty of noise across Maryland. Governor Hogan last week, through statements and in the absence of any traditional “bill signing ceremony,” revealed his decisions regarding legislation passed during the recent legislative session, itself abbrevia...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Robert McCord joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss how state and local leaders are adjusting to ensure a fair and accurate 2020 Census amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Census data is used to allocate billions of dollars in federal funding for education, health, transportation, housing, comm...

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Natasha Mehu discuss the latest health and human services news amid the state and local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MACo has made the podcast available through all major podcast platforms by searching Conduit Street Podcast. You can also listen on our Conduit Street blog with a recap and link to the...