Maryland Capital with Jayne Miller

It's been nearly three years since the Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy. This was as the Child Victim's Act went into effect which lifted the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims against the church. Currently, the Archdiocese and thecommittee of sex abuse survivors are meeting weekly this summer to resolve competing plans to settle the bankruptcy on behalf of more than 9...

"Dirt bike culture is Baltimore culture." From my conversation with Brittany Young, founder of B-360, a non-profit organization that sees opportunity in young people who ride dirt bikes. Its 2026 summer camp is starting now where young people learn auto mechanics, STEM, and safety. Baltimore police are cracking on dirt bike riders. B-360 has a different plan to keep people out of traffic...

Baltimore is just one of two cities that is independent. No governance relationship with its surrounding counties like Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh. The list goes on. Would more regional alliances in the Baltimore areadeliver better services in a more cost effective way? Housing, transit, public safety, education, water—all areregional services in other parts of the country. Plus – a land value tax...

Closing the gap between wages and the rising cost of living. More than 60 years ago, when Lyndon Johnson was president, he signed the Economic Opportunity Act which created Community Action Agencies. They grew out of the War on Poverty and are funded by Community Service Block Grants. There are 19 of them across Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. But they are under threat by cuts to...

The 151st running of the Preakness is in Laurel due to the reconstruction at Pimlico. The future holds questions. What will the new Pimlico look like? What other purposes might the new facility serve? Should the date be changed so Derby winners don't skip it? Is the state subsidy too much or too little? Conversation is with Bill Knauf, president Maryland Jockey Club.

Legislators gave consumers a small break on their utility bills. in the 2026 session. But it may be progress on solar energy that’s a bigger winner. Changes in permitting should make it easier forresidential rooftop and plug-in solar. Challenges remain to hit clean energy goals—includingconvincing legislators that renewable energy is faster and more cost efficient to deploy. And getting past the c...

Is it time for an upgrade of the structure of citygovernment? Baltimore is one of the few cities that still has a Board of Estimates.—created in 1898! Is the budget  just tweaked from year to year? Should policeget the lion’s share of the budget? Can a new process get the public more involved in the city's fiscal strategy? My conversation is with Nate and Adam Golden who have done excellent re...

The days of big manufacturers in Maryland -- steel, auto--are gone. While the industry looks very different today, it is still a key part of the state's economy. 110,000 workers. Most companies have less than 100 employees. Life sciences one of the most successful sectors. How does the industry grow? What's the pathway for a middle school student to become a manufacturer? Conversation is w...

What attracts people to live in a city. Baltimore hasseen decades of population loss. So what reverses it? For one—new housing. Affordability. A sense of community. A new trend—people who buy want to stay in their houses longer. My conversation is with Meghan McCorkell. Executive Director of Live Baltimore, an organization focused on attracting buyers and renters. The organization recently release...

With the war on Iran causing rising oil prices, alternative energy development is all the more important. Including: wind energy. But the US has fallen way behind other countries includingChina, which leads the world in wind energy. What are its benefits, cost, and what has to happento move projects ahead, which are currently blocked by the Trump administration. My conversation is with Rebecca Reh...

Recently, the Sheraton Hotel closed. The latest blow tothe vitality of downtown Baltimore. So what is the vision to breathe new life? To fill vacant offices. To attract new business andretail. And residents. My conversation is with Zeke Cohen, Baltimore CityCouncil president. We focus on who needs to lead. How to better connect downtown’s sections. And fix the permitting system to make it easier t...

Maryland State Senator Cory McCray is also an author—recently publishing a book about his own experience breaking the cycle of repeatedcontact in the juvenile justice system. "The Apprenticeship that Saved My Life" tells of thementorship, discipline, and financial literacy he gained through an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).It led to his ca...

Like other parts of the country, Maryland also has a K-shaped economy. Who's spending? Who's not? What businesses are hurting? My conversation is with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman. Covering ideas to grow the private sector (cut down on 'Smith Island cake' layers of regulation) Make it easier to open and run a small business And Baby Bonds to help close the wealth gap.

Maryland imports about 80% of its electricity which leads to a debate about how to generate electricity in-state. Regulators recently agreed to fast track review of gas-fired plants proposed by Constellation. Clean energy advocates strongly oppose. And what about the regional grid operator PJM? My conversation is with Brittany Baker, Maryland Director Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

This podcast is a recap of some of the of some of theinterviews I’ve done on issues of housing, energy, new vision for Baltimore, and how to make a city more walkable--a major issue for downtown Baltimore. Just a few of the people and ideas I tryto cover. And looking forward to 2026. You can find all of my podcasts on Spotify and Apple

Howard County Maryland is one of the wealthiest countiesin the country. Average home sales price - $640,000. Like many places it needs more affordable housing to meet the needs of its workforce--and requires creative solutions. How about home sharing?  The challenges are especially steep now with restrictions placed by the Trump Administration on housing support. My conversation is with Jennifer B...

A recent investigative piece by the Baltimore Banner revealed a pattern of racial disparity in traffic stops. This has been a persistent issue in the county and a task force set up to address it -- just a handful of very brief meetings. The overriding question: Do people still care? My conversation is with Ben Conarck and Greg Morton of the Baltimore Banner.

Baltimore City has not one waterfront but two. The Middle Branch of the Patapsco River--11 miles of shoreline now being restored to protect against the effects of climate change. It is an area under new development--from Baltimore Peninsula to Westport. The marshland restoration is led by South Baltimore Gateway Partnership. Funding partly comes from casino revenue. My conversation is with Brad Ro...

My conversation focuses on the rising cost of electricity, which is not likely to abate, and the demand from data centers and electrification and other factors. There is the potential for rolling brownouts by 2027 due to the lack of stable generation in Maryland. And can clean energy be achieved with the Trump administration pushing back? My conversation is with BGE’s  Director ofClean Energy Solu...

There is a campaign underway to expand the use of restorative practices in schools in Maryland. The aim is to change school culture to emphasize respect and accountability, reduce absenteeism, address mental health issues. My conversation is with David Hornbeck, former state superintendent of schools in Maryland and Philadelphia and leading advocate for restorative practices.

The Baltimore Banner--in just its 3rd year of operation--includes in its mission events like Impact Maryland, coming up on October 14th. It's a day long discussion of the economy, housing, education from the people who have to make the decisions. My conversation includes the Banner's recent expansion to Montgomery County and its success as a non-profit model in journalism. Guests are Bob C...

A significant hearing is coming up on October 6 in the bankruptcy proceeding involving the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Should the Archdiocese be granted charitable immunity to fend off the claims filed by sex abuse survivors? The Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy following the passage of the Child Victims Act, which lifted the statute of limitation for victims of sex abuse in Maryland institutions. C...

A recent report found that vacant land in Baltimore could be underassessed by as much as $484 mil. The same problem could exist statewide in Maryland. This on a top of a property tax system that puts Baltimore City's rate as double the rate of all other jurisdictions. Might a shift to a land value tax address the problem? My conversation is with Greg Miller, author of the report published for...

Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Diversion of research dollars. Access to vaccines. The impact of the Trump administrations policy and funding decision can add stress to families already stretched thin. My conversation is with Casey Baynes, founder and CEO of Casey Cares, an organization that helps families of children with serious illness and medical conditions.

There are nearly a dozen communities in Baltimore in which half of the residents don't have access to a car. Can they succeed without one? My conversation is with Marty Schwartz, president of Vehicles for Change which works to get people cars they can afford and trains people to be automotive technicians--jobs that are in high demand. His organization is also one of the non-profits that is scr...