The Policy Lowdown with the Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Decisions about the state budget are always important, but this year they dominated the entire Maryland General Assembly session as policymakers worked to address a significant budget deficit. A nearly $3 billion shortfall at the beginning of the year continued to grow as the effects of federal layoffs and funding cuts began to rock the region’s economy. Host Kevin Slayton chats with Maryland Cent...

This General Assembly session, Maryland legislators have been working through addressing a $3 billion budget deficit. Earlier this legislative session, Kevin Slayton interviewed several legislators who serve on the budget committees about their approach to these decisions and how they try to represent their communities' needs in the budget process. Guests: Delegate Jazz Lewis Majority Whip and...

One of the most important responsibilities of our state and local governments is to provide an education for our kids to set them up for success. In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly passed a landmark education reform and funding bill known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, designed to address chronic under-funding of schools in some communities and make Maryland schools some of the best i...

While many states elect a treasurer, Maryland is unique in having an elected comptroller. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman often describes the role as being the state’s chief financial officer. Along with the governor and the treasurer, who is elected by the legislature rather than by the voters, the comptroller also serves on the Board of Public Works, overseeing major contracts and other budg...

All of us want to have a job that is safe, has good working conditions, and pays us fairly for our work. Unions play an important role in creating those kinds of opportunities for working Marylanders. Unions allow working people to have a seat at the table in decisions that affect their quality of life and their day-to-day experiences at work. Over the last few years there has been an uptick in un...

For 90 days at the start of each year, the Maryland General Assembly convenes to consider thousands of bills and make consequential budget decisions that can affect all of our lives and shape our communities. Host Kevin Slayton brings back the full MDCEP policy team to talk about what happened this year and what it means for all of us. Guests: Jasmin Aramburu, MDCEP State Policy Fellow Musaab Ibra...

In the first of a series of episodes recapping what happened during this year's Maryland General Assembly session, Kevin Slayton gets an update on the Fair Share for Maryland Act with Lisa Klingenmaier, Director of Maryland Rise . Want some more background before you listen? Scroll back a few episodes to Season 2, Episode 8 - "A Fair Share for Maryland." Archives and resources:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

A community-led proposal from Baltimore City residents is aimed at ensuring the large nonprofit institutions that call the city home – primarily universities and hospitals – are paying their fair share for the city services they benefit from. The members of the With Us, For Us coalition are working to pass a proposed ballot measure that would create a community wealth-building fund that they hope...

Maryland is facing growing budget deficits in the coming years that present a choice: do we cut back on support for our schools, transit service, road construction, environmental protections, and other public services? Or do we raise the revenue we need to continue investing in our communities and building a strong foundation for our economy? In this episode, Kevin Slayton talks with members of th...

As Maryland's General Assembly session kicked off last week, Kevin Slayton sat down with Senate President Bill Ferguson to discuss his top priorities for the legislative session and, in particular, what his approach is to balancing the state's budget as state revenues drop below what the state needs to maintain current services. Resources:  ⁠⁠⁠http://mdeconomy.org/policy-lowdown ⁠⁠⁠ Social...

The entire Maryland Center on Economic Policy policy team joins Kevin Slayton to talk about the issues to watch in this year's Maryland General Assembly session and how the decisions made in Annapolis in the next 90 days could shape Marylanders' lives. Resources:  ⁠⁠http://mdeconomy.org/policy-lowdown ⁠⁠ Social media:  ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠  and  ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠  @mdeconomy |  ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠  @mdeconomi...

Maryland legalized cannabis for recreational use July 1 and the new industry started off with strong sales, bringing in new revenue for state and local priorities. A portion of those funds are dedicated to repairing the harm of the "war on drugs" in Black and Brown and low-income communities. In this episode, host Kevin Slayton talks with Dayvon Love, director of public policy for Leader...

Pandemic relief efforts brought unprecedented protections and resources to help keep families in their homes when they were facing a financial challenge. With those federal resources now gone, tenants and advocates across Maryland have been working on permanent policy changes to reduce evictions, strengthen tenants rights, and promote more stable, successful communities. Maryland Center on Economi...

Health is at the center of everything in our lives; without it, we are limited in our work, our ability to take care for our families, or to simply live out our daily lives. However, many Marylanders are unable to access or afford health care services. This is especially true for the thousands of immigrant Marylanders that do not qualify for services or coverage due to their immigration status. In...

Despite Maryland's relative wealth compared to other states, the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book showed that many Maryland families and children are still facing significant challenges. This year's Data Book ranked Maryland 21st among the states in child well-being. The KIDS COUNT Data Book is published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Host Kevin Slayton brought MDCEP KIDS COUNT Director Nons...

As the Baltimore City Council considered the mayor's proposed budget earlier this year, they had new options for shaping how the city uses shared resources. Thanks to a voter-passed referendum, for the first time in more than 100 years the council has more power to move funds around in the budget. As the council was making their final deliberations, host Kevin Slayton talked with Baltimore Cit...

No matter what we look like or where we come from, most Marylanders believe in caring for our families and leaving things better for the generations to come. However, the upside-down tax system we have today makes it harder for our communities to thrive. In this episode, Kevin Slayton talks with Christopher Meyer of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy about the Roadmap for Tax Justice, a propos...

One of the important things we do together as a community is work to make sure the next generation is set up for success. In Part 2 of a two-part series on policies affecting children and families, host Kevin Slayton leads a conversation with Laura Weeldreyer, Executive Director of Maryland Family Network, and Nonso Umunna, KIDS COUNT director for the Maryland Center on Economic Policy. They discu...

One of the important things we do together as a community is work to make sure the next generation is set up for success. In Part 1 of a two-part series on policies affecting children and families, host Kevin Slayton leads a conversation with Rev. Kobi Little, president of the Baltimore City NAACP chapter, and Nonso Umunna, KIDS COUNT director for the Maryland Center on Economic Policy. They discu...

There is nothing more essential to our well-being than having a safe place to live. Yet we all know that this basic human need is out of reach for far too many Marylanders.  In this episode host Kevin Slayton talks with Claudia Wilson Randall, Executive Director of Community Development Network of Maryland, and Taneeka Richardson, housing policy analyst at the Maryland Center on Economic Poli...

One of the most important things we do together as a community is set the next generation up for success. Maryland has a mixed track record in funding public schools, but legislators made a commitment to provide a great education for every child when they passed the Blueprint for Maryland's Future legislation in 2021.  In this episode, host Kevin Slayton talks with Shamoyia Gardiner, Executiv...

Maryland's state budget provides the clearest reflection of what we value – and what we don’t value. Host Kevin Slayton talks with Benjamin Orr, Founder, President and CEO of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, about how state policymakers decide how to use our shared resources, why it matters, and how you can help shape those priorities. And, they discuss ways state budget decisions can help...

Welcome to the inaugural season of The Policy Lowdown, the podcast from the Maryland Center on Economic Policy offering straight talk on the issues that matter most to Maryland families and communities. Episode 1 is coming January 20. Make sure to subscribe to make sure it shows up in your feed!