Bill Hearing Archives

Conduit Street Podcast: 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 Financing Act – or as Michael likes to call it, “Big BRFA.” Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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January 30, 2026

MACo Testimony / Public Information and Ethics

Modernizing Legal Notice Requirements With a Digital Approach

On January 28, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the Judiciary Committee in support of HB 10 – Legal Advertisement or Legal Notice - Publication in Newspaper or Newspaper in General Circulation - Digital Newspapers with amendments. This bill authorizes a county to publish required public notices in a qualifying newspaper or digital publication to maintain compliance with state law. This creates both cost savings and more flexibility for local governments in meeting this…

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January 29, 2026

MACo Testimony / Taxes and Revenues

MACo Supports Smarter Growth and Infrastructure Planning

On January 27, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally testified before the Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 78 – Property Taxes - Authority of Counties to Establish Subclasses and Set Separate Rates for Land and Improvements to Land. This bill authorizes county governments and Baltimore City to establish subclasses of real property, separating land from improvements, and to apply different real property tax rates to each subclass. The bill provides a measured option to…

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January 28, 2026

MACo Testimony / Taxes and Revenues

Balancing Accuracy and Affordability in Property Assessment Upgrades

On January 27, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally submitted written testimony to the Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 176 – State Department of Assessments and Taxation and Department of General Services - Property Appraisal Aids - Geographic Images with amendments. This bill seeks to provide SDAT with advanced digital tools to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and fairness of property assessments. Counties request amendments to reduce unnecessary costs and ensure a smooth implementation process.…

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January 28, 2026

MACo Testimony / Taxes and Revenues

MACo: Bolster Tax Fairness, Safeguard Small Businesses

On January 27, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally submitted written testimony to the Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 294 – Personal Property Tax - Exemptions for Low Assessment - Alteration. The bill preserves tax relief for small businesses while allowing the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) to collect basic eligibility information, ensuring proper oversight without adding unnecessary burdens. HB 294 addresses a flaw in the current system. In 2022, the General…

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January 28, 2026

Employee Benefits and Relations / MACo Testimony

Proposed Paid Leave Mandate Adds Administrative and Fiscal Strain for Counties

On January 27, Associate Policy Director Karrington Anderson submitted written testimony to the Government, Labor, and Elections Committee in opposition to HB 86 – State and Local Employees - Cancer Screening - Paid Leave. This bill would mandate that state and local governments, as public employers, provide four hours of paid cancer screening leave, separate from any existing leave policies. Under current law and county practice, cancer screening is an allowable and appropriate use of…

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January 28, 2026

MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections

MACo Aims to Preserve Local Public Safety Procedures

On January 27, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample submitted written testimony to the Judiciary Committee in opposition to HB 444 – Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement Agreements - Prohibition. This bill would prohibit counties from maintaining or creating immigration enforcement agreements, terminate nine existing agreements, and restrict local law enforcement and corrections staff from setting binding standards with federal agencies operating in their jurisdictions. A lack of regular communication and documented boundaries and standards can…

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January 28, 2026

MACo Testimony / Public Safety and Corrections

Strict Regulations Compromise Public Safety and Intervention Services for Unhoused Individuals

On January 27, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the Judicial Proceedings Committee in opposition to SB 49 – Unhoused Individuals - Rights and Affirmative Defense. While this bill aims to protect unhoused individuals, it could worsen housing insecurity, restrict local safety interventions, and pose serious risks to public health and community well-being. The challenges the bill presents to local governments are significant and stem from a preemption on local ability to enforce local…

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January 28, 2026

MACo Testimony / Planning and Zoning

Reduced Flexibility Limits Counties’ Affordable Housing Efforts

On January 27, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in opposition to SB 178 – Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program - Standards and Procedures. This bill tightens growth allocation standards and extends review timelines under the Critical Area program, reducing flexibility and further straining counties’ ability to support and deliver affordable housing. The presiding officers of the General Assembly and the Governor have…

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January 28, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Feature / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

DLS Fiscal Briefing Warns of Mounting Cost Shifts and Budget Gaps

This week, the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) presented its annual fiscal briefing to the General Assembly’s budget committees. The briefing outlined the governor’s proposed fiscal 2027 operating and capital budgets, State aid to local governments, and Maryland’s broader economic and revenue outlook. As previously reported on Conduit Street, Governor Wes Moore’s $70.8 billion fiscal 2027 budget closes a projected $1.5 billion shortfall through fund transfers, capped formulas, and cost shifts rather than long-term structural…

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January 27, 2026