2024 MACo Issue Previews Archives

2024 MACo Issue Previews / Health and Human Services

2024 Issue Preview: Health Care Workforce Challenges Continue to Preoccupy Lawmakers

Health care access and service delivery in Maryland will continue to preoccupy lawmakers as priorities for the 2024 legislative session. The Maryland Department of Legislative Services is forecasting additional legislative measures to address health care workforce issues across the state. The labor challenges are believed to be a significant issue impacting the delivery of health care in Maryland. Shortages have been observed throughout the health care industry, including in hospitals, nursing homes, and primary care…

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December 28, 2023

2024 Issue Preview: Cannabis Regulation

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some significant issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. Ambiguous restrictions on local zoning, incommensurate revenue sharing, public health, and public safety are all top of mind for county governments. As previously reported on Conduit Street, as of July 1, adult-use cannabis is legal under Maryland law. All existing medical dispensaries (approximately 100 locations statewide) have converted their licenses and can sell…

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December 28, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / Energy / Environment / Intergovernmental Relations / Transportation and Public Works

2024 Issue Preview: Climate Change

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some major issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. Addressing climate change has been and will continue to be the predominant issue of our time. In prior legislative sessions, the Maryland General Assembly set ambitious goals for transitioning the state away from fossil fuels and towards electrification. The DLS Issue Papers provide a snapshot of the current goals, the progress toward meeting…

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December 28, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / Coronavirus / County News / Education / Intergovernmental Relations / Winter Series

2024 Issue Preview: Learning Loss and Educational Recovery

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some major issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (“The Blueprint”) sets ambitious goals to transform Maryland's public education system and invests billions in state and county funding into schools. However, pandemic-related learning loss is threatening Maryland's progress toward those goals. The DLS Issue Papers provide a snapshot of the current state of educational achievement and how…

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December 28, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / County News / General Assembly News / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations

2024 Issue Preview: Artificial Intelligence

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some significant issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the world and how we live, work, and communicate. The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 defines AI as "a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments." For state and local governments,…

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December 27, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / County Budgets / County News / Education / Intergovernmental Relations / Winter Series

2024 Issue Preview: Funding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some major issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (“The Blueprint”) sets ambitious goals to transform Maryland's public education system and invests billions in state and county funding into schools. In prior legislative sessions, the Maryland General Assembly has made programmatic and technical tweaks to the landmark reform law. The DLS Issue Papers provide a snapshot of…

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December 27, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / Economic Development / Environment / Intergovernmental Relations

2024 Issue Preview: Chesapeake Bay Restoration

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some major issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. The single most defining feature for the state of Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay. Its waters shape our geography, flow into our culture, and provide a source of sustenance and cuisine. Unfortunately, Maryland cannot act alone in cleaning and preserving the bay - Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, & West Virginia all lay…

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December 27, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / Courts / Public Safety and Corrections

2024 Issue Preview: Next Steps in Firearm Regulation for Maryland

At least four local and state firearm regulation measures in Maryland have been called into question or overturned by the courts, 2024 legislative session will likely see renewed efforts. The 2024 legislative issue preview from the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) has highlighted firearm regulation as a potential priority of lawmakers during the upcoming session. Since the 2022 Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen, there has been a…

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December 27, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

2024 Issue Preview: Budget and Fiscal Outlook

With the 2024 Legislative Session rapidly approaching, MACo is profiling some significant issues that stand to gather attention in the General Assembly. Lawmakers will face considerable budget challenges that could drive spending cuts, tax increases, or other remedies to resolve significant structural deficits projected through fiscal 2029. The Constitution of Maryland requires a balanced budget: total estimated revenues must equal or exceed total appropriations. The budget also must reflect any estimated revenue surplus or deficit…

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December 27, 2023

2024 MACo Issue Previews / Public Safety and Corrections

2024 Issue Preview: Juvenile Justice and Crime Prevention

Juvenile justice continues to be on the minds of researchers and analysts as the 2024 legislative session approaches. According to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS), juvenile crime is likely to be addressed during the upcoming legislative session. As covered previously on the Conduit Street blog, juvenile crime prevention and accountability measures have been common topics of discussion for lawmakers during the 2023 legislative interim. The Judiciary Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates, under…

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December 26, 2023