Conduit Street Podcast: Early Session Observations
Governor Wes Moore unveiled a $63.1 billion fiscal 2024 budget proposal he calls a bold reflection of his priorities -- education, transportation, and public safety -- while being fiscally responsible. The proposed budget, which does not include a tax increase, maintains a Rainy Day Fund at the target level of 10 percent of General Fund revenue or $2.5 billion and, to account for economic uncertainties, a higher-than-normal budgeted General Fund balance of $820 million for…
The House and the Senate are using a hybrid system this session accepting virtual and in-person oral testimony, but both houses have stressed that witnesses are strongly encouraged to be in-person as not all virtual witnesses will be called for testimony. This post serves as an easy index for everything you need to submit testimony in 2023. The information covered in this post is subject to change at any time. We’ll update it to the…
The year's General Assembly session will last for 90 days, after it started at noon on Wednesday January 11... and is scheduled to run through midnight on Monday, April 10. Let's look at some of the important milestone dates between now and then. The full calendar is available online here. Major dates of interest: January 20 (10th Day) — SENATE AND HOUSE BILL REQUEST GUARANTEE DATE Legislators seeking to introduce bills are asked to place…
MACo's Winter Conference, "Hit the Ground Running," was a triumphant success! Held in Cambridge, MD, January 4-6, with a Newly Elected Officials Orientation for new county officials on January 3, more than 1,000 leaders from all levels of government and the private sector gathered for the event as a new four-year term in Maryland began. See how it went, and plan to join us at our upcoming conferences: Summer Conference: August 16-19, Ocean City, MD Winter Conference,…
Conduit Street had the pleasure of interviewing Dorchester County Council Member George (Lenny) Pfeffer. Learn more about Lenny in the Q&A below. Conduit: Tell our readers a little bit about your background. Lenny: I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me about who I am and where I came from. My parents lived in Baltimore City when I was born, but soon moved to Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County. I did…
MACo, on behalf of Maryland's 24 county governments, sent a letter to Governor-Elect Wes Moore calling for a new and meaningful commitment to local transportation infrastructure, building on recent gains. The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) is an unprecedented investment in the nation's infrastructure, including all modes of transportation, water, power, broadband, cybersecurity, energy, environmental remediation, resilience, and more. With Maryland set to receive billions over the next several years, close coordination with state…
Around the state, Marylanders were sworn in for a new term in county government elected office, embarking on a new chapter of public service. See the wrap-up below of coverage of County Councils, Commissioners, and Executives taking the oath of office: **Please note Baltimore City is on a different election cycle and therefore not included in this post.** Allegany Check back after the swearing in on December 15, 2023. Anne Arundel Baltimore County https://twitter.com/BaltCoGov/status/1599867762780033025 Calvert…