Policy Deep Dive Archives

Technology Is Complicating Public Information Laws…And It’s Getting Worse

Technology advancements continue to threaten to blow the wheels off the public information access process in Maryland and beyond. State and local officials are sounding the alarm but oversight committee stops short of meaningful recommendations to tackle the issues. Maryland’s Public Information Act (PIA) is a cornerstone of open government, designed to ensure transparency and accountability at every level of public service. For county governments in particular, the PIA can present a complex balancing act…

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October 15, 2025

Energy / Environment / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: Maryland’s Nuclear Future

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. A new article is added each week – read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. As electricity demand grows and rate pressures mount, nuclear energy is once again drawing attention in Annapolis. Long a steady source of carbon-free power, nuclear is increasingly viewed as a potential pillar of Maryland’s energy future.…

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October 9, 2025

County News / Feature / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / Policy Deep Dive

Deep Dive: Budget Brinkmanship — Q&A Explainer on Shutdown Stakes for Maryland

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. Read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. What happens if Congress misses the deadline to fund the government? Maryland counties, home to hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors, face another shutdown scenario that could disrupt paychecks, delay services, and squeeze local revenues. This Deep Dive explains the shutdown process,…

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September 29, 2025

Policy Deep Dive / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Deep Dive: Is MD Keeping Up With School Construction?

A recent report on Maryland's public school construction efforts lays out the deepest evaluation of this priority effort in decades. The bottom line seems clear: Maryland's structure to support new and renovated school buildings is effective overall, but the total commitment has been dwarfed by cost increases, and we have fallen behind on this essential commitment to education. The report from Comptroller Brooke Lierman's office, "State Spending Series: School Construction," offers a timely look at…

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September 24, 2025

County News / Economic Development / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / NACo and Federal Issues / Policy Deep Dive

Blocks of Progress: How Community Development Block Grants Build Maryland

Community Development Block Grants shape the places where Maryland residents live, work, and gather. These flexible funds power local priorities that strengthen communities and fuel economic growth. Without them, critical projects in economic development, housing, and infrastructure might stall. Introduction In the federal government’s FY 2026 budget proposal, several cuts are on the table, including the elimination of key housing programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The Program is a vital…

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September 17, 2025

Courts / Health and Human Services / Policy Deep Dive / Public Safety and Corrections

MD Supreme Court Contemplates Broadening Opioid Crisis Liability

During a hearing on Tuesday, the Maryland Supreme Court signaled an openness to public nuisance claims extending beyond actions involving property, potentially to include liability of nefarious actors in the opioid crisis. To that end though, the court appeared reticent to establish definitions and guardrails for cases, instead potentially looking to rely on the General Assembly for guidance. For a little over an hour Tuesday morning, the Maryland Supreme Court heard oral arguments from legal…

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September 11, 2025

Environment / Policy Deep Dive / Transportation and Public Works

PFAS Treatment Technologies: Practical Tools and Considerations for Counties

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert analysts translate complex environmental challenges into county-level clarity. Counties across Maryland find themselves passive receivers in the PFAS crisis. Though not the polluters, they bear the weight of escalating treatment obligations, uncertain funding, and evolving rules. As a result, every dollar, disposal option, and treatment decision must be weighed against long-term implications. This deep dive breaks down the EPA’s March 2024 technical support document, which…

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September 3, 2025

Elections / Feature / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use / Policy Deep Dive

Policy Deep Dive: Mail-In Voting — Headlines vs. Reality

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts unpack complex policy questions with precise, county-focused analysis. Read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. The Short Version A president cannot ban mail-in voting by executive order. States run elections. Congress could attempt to regulate federal races, but significant changes would face constitutional limits and political challenges. Maryland law still guarantees no-excuse mail-in voting, drop boxes, early voting, and in-person voting…

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August 26, 2025

County Budgets / Feature / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / News You Can Use / Policy Deep Dive / State Budget and Fiscal Issues

Deep Dive: Counties Now Forced to Pay for a Process They Don’t Control — and Never Did

This article is part of MACo’s Policy Deep Dive series, where expert policy analysts explore and explain the top county policy issues of the day. Read all of MACo’s Policy Deep Dives. In Maryland, county governments do not prosecute, convict, or exonerate anyone. They play no role in determining wrongful incarceration settlements. Yet a new law forces them to pay the bill anyway. The 2025 Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) requires counties to cover…

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August 5, 2025

County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Finance and Procurement / Human Resources / Policy Deep Dive

Trust, Invest, Repeat. Tackling Retiree Health Care Costs

The MACo OPEB Investment Trust - designed to help counties put current assets to work toward long-term health care liabilities - is performing well, delivering healthy returns, and serving member needs. It recently topped $100m in total assets -- all "put to work" through active investment for a stronger long term return than would be allowable without the Trust infrastructure. The Board of Trustees of the MACo OPEB Investment Trust recently convened a quarterly meeting…

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July 30, 2025