We're back with another special edition of the Conduit Street Podcast, with the MACo team taking up several issues from this month's headlines, and trying to sort out which are the real stories (news) and which are more smoke than fire (noise).

Hosts Kevin Kinnally, Michael Sanderson, and Dominic Butchko talk through data centers, special session rumors, property taxes, bond rating agencies, and more... and pin down what you need to know about all these topics in a fast-moving chat through multiple hot topics.

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In Episode 3 of The Briefing Room, Maryland’s energy picture comes into sharper focus. Host Dom Butchko is joined by Public Service Commission Chair Kumar Barve to unpack one of the biggest questions facing the state: where does our power actually come from?

From fossil fuels and renewables to nuclear power and imported electricity, the conversation cuts through the complexity of Maryland’s energy portfolio and gets into the real-world tradeoffs behind each source. Power plants, transmission lines, solar fields, data centers, and rising demand all land somewhere, and each shapes communities, budgets, land use, and local politics for years.

This episode explores the pressures driving Maryland’s energy debate and the practical takeaways county leaders need to understand as the state plans for what comes next.

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This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson break down the recent vendor issue involving Maryland's mail-in ballots for the June 23 gubernatorial primary and walk through what county officials and voters need to know moving forward.

The conversation explains how Maryland's election system is structured, why the State Board of Elections decided to send replacement ballots, what safeguards exist to prevent duplicate voting, and why counties are not expected to absorb the costs tied to replacement efforts.

Our dynamic duo also shed light on the role county governments actually play in election administration, the importance of maintaining public confidence in elections, and how misinformation and social media reactions can quickly complicate public understanding of election issues.

Plus, hear takeaways from MACo's recent membership conversation with State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis and where voters should go for trusted updates.

Tune in for a practical conversation focused on process, transparency, and separating fact from fiction during a rapidly developing election story.

Show Notes:

Mail-In Ballot Questions: What Is the County Government's Role? – Conduit Street

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