The Policy Lowdown with the Maryland Center on Economic Policy

The Budget Choices Shaping Maryland Communities

Decisions about the state budget are always important, but this year they dominated the entire Maryland General Assembly session as policymakers worked to address a significant budget deficit. A nearly $3 billion shortfall at the beginning of the year continued to grow as the effects of federal layoffs and funding cuts began to rock the region’s economy. Host Kevin Slayton chats with Maryland Center on Economic Policy Research Analyst Christopher Meyer and Rachel London, Executive Director of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council about how Gov. Wes Moore and the legislature addressed these challenges, and what that means for Maryland families and communities as the new budget year begins this month. Podcast archives and resource links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/] Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mdeconomy.org/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/donate] Join the Maryland Center on Economic Policy email list at mdeconomy.org [https://mdeconomy.org] Follow us on social media @mdeconomy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/mdeconomicpolicy/] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mdeconomy]| ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky ⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/mdeconomy.bsky.social]|⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads⁠ [https://www.threads.net/@mdeconomy]

The People Behind Maryland's Budget

This General Assembly session, Maryland legislators have been working through addressing a $3 billion budget deficit. Earlier this legislative session, Kevin Slayton interviewed several legislators who serve on the budget committees about their approach to these decisions and how they try to represent their communities' needs in the budget process. Guests: * Delegate Jazz Lewis [https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Details/lewis02] Majority Whip and Chair of the Public Safety and Administration Subcommittee on the House Appropriations Committee * Senator Cory McCray [https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Details/mccray02], Chair of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee * Delegate Gabriel Acevero [https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Details/acevero01], Vice Chair of the Legislative Latino Caucus and member of the House Appropriations Committee Podcast archives and resource links: ⁠⁠⁠https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/ ⁠⁠⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/] Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠mdeconomy.org/donate⁠⁠⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/donate] Join the Maryland Center on Economic Policy email list at mdeconomy.org Follow us on social media @mdeconomy on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/mdeconomicpolicy/] | ⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mdeconomy]| ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky ⁠⁠⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/mdeconomy.bsky.social]|⁠⁠⁠ Threads⁠ [https://www.threads.net/@mdeconomy]

Funding Our Future: The ups and downs of education funding in Maryland

One of the most important responsibilities of our state and local governments is to provide an education for our kids to set them up for success. In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly passed a landmark education reform and funding bill known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, designed to address chronic under-funding of schools in some communities and make Maryland schools some of the best in the world. This legislation was the result of years of study and planning by a commission of education experts. This year, as the state faces a historic budget deficit, policymakers are talking about slowing down and scaling back some of the goals of the Blueprint in order to reduce costs. Host Kevin Slayton talks to two dedicated education experts and advocates about how the proposed changes to the Blueprint plan could affect students and families across the state: Riya Gupta, Interim Executive Director of Strong Schools Maryland, and Liz Zogby, a special education advocate and co-chair of the Maryland Down Syndrome Coalition. Podcast archives and resource links: ⁠⁠https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/ ⁠⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/] Support the show: ⁠⁠mdeconomy.org/donate⁠⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/donate] Join the Maryland Center on Economic Policy email list at mdeconomy.org Follow us on social media @mdeconomy on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/mdeconomicpolicy/] | ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mdeconomy]| ⁠⁠Bluesky ⁠⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/mdeconomy.bsky.social]|⁠⁠ Threads⁠ [https://www.threads.net/@mdeconomy]

Getting to Know Maryland's 'Chief Financial Officer'

While many states elect a treasurer, Maryland is unique in having an elected comptroller. Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman often describes the role as being the state’s chief financial officer. Along with the governor and the treasurer, who is elected by the legislature rather than by the voters, the comptroller also serves on the Board of Public Works, overseeing major contracts and other budget adjustments that take place throughout the budget year. Comptroller Lierman joined host Kevin Slayton in the studio in the fall to discuss her role, the challenges and opportunities facing the state, and ways her office is working to make it easier for Marylanders to file taxes and access state tax credits. Podcast archives and resource links: ⁠https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/ ⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/] Support the show: ⁠mdeconomy.org/donate⁠ [https://mdeconomy.org/donate] Join the Maryland Center on Economic Policy email list at mdeconomy.org Follow us on social media @mdeconomy on ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/mdeconomicpolicy/] | ⁠Instagram ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mdeconomy]| ⁠Bluesky ⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/mdeconomy.bsky.social]|⁠ Threads⁠ [https://www.threads.net/@mdeconomy]

Building Worker Power in Maryland

All of us want to have a job that is safe, has good working conditions, and pays us fairly for our work. Unions play an important role in creating those kinds of opportunities for working Marylanders. Unions allow working people to have a seat at the table in decisions that affect their quality of life and their day-to-day experiences at work. Over the last few years there has been an uptick in union activity, with workers coming together to form unions in workplaces and industries that have not been unionized before. And research from the Economic Policy Institute documented a sharp increase in strikes and other work stoppages in 2023 along with an increase in the number of Americans who are interested in unions. In the fall of 2024, Policy Lowdown host Kevin Slayton sat down with two Marylanders who were part of this moment in union history – Eric Brown and Kevin Gallagher. They both worked at the Apple store in Towson when it was the first in the country to unionize in 2022 and the first to win a union contract. Podcast archives and resource links: https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/ [https://mdeconomy.org/news-events/podcast/] Support the show: mdeconomy.org/donate [https://mdeconomy.org/donate] Join the Maryland Center on Economic Policy email list Follow us on social media @mdeconomy on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/mdeconomicpolicy/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mdeconomy]| Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/mdeconomy.bsky.social]| Threads [https://www.threads.net/@mdeconomy]