Thanks to the great organizing efforts of our friends at West Virginia Citizen Action Group and a strong national grassroots movement, Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Sen. Manchin have agreed to a revised version of the Build Back Better bill (passed by the House but stalled in the Senate). The bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, has strong provisions on climate action, raising corporate tax revenue, and curbing Rx drug prices. The investments in climate action are a start to protect our communities from future destruction and heal past climate injustices. Corporate tax loopholes will be closed which will raise billions of dollars and finally start to address the need for giant corporations to pay their fair share. Medicare will be able to negotiate some drug prices and cap annual out of pocket costs. Language dealing with a cap on insulin prices for insured and uninsured patients is under consideration, too. Call our Maryland Senators (202-224-3121) and urge them to support the strongest version of the Act before they go on recess! 

We are also very concerned about the candidates that Maryland Republicans elected at the top of their ticket. The views of Dan Cox (the Republican nominee running for Governor with support from Trump) and Michael Peroutka (the Republican nominee running for Attorney General who has ties to neo-Confederate organizations)  pose a serious threat to some of our most vulnerable people and communities and to our democracy.  We can’t take the outcome for granted in the general election! It’s critical that we inform voters all over the state about what’s at stake. Please help us power our campaign in the next 99 days:

• Make calls, door knock, join a text bank or support an event.    
• Make a contribution to our New Era PAC. Progressive Maryland is excited about all the candidates who are running on a platform of progressive change all over the state. Our PAC gives us another meaningful way to support them.        

Thank you! Stay safe in the heat and be cautious during this newest rise in COVID cases.

In Solidarity, 

The PM Team

More On Election Results:

Montgomery County: Mail-In and Provisional Ballots continue to be processed and counted. Official results will likely be announced on August 12.  As of this moment the difference in the count between County Executive Marc Elrich (endorsed by PM) and challenger David Blair is a mere 21 votes.  We’re glad that no matter the outcome of this race,  more progressives have been elected to the Council!

Prince George’s County: The results are very promising for the future of the County Council! Here’s the latest coverage in the Washington Post. 

Stay tuned for more results and analysis on our social media this week.

Task Forces & Campaign Updates:

The PM Healthcare Task Force will resume its biweekly Wednesday meeting this Wednesday  August 3. Our focus in the coming months is our national Make Medicines Affordable campaign, our push to get more Senate sponsors on the Medicare For All Bill and our  work with the statewide End Medical Debt Campaign. Contact Patty if you want to get involved. 

Rx Drug Pricing: Great news! The Inflation Reduction Act, being considered in the Senate this week,  will require Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs (up to 10 a year)  cap out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and require that drug companies that hike prices on existing drugs above the rate of inflation pay rebates for the difference.

Do you have an experience or story to share about how the cost of prescription drugs has affected you or a loved one? Please let us know by using this story share form. It’s often the stories of individuals and their families that make the difference in winning the policies and reforms we need.  

The Justice Task Force and Drug Policy Task Forces will also be meeting in early August. Contact Dev for JTF and Yves for DPTF if you would like to get involved. 

Local Chapter Updates:

Progressive Harford County:

Join Progressive Harford County for the chapter's August monthly meeting. It will be a post-primary election recap on August 15 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. We'll hear from  Heather Mizeur,  Democratic nominee for Congress in District 1, and local candidates Gillian Miller, Jacob Bennett, Stephen Puopolo, Jean Salvatore and Wade Sewell.  They’ll share highlights from the Primary campaign and plans for the general election campaign. Join Progressive Harford for our post-primary election recap on August 15 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. 

Montgomery County:

We’re disappointed to see that the County Council last week failed to enact a temporary rent stabilization bill introduced by Councilmember Will Jawando. Thanks to all the tenants, advocacy groups, and community activists who rallied and urged the Council to take action. We stand with them in opposing the influence of well funded real estate interests who oppose the cap on rent increases. Read more from DCist here.

State and National News:

Lots here you might miss: The Public Service Commission gives your local Exelon franchise unmonitored access to federal $. State panel mulls how to improve teaching while state school board extends provisional teacher tickets two more years; pressure applied to build the Beltway toll lanes; Dems push another pause in student loan repayment. And more. Get it all here in News You Can Use.

Events and Actions from Allies:

Stomp Out Slumlords DMV Wide Meeting 

Monday| August 8 at 6:00 p.m.   Stomp Out Slumlords will host an in-person DMV meeting with tenant leaders and organizers from across DC, Maryland and Virginia. The delegation that attended the Autonomous Tenants Union Network Convention last month in Los Angeles will report back on the experience and the lessons learned from other tenant unions. We’ll also discuss next steps for building the tenant movement across the DMV. Join us at the  MLK Library (901 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001).

Progressive Maryland BlogSpace:

We value creating space for our members to express their thoughts on any issues related to our campaigns. Have an idea for a blog post? You can submit writing, film, graphic design, etc. to be published on our website to us at [email protected].

• New Today –  Awareness: about your rent, your electric bill, your schools, reproductive health and the Manchin dance

   

• Press Release: Coalition Delivers Petitions to Put Fair Elections on the Ballot in Anne Arundel County!

• Slow election count keeps winners, losers a daily news diet

• It's all about the turnout -- base and more. MD has a decisive primary.

• Moneymoneymoney starts to give our elections that awkward look

• SCOTUS goes home leaving wreckage in Maryland and nationwide

• Fighting Back on the Dobbs abortion decision – and a few more challenges

>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org