Join an informational meeting TONIGHT (Thursday, Jan. 25) on the prospects for a Small-Donor Public Financing program for county elections, sponsored by the Prince George’s Sierra Club and the Fair Elections Maryland Coalition.

PMD Montgomery member Liz Dueweke notes that there are two proposals for remedying the affordable housing crunch in MoCo, and sets the landscape of need that both try to tackle.

This handy reference was prepared by the Public Justice Center and circulated by Working Matters Maryland (part of the Job Opportunities Task Force), both of whom fought for more than four Assembly sessions to get this passed (and affirmed with a veto override this session after it was vetoed in 2017 by Gov. Larry Hogan).This version was updated with new information January 25.

 More information on the Healthy Working Families Act and about Public Justice Center is here. Pass this along to anyone you know who may need information about their workplace rights under this new law.

We are ramping up for the first of our monthly Progressive Maryland mass canvasses to build support for a popular reversal of business as usual at the polls. Progressive Maryland trains canvassers and runs canvasses that get results – bringing more responsive public officials and fewer, well, politicians. To find out more, join our canvasses. June 26 is coming, and the political earthquake is building. Don’t get gamed.

Progressive Maryland and progressive, justice-seeking allies are demanding that every elected official who has received money from bail lobbyists return the money -- and refuse to sponsor bills that come from the bail lobbyists. Join more than 2,000 people who have signed a petition to make that happen.

Taking electoral outcomes for granted (including, maybe, staying home) has brought us Larry Hogan and Donald Trump. Did we learn a lesson about taking democracy for granted – including what happens when we don’t vote? A new grassroots group in Montgomery County’s Council District 1 is taking steps to make sure that lesson is always in front of us and the countdown to voting opportunities is completely explained.

After a week of the General Assembly session, progressive agendas are taking shape up against the Hogan budget's cuts to people programs and favoritism to his base. In an election year, the action is getting as hot as could be expected.

Organizing, training and extending our power through people and ideas are at the forefront in January 2018. Check out statewide action, including a member orientation in Frederick and upcoming training for building power -- and events and actions from our chapters around the state in continuing resistance, fair elections, Medicare for all and bringing people power to the General Assembly.

The "Kirwan Commission" was tasked with updating the results of the Thornton Commission's decade of education funding and making new recommendations on both funding and other aspects of education policy in Maryland.

The draft "final" report and work session earlier this week showed there was a distance still to go and some big fiscal decisions that would face the General Assembly. Because the commission delayed its final money recommendations the Assembly breathes a sigh of relief that it won't have to face that debate -- and the prospect of new revenues -- in an election year.

Len Lazarick, founder of Maryland Reporter, has been steadily covering the commission's work over the last one-plus years and delivers a roundup here.

A coalition of criminal justice advocates yesterday urged lawmakers to return donations from the bail-bonds industry, bolster pretrial services statewide, and work to end the for-profit bail system in Maryland.“We want any legislation put forward and supported by the bail-bond industry to be recognized as tainted, illegitimate and should not be considered,’ said Larry Stafford, executive director of Progressive Maryland,”