New Governor Wes Moore swore in a remarkably diverse cabinet last week. What's really remarkable, observers say, is he has not picked people who are experts on navigating Annapolis. This could be interesting.

"Crossover Day" is a sorta-deadline for bills to get out of at least one Assembly chamber by March 20 to stay alive (unless the leadership is totally down for the bills, in which case anything can happen). So progressives who need to nurse these bills across the finish line are nervously pushing the noodle. What bills are teetering? We have some info.

It's News You Can Use for the all of us. Read on.

As Maryland pushes for a cleaner energy regime, some solutions look obvious in retrospect. Imagination has been slow to catch up. In this deeply reported article, Maryland Matters founding editor Josh Kurtz checks out the slow growth of a great idea.

"As officials at the state and local level scramble to meet Maryland’s ambitious goals for combating climate change, expanding the use of solar energy is clearly a key part of the solution. But emotional and politically charged debates abound over where to place large solar arrays.

"Schools can be part of the solution. With expansive rooftops and situated in areas that are often largely devoid of trees, school buildings in many ways seem like the ideal locations for placing solar panels."

See what's being done and what more could be done.

Environmentally overburdened communities call for the passage of Reclaim Renewable Energy Act Bill:

Maryland is fighting for the environment in a way that many states have been unable to match. Maryland Legislators announced the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act (RREA) of 2023 (SB590/HB718), which seeks to fix environmental injustices caused by fossil fuel companies and make renewable energy more accessible.

The goal of RREA is to clean up Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) by removing factory farm gas and trash incineration from being listed as “renewable.” This will help reduce the negative effects of air pollution, improve public health outcomes, and address the climate crisis.

Notably, the bill seeks to repair long-standing environmental injustices that have disproportionately burdened communities of color with support for the vulnerable communities. 

This announcement was met with deserved enthusiasm from local residents who have long suffered from air pollution caused by nearby facilities that burn fossil fuels and dump pollutants into the surrounding environment. 

“As a child I never considered that a tall smoke stack that welcomed me to Baltimore, spewed so many dangerous chemicals into the air and contiguous to the community I live in. This particulate matter, even emitted at low levels, can cause neurological dysfunctions, preterm births, and lung cancer. My community should no longer be a “dumping ground” and suffer at the hands of power holders who pander to “greenwashing” utility companies. At its core, this is environmental exploitation, and it's time for decision-makers to pass the RREA.” Said Godwin Kennedy, a 35-year-old black resident of Cherry Hill in South Baltimore.

Progressive Maryland remains committed to helping those affected most by environmental racism. Low-income black communities are often situated in “sacrifice zones'' due to racist worldviews of inferiority as they are seen as less politically viable. The reality is, on a monthly basis, these communities are paying Baltimore Gas and Electric to one day give their children cancer. Trash incineration is not clean, it's a slow death and power holders should pass the RREA bill NOW.

With this act, Maryland sets a powerful example for other states around the country in how they can begin healing environmental injustice and transitioning away from dirty fossil fuels towards a more sustainable future powered by renewable energy sources so that our communities can thrive.

- SirJames Weaver, Progressive Maryland's Environmental Justice Organizer

Testimony on Maryland Senate Bill 803

Labor and Employment - Payment of Minimum Wage - Tipped Employees

Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony in support of SB 803. Progressive Maryland is a grassroots nonprofit organization with regional chapters from Frederick to the Lower Shore and more than 100,000 members and supporters who live in nearly every legislative district in the state. In addition, there are dozens of affiliated community, faith, and labor organizations across the state that stand behind our work. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families in Maryland. Please note our strong support for SB 803.

Why Senate Bill 803 is Groundbreaking Legislation for Financial Equity

By: Jennifer Mendes Dwyer, Deputy Executive Director at Progressive Maryland

The phase out of the subminimum wage for tipped workers is an important step in ending a legacy of slavery and achieving economic equality for low-income and women workers. This legislation is essential to improving living standards for these individuals, as it eliminates their dependence on tips to make ends meet.

The Subminimum Wage and its Roots in Slavery

By: Christianne Marguerite, Director of Communications at Progressive Maryland

The issue of the subminimum wage has a deep and complicated history that dates back to the early days of slavery. This system has evolved over time, but its roots in slavery remain even to this day. In recent years, efforts have been made to end this legacy by raising the minimum wage for certain groups of workers.

TO: House Speaker Jones, and members of the Economic Matters Committee
FROM: Larry Stafford, Jr., Executive Director, Progressive Maryland
DATE: February 23, 2023
POSITION: Support

Thank you for the opportunity to testify on HB549. Progressive Maryland is a grassroots, nonprofit organization with 9 regional chapters from Frederick to the Lower Shore and more than 100,000 members and supporters. They live in nearly every legislative district in the state. In addition, there are dozens of affiliated community, faith, and labor organizations across the
state that stand behind our work. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families in Maryland. Please note our strong support for HB549.

Maryland’s current minimum wage of $13.25 per hour translates to only $27,560 per year for a full-time worker. Numerous cost of living studies have found that Maryland is one of the most expensive state in the nation for basic necessities such as groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and health, and now the burden of such a high cost of living is being exacerbated by an inflation rate that's the highest it's been in 40 years. These factors make the acceleration of the $15 per hour minimum wage imperative to support our state's most vulnerable working people.

Nowhere in the entire State of Maryland can a person be self-supporting on a wage lower than $15.00 an hour, according to a study by Maryland Community Action Partnership. As of now, the minimum wage will not reach $15.00 per hour until 2026 for all minimum wage workers in Maryland. HB549 would mean that all minimum wage workers will be paid $15.00 per hour by 2023 instead of 2026. This will have a massive impact on the lives of close to 1 million workers in the state who currently and will continue to make less than $15.00 an hour until 2026 unless the General Assembly takes action. The economic reality and hardship are so
blatantly apparent to residents that the majority of Marylanders support the acceleration of raising the minimum wage to $15.00.

We also need to ensure that the minimum wage is indexed to inflation and passing this bill would do that. Indexing the minimum wage to inflation is an important part of worker protection because it ensures that wages stay up with the cost of living. If the minimum wage is not indexed to inflation, low income workers may not be able to afford basic necessities as the cost of living increases. Indexing wages to inflation also helps businesses plan and budget, without having to worry about sudden changes in labor costs due to unanticipated increases in the cost of living.

Maryland workers deserve better than to continue working in excess of forty hours per week just to meet their most basic needs. For these reasons, we urge a favorable report on HB549.

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Larry Stafford, Jr.

Testimony Supporting Maryland Senate Bill 590

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Eligible Sources - Alterations 

(Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2023)

TO: Chair Feldman, and Members of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee

FROM: Christianne Marguerite, Director of Communications at Progressive Maryland 

DATE: February 27, 2023

POSITION: Favorable

Today, we're testifying in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment committee for the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act (SB590/HB718) - the latest, and hopefully final, step in the years-long campaign to end "renewable energy" subsidies for trash incineration. This year, communities on the Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland are facing new, but parallel, threats from factory farm methane production and woody biomass incineration. The Reclaim Renewable Energy Act eliminates subsidies for all three, redirecting the money to the real renewable energy we need to actually clean the air and fight climate change. Environmental disaster should not be subsidized with public funds. Makes sense, right? Check out the testimony below for more details, and take action here!

As February comes to a close, so does Black History Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions and achievements of Black individuals throughout history. This month serves as a reminder of the many Black leaders and organizers who have fought tirelessly for justice and equality in the face of extreme adversity. Black leaders have played a crucial role in shaping the world we live in today. It is important to continue to honor and celebrate their legacies beyond just one month, and to recognize the ongoing struggle for racial, social, and economic justice that still exists. As we move forward, we must amplify the voices of Black leaders and organizers and work to dismantle the systems of oppression that continue to harm Black communities.