Yesterday, Progressive Maryland members gathered in Annapolis to make one thing clear: This is the year. At our midpoint rally, our members—tenants, healthcare advocates, and environmental justice leaders—stood alongside lawmakers to push for key legislation that will protect renters, expand healthcare access, and stop subsidizing polluters. We’re less than a month away from Crossover Day, and the fight is only ramping up from here. If you missed the rally, you can watch the livestream here.

Right after the rally, our members took that same energy into Lobby Night, meeting directly with legislators from both chambers and both parties. They boldly shared their stories, making sure lawmakers heard firsthand how these policies will impact their lives. Check out our Legislative Updates section to follow the status of our key priority bills.

Read on for important updates, ways to get involved, and news you can use.

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

If you got Elon Musk’s outrageous DOG-Email demanding five bullet points about what you, as a federal employee, did last week – and IF your agency hasn’t told you to ignore it --  here are a few framing ideas:

• Accomplished my regular duties, including (two or three specific bullet points)
• Spent time in meetings with my remaining co-workers about how to keep accomplishing the tasks and duties of those in our office who have already been fired without cause or bullied into resigning. (examples)
• Tried to plan in the face of current extreme uncertainty how important functions of the US government in my or my agency’s purview could continue to serve the US public as more RIFs take place erratically, without consideration for the departmental structure and skills array that those important functions require.

FYI Kash Patel (!) told the FBI folks to ignore the email and “A White House official clarified to Semafor that DOGE doesn’t have the authority to fire federal workers and that it’s up to agency managers to determine their workers’ productivity, as well as any consequences for missing Musk’s deadline.”

Splitsville on the horizon?

Read more about how resistance may be slowly developing, among places and people that could surprise you.

Advocates and Community Leaders Rally in Annapolis to Demand Passage of the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act

Senate President Ferguson & Delegate Vaughn Stewart Join Frontline Communities in Calling for an End to Incineration Subsidies

Annapolis, MD – Advocates and community leaders rallied today in Annapolis, sending a strong message to lawmakers and WIN Waste Incinerator: this is the year Maryland will finally stop subsidizing toxic trash incineration. Demonstrators, including residents from South Baltimore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, and Delegate Vaughn Stewart, gathered in front of the State House ahead of the Senate hearing on the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act (RREA). In a direct response to WIN Waste’s recent claims that incineration should continue receiving subsidies because of their nonprofit donations, advocates clapped back, calling out the company for profiting off pollution while harming the communities they claim to help. At the same time, demonstrators symbolically wore gas masks to represent the devastating effects of air pollution in Baltimore.

"Year after year, we tell folks we’re tired of Marylanders subsidizing asthma. We’re tired of paying extra on our utility bills every month just so a super-profitable corporation can get even richer—choking us, ruining our planet, and destroying our air quality. This is finally our year. We’re going to get it done.” said Delegate Vaughn Stewart. 

The rally, hosted by Progressive Maryland, South Baltimore Community Land Trust, Coal Free Curtis Bay, Clean Water Action, and Food & Water Watch, highlighted how the incinerator continues to disproportionately harm Black and working-class communities, burning 800,000 tons of trash each year, while raking in millions in subsidies meant for clean energy like wind and solar. 

Senate President Bill Ferguson, the lead sponsor of the bill, underscored why Maryland must end these subsidies: "This is a bill that’s been a long time coming. At a time when we need truly green, truly renewable energy in Maryland, we should not be incentivizing incineration. This year, we’re going to move forward, and we’re going to get it done."

Senate President Bill Ferguson speaking at rally

Advocates also called out WIN Waste’s attempt to justify its existence with charity donations.

"WIN Waste gets millions in subsidies meant for clean energy, while Marylanders pay the price in higher bills and worse health," said SirJames, Progressive Maryland’s Environmental Justice Task Force organizer, leading chants of "WIN Waste, we’re saying it to your face!"

South Baltimore residents, who live in the direct shadow of the incinerator, spoke about the devastating health and financial toll the facility has had on their neighborhoods.

"Win Waste tries to mislead the public, but my community has never benefited from them. Their negligence has led to cancer-related deaths, including my own battle with cancer after living near the incinerator." said Mary Randall, a Progressive Maryland environmental advocate.

"For 39 years, this incinerator has polluted my community. To classify trash incineration as renewable energy is fundamentally misleading," said Shenae Thomas, a member of Progressive Maryland’s Environmental Justice Task Force. ‘We must redirect our money toward real clean energy like solar and wind—not corporate polluters”

With Senate President Ferguson’s leadership, growing public support, and a renewed push for climate justice, advocates say the time is now. Marylanders will no longer accept the false choice between pollution and progress. 

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We’re approaching the halfway point of Maryland’s legislative session, and our fight for progressive change is in full swing. Last Thursday, we took to Annapolis for a powerful rally ahead of the Senate hearing on the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act—we chanted, we wore gas masks, and we stood with frontline communities and lawmakers demanding real clean energy solutions. And momentum is growing: Baltimore just passed a resolution calling for the passage of this bill!  Check out our press release here.

And just this morning, we were back in Annapolis rallying alongside our Renters United Maryland coalition for one of our top housing priorities: Good Cause Eviction protections. This bill is at a critical juncture, with hearings happening today in both the House and Senate. If we’re going to secure these protections for renters, this is our moment to push hard and make it happen. Watch the rally here.

We need all hands on deck to push these bills forward. Check out our Legislative Updates section for ways to take action.

We're also just six days away from our first event of the year—Lobby Night! On February 24th at 4:15 PM in Annapolis, we’ll be meeting with legislators to make sure they hear directly from us about the issues that matter most. There’s still time to sign up and join us!

There’s a lot of updates and state and national news in this week’s memo. Read on to stay informed and get involved.

In solidarity, the Progressive Maryland team

Hope you had a relaxing President’s Day. Many lawyers and judges didn’t, as various parties, including public employee unions and the 22 Blue State attorneys general (including ours), tried to unflood the zone with requests for relief from basically lawless official behavior. Below, we outline some effects of this lawless behavior on the communities in Maryland and around the nation, including many of those who voted for Donald Trump in expectation that he would make their lives better.  Looks like a struggle so far, unless you are already wealthy.

Below in our Maryland section we see pushback from some areas and disappointing spinelessness from others (then there's the National Guard, which has a chain of command). In the section about other states, we see blue states showing gumption and the leadership of red states wallowing in the open season on vulnerable populations -- and that includes schools and their teachers. The national section leaves you wondering who's really in charge here. Public employee unions are taking the lead in fighting back and have an important hearing today (Tuesday) in DC District Court.

Baltimore City RREA Resolution Passes Thanks to Advocates and Leadership by Councilwoman Phylicia Porter

Baltimore City Stands Behind State Reclaim Renewable Energy Act and Urges Action by Maryland General Assembly

BALTIMORE CITY, Maryland –  Baltimore City has officially voiced its strong support for HB220/SB10 Reclaim Renewable Energy Act (RREA), with the City Council adopting Resolution 25-008r, requesting state action by the Maryland General Assembly to pass the RREA. Introduced by Councilwoman Phylicia Porter during the City Council meeting on the evening of Monday, February 10th, the resolution gained overwhelming support, with 11 of 15 council members co-sponsoring. Co-sponsors of the resolution include Councilmembers Phylicia Porter, Mark Parker, Mark Conway, Sharon Green Middleton, James Torrence, Paris Gray, John Bullock, Zac Blanchard, Antonio "Tony" Glover, Odette Ramos, and Zeke Cohen. The public recording of the meeting can be viewed online here (resolution introduction beginning at 20:09). 

“Colleagues, this is an opportunity for us to support the state action for the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2025,” said Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, addressing her City Council peers. “Communities of the City of Baltimore have been fighting for this particular issue for about 9 years now, and then they’ve finally gotten some traction down in Annapolis because Senate President Ferguson is actually sponsoring this bill so I look forward to spirited testimony down in Annapolis and I invite you all to come down.”

The RREA, long championed by advocacy organizations like Progressive Maryland, aims to redefine what qualifies as renewable energy in the state’s energy portfolio by removing trash incineration; and to eliminate harmful subsidies for polluting industries. For the past three years, Progressive Maryland has led efforts to advance this bill. The organization is proud to have collaborated with Councilwoman Porter on this resolution, in hopes that the city’s lead in addressing climate and environmental injustices will force the state to follow suit.

Councilwoman Phylicia Porter with Progressive Maryland Staff Members Christianne Marguerite and Iman Habib.

“Air pollution is a public health crisis in Baltimore and our city cannot afford to wait any longer for meaningful action,” stated SirJames Weaver, Environmental Justice Organizer at Progressive Maryland. “By passing this resolution, Baltimore City has shown real leadership in taking a stand for the RREA. City Council is sending a clear message to the Maryland General Assembly by saying that it’s time to put people over polluters for the health of our residents and the future of renewable energy in our state. Now, we just need our state legislators to act swiftly to pass the RREA this year. Our communities are counting on it.”

The Baltimore City Council resolution backing the RREA is a bold call to action. Now, the spotlight is on Annapolis to deliver for Baltimore residents and all Marylanders.

Council President Zeke Cohen with Progressive Maryland Member, Mary Randall, and Staff Members SirJames Weaver, Christianne Marguerite, and Iman Habib.

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We are up against powerful forces that want to rewrite the rules to benefit billionaires while stripping away protections for working people. The attacks on immigrant and trans communities, efforts to gut Social Security and Medicare, and unchecked corporate influence are deliberate power grabs designed to make the rich richer while leaving the rest of us behind.

That’s why today, our Healthcare Task Force joined Maryland leaders in Baltimore to fight back. At a rally outside Social Security Headquarters, Senators Van Hollen and Alsobrooks, along with Representatives Mfume, Olszewski, and Elfreth, made it clear: we will not allow cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to devastate our communities. These programs are lifelines, and we’re standing firm to protect them. Click here to watch the replay of the rally.

This fight isn’t just about today—it’s about the weeks and months ahead. In exactly two weeks, we’ll take the fight to Annapolis for our biggest grassroots advocacy event of the year: Lobby Night. Will you be there? Sign up now to join us and make sure Maryland’s leaders hear directly from us about the issues that matter.

Read on for more updates, actions, and ways to plug into the movement. Be sure to check out our state and national news you can use.

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

Well it’s not “Groundhog Day Trump” as in the 1.0 version  – the GOP establishment, previously wary and scornful, has realized that the reality-show entertainer Trump was (just barely) more electable (and for them way more threatening) than were policy types on the Dem side. So the GOP members of Congress embraced his blitzkrieg for the first hundred hours-plus of Musk mischief.

It begins to look as if Biden and Schumer’s obsessive appointment of judges (more than Trump appointed) may provide the margin to protect the nation against Trump’s looney outbursts and Musk’s insidious hacking. States Newsroom summarizes: “With [Musk] opponents unable to deploy more than,,,   limited defenses, and many powerful Republican lawmakers either shrugging or agreeing, the federal courts have emerged during the past weeks as the only obstacles to some of Trump’s more provocative moves, States Newsroom's D.C. Bureau reports. 

The Boston Globe reports — “In their aggressive bid to upend the federal government, Elon Musk and his lieutenants have, perhaps unintentionally, driven thousands of federal workers into the arms of one of the biggest enemies of their sweeping project: Organized labor. Unions that represent federal government workers are reporting significant increases in signups since President Trump took office and empowered Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to drastically slash the federal workforce.” Also echoes from Minnesota via States Newsroom.

Meanwhile, remember those tariffs (it was only last week!)? Summing  up the new ones on steel and Chinese goods plus the paused ones on Canada and Mexico, “Projections from the Tax Foundation suggested the proposed tariffs would shrink US GDP by 0.4% and increase taxes by $800 per household.” (Semafor) – one of the many ways your working-class pocket is picked by the billionaire class. And it’s definitely related to the consequences of the election: as Bernie Sanders points out, “Add it all up and the three wealthiest men in America [Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos] have become $215 billion richer since Election Day.” [see “NATIONAL AND THE FEDS” below for more of Bernie]

How can you get good info in falsehood-festooned  times like these? It’s harder than ever, as we hear from the WaPo’s proprietor of “how to read this chart,” Philip Bump: “The right-wing bubble absorbs D.C.: During Trump’s first term, misinformation was not nearly as rampant as it is today.”

News You Can Use is trying to help. Stay tuned every Monday. Below, how Maryland, other states and the beleaguered Democratic remnant are finding ways to push back.

February is here, and with it comes the chance to reflect, take action, and honor the movements that shape our communities.

Our Director of Communications, Christianne Marguerite, said the following in a statement released today:

"At Progressive Maryland, we reaffirm our unwavering support for immigrant families across our state. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with CASA and our many ally organizations in the fight to ensure Maryland remains a safe and welcoming home for all who live here, regardless of their background or status. This mission has taken on even greater urgency as we witness continued and deliberate attacks on immigrant residents across the country by the current federal administration.” Read the full statement here.

Tomorrow, we’re showing up in Annapolis to support CASA at the I Stand With Immigrants Rally at 9 AM at Lawyers Mall. Join us and make your voice heard.

Fun news of the week: taxes, but don’t call them taxes…

Lucky Americans. USA! USA! Welcome to TariffWorld (a subsidiary of TrumpWorld), where Americans stand up for… well, Trump’s right to lie to us.

Tariffs on three high-volume trading partners,  Canada, Mexico* and China, which are slated to begin tomorrow, are your new tax increases, Trump’s way of raising revenue for the Treasury quickly without looking like he’s raising your taxes. Instead, the tariffs will raise the cost of many if not all the things you buy. Merchants and corporations will raise prices for their goods to cover the new cost of imports under tariffs. (And even if the cost of those goods is NOT raised by tariffs, many other corporations and merchants will raise THEIR prices under the cover of the general increase in the cost of living. Who will notice?)

*Mexico has cut a deal that delays its tariffs one month, as of Monday a.m. Stay tuned..

For most companies, the cost of selling goods to Canada, Mexico or China will go up too, because they won’t sit still but retaliate. Canada has imposed targeted tariffs on US products from Red states and Mexico promised the same. For future car buyers, the back-and-forth of car parts and finished components for US autos will incur multiple tariffs on the same product.

 In all three countries affected by Trump’s tariffs, if you work for an outfit that sells goods there, look forward to reduced sales volume and, inevitably, layoffs. Trump will do one of his patented who-me? shrugs and pretend that the tax cuts he will propose later this year will cut EVERYBODY’s taxes, not just those of the super-rich in his orbit. Definitely fact-check that one. Meanwhile, he will argue that his tariffs will make American resolve (read: stupidity) feared worldwide and cause cross-border trafficking of  fentanyl to decline (that has been going down for a year or more, he’ll take credit for that too).

But your taxes – figured as costs of living in the US – will already have gone up, a lot. Welcome to TariffWorld, where taxes will be hidden in your bills for groceries and goods. And watch your back.