What can we do when one political party’s leaders openly and aggressively try to take away our democracy and roll back women’s rights and civil rights? When they attack our efforts to embed racial and restorative justice in our societal systems, how do we respond? One of the most meaningful things we can do during this time is to show up for this election and to make sure others do! National Voter Registration Day is tomorrow, September 20th so it’s a perfect time to check your voter registration status and make sure your family members are registered. Check out the Board of Elections site to get more information.

It’s also the time to get involved in grassroots voter outreach and voter turnout in Maryland. Our state can become a leader on racial, gender, economic and social justice if we elect Wes Moore and other Democrats running up and down the ticket. Fifty days from now let’s make sure we’re celebrating the victories of progressive candidates running on the issues we care about. 

As a deadline for funding the federal government looms (especially important for the many federal workers in Maryland) the potholed pathway to that goal puts federal matters atop this edition of News You Can Use – lots of this comes from Megan E’s Monday newsblast from our national affiliates, People’s Action.

Still, time is looking tight – Punchbowl News reported House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-5) warned lawmakers on the floor Thursday that they could be in the Capitol Oct. 1 to pass a government funding bill. They would much rather be home campaigning.

And in Maryland: Yes, we will all be voting in November, and many of us by mail. How long will we have to wait for mail ballots to be counted? Ask Larry Hogan. Ask Dan Cox. GOP types from supposedly the opposite ends of the party, but both with a thumb on the scale that could stretch out the wait for results and open up a long space of time to fill with lies and conspiracy theories. It’s the GOP playbook nationwide and here in Maryland. It's in court now, when it didn't need to be except for a capricious Hogan veto that opens up the conspiracy space for the guy he campaigned against. Read more below.

In a recent announcement, Progressive Maryland endorsed 11 new candidates for the 2022 General Election, including Wes Moore for Governor.

The stage is set to transform politics in Maryland! We have eight weeks to elect Wes Moore as Maryland’s new Governor and begin to advance bold new policies that will support the needs of everyday Marylanders.

Progressive Maryland has endorsed Wes Moore and is excited about what a Moore-Miller Administration, together with progressives in the Maryland General Assembly, can do for our state in the coming years. Larry Stafford, Jr., PM’s Executive Director, said this in today’s press release: “This is our chance to elect leaders who will work for the people and help change the trajectory of our state politics. We need a progressive voice in the Governor’s seat and we’re confident that Wes Moore is that voice. Our organization is proud to get behind the Moore-Miller campaign and to see the 2022 campaign through to victory.”

Read more in this week's Memo...

Like a lot of top-dog echelons of government (hello, Supreme Court), Congressmembers have few ethics rules, including governing their ability to play in the stock market -- even as they manipulate it every day with policy moves. MD's delegation seems reluctant to talk about this, even as they represent many civil servants whose market-play is much more constrained. Two columnists, as we see here, take a hard look at this. AND after the Larry Hogan two-term intrusion, are Maryland Dems ready to act in a unified manner? One political scientist thinks so. This and more, including the push to legalize pot, in this week's News You Can Use.

The Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo will be posted here after the email version is sent.

Welcome to the home stretch after Labor Day, when candidates believe that you -- the voters -- first shake vacationland thoughts from your heads and focus on the November elections. Generally, we think, the news from the world around you has kept you thinking pretty carefully about who is in charge, all along.

Here, of course, we offer you the latest -- how our state election results might get settled more quickly; how to make sure your kids both learn and eat, how hard it is for police reform to get past longtime barriers; and what the House and Senate have to by September 30 -- if they can. Read on...

At the national level we’re making progress on climate, on healthcare, and on dozens of judicial nominations including Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court despite opposition from Republicans and obstruction by Senators Manchin and Sinema. On the state level we expanded abortion services, passed  the Paid Family and Meidcal Leave Act, the Climate Solutions Now Act and gained big wins for many progressive candidates in the July Pimaries (especially for women, many of whom campaigned on these same issues.) 

We’re relieved, too, that the Biden Administration took  Executive Action on Student Debt last week! The policy not only forgives $10,000-$20,000 in student debt ($20 K for Pell grant recipients) it also ends excess interest on student loans so if a borrower pays the minimum monthly payment (capped at 5% of discretionary income) the loan balance can’t increase. You can help us build on these successes when Congress returns because we know there’s more to do!. It’s critical to  make voters aware of these policy victories and the benefits they deliver to working class Americans of all ages. If we focus on these issues in the general election we can  set the table for a great session next year during  the Maryland General Assembly. 

Please help us increase the outreach and organizing we need to do: Congress returns after Labor Day. Requested mail ballots will start to be  sent out in the first part of October. The Early Voting period is October 27- November 3 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. 

Meetings, events, vital information and news you can use -- get it all in the Memo. Read on.

Joe Biden, in full campaign mode, brought a new word -- phrase, actually -- into the state last week in Rockville, "like semi-fascism." It appears to have offered headline writers huge misspelling opportunities. Also, Maryland is among other states taking active steps to reduce the burden of medical debt on families, as well as the related issues of better hearing and clean water. And the gubernatorial candidates are juking and shuffling over debates like opposing linemen just before the snap. Fun stuff, so read on...

We’ve been working and waiting for this moment for years! We can elect a new Democratic Governor this Fall. We have a chance to make history by electing Wes Moore to be Maryland’s first African American Governor! Joining Wes Moore at the top of the statewide ticket are Anthony Brown, running for Attorney General, and Brooke Lierman, running for Comptroller and would serve along with the Governor on the Board of Public Works. All three of these experienced public servants want to use their positions to help usher in a New Era of progressive public policies and public investments. We’re here for it!  

So are many of our supporters and leaders across the state but we can’t do it alone! Please help us increase the outreach and organizing we need to do, starting this week. People have already begun to request their ballots which will be sent out starting the first part of October. The Early Voting in person period is October 27- November 3 and Election Day is November 8. Elections offer us a unique opportunity to engage voters in a conversation about our values and the political process. Democracy is on the ballot this Fall and we need to make sure it wins. To ensure that, please volunteer to support our voter outreach programs or our other programs and issue campaigns. This week is a good time to check out efforts and pick one you want to be a part of for the next ten or eleven weeks. Read more below; we hope you’ll join us. 

We can do this!