Happy Monday, can you believe it's the last memo of the year? Time flies when you're making progress! Maryland has the power to tackle social, economic, and environmental challenges head-on, but we need YOUR help to push for bold moves. Now, more than ever, we need to organize a large base of supporters who believe in putting working families first. This is the perfect time to get involved and help us organize! Join us in gearing up for our annual membership assembly on February 10th – your chance to connect with fellow members, engage with our leaders, and hear from legislative allies and community activists. Click here to RSVP and secure your spot!

As we gear up for next year's legislative session, our task forces and issue campaigns are working hard to finalize our priorities. Read on to discover what we're up to, what exciting things lie ahead, and most importantly, how you can get involved! And don't forget to check out our State and National news section for the last News You Can Use installment of the year

A budget shortfall requires early action to keep the cuts as close to painless as possible. Local governments don't find it painless because many budget cuts are slated for the transportation sector, meaning local roads may not get the upkeep money they are used to. Many early protests are coming from local jurisdictions already worried about the possible increasing costs on the education side of the ledger. Plus, fish with and without PFAS, juvenile justice and mental health and a free speech controversy with roots in the conflict in Gaza. It's all News You Can Use, happy or otherwise, curated for your Monday.

As December unfolds, we're excited about the opportunity to close out the year on a strong note. Your dedication has been the driving force behind our successes this year and as we embark on the final stretch of 2023, we invite you to fortify our ranks and become a member of Progressive Maryland.

Membership with us means powering community-centered organizing, supporting crucial issue campaigns, forming connections with fellow community members, and contributing to building a more inclusive, just, and sustainable Maryland.

Your membership matters beyond symbolism—it directly impacts our economic and political independence. By forgoing corporate donors, we remain flexible, nimble, and capable of taking bold risks in our pursuit of transformative politics in Maryland. As a member-driven organization, we can champion the causes that matter most to our communities.

Oh yes, and the continuing saga of the FBI building. Is it the whirlpool baths at Quantico? Surely Maryland can match them. Plus, transportation money woes, some student tests up a bit; unintended pregnancies due to lack of contraceptive access, and the story from around the states that can provide ideas for Marylanders (and headaches for the Assembly members). And then there's COP 28. It's all here in News You Can Use for this week.

Josh Kurtz, a founding editor of Maryland Matters and charter member of the Deans' Club of Maryland political observers, here munches on the different aspects of the state and national Democratic Party, clearly still in charge of Maryland's Blue-state blueness. But they are feeling blue, and divided in their blues-ness, for reasons outlined in expert analytical books separated by two-plus decades. Progressives are the energy of today's Dems, but can they co-exist with the big-money donors that Bill Clinton and Barack Obama brought into the party? This is a both entertaining and sobering overview by a longtime political reporter.

Some things seem like they are never really settled. With great effort, the Assembly passes Anton's Law, providing a window of transparency into police internal records. It's challenged in court. Transport efficiency advocates fight Larry Hogan's plan for Beltway toll lanes to a draw; the Moore admin brings it back. Despite good-government efforts to challenge the power of county Central Committees in filling empty legislative seats, they are still being filled that way. Now new legislation is proposed. All this is a good reason to let News You Can Use keep an eye on this random stuff for you, one-stop shopping every Monday for outrages and good ideas alike.

This Native American Heritage Month, we are acknowledging the ongoing effects of settler colonialism. We understand our responsibility as settlers and recognize the displacement, genocide, and past and present violence against Indigenous people on whose ancestral lands the present-day United States, including Maryland, stands. Progressive Maryland is committed to fostering a more just and equitable future for all Marylanders. All means all.

As we near the end of Native American Heritage Month, we pause to honor and appreciate the profound contributions of Indigenous communities that have shaped our state. Much like our ongoing work in the pursuit of a more equitable Maryland, the contributions of Indigenous people are woven into the very fabric of our history. In line with our commitment to Land Back, earlier this year we initiated a monthly contribution to support Indigenous communities in Maryland. Operating on stolen land, we voluntarily pay a monthly land tax to the Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians, aiding efforts to revitalize Native land and communities while empowering Indigenous people to regain control of their ancestral territory.

Please note that Progressive Maryland offices will be closed from November 22nd to November 26th.

In Solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

This week you can read about stronger labor protections in state-funded projects, safety for workers fixing our highways, the replanting of streetside trees in Baltimore County (hope the impulse catches on) and more enviro news including a big boost for Sparrow's Point, which will build offshore wind capacity, a thumbs down on gas-powered leaf blowers (very well timed) and a decision to send reading help to elementary schools to help all grades catch up on that skill (aren't you reading this on a screen? Of course you are). Plus good and bad ideas and proposals from around the states, and People's Action chimes in with the D.C. report, which is still dismal even though most of our, um, courageous legislators are home for the holidays. It's all News You Can Use.

Have a good holiday yourselves, eat well, feed others.