In the Weekly Memo -- alerts on Predatory Lending (a deadline to comment to the feds); our PM Movement Politics training Saturday, May 18 in Baltimore; a threat to protections against discriminatory discipline in schools; an update on the People's Action convention in DC; and more (including the week's stellar blog posts). Read on...

Progressive Prince George’s is launching an effort to mobilize parents, students and concerned members of the Prince George’s community to reset the conditions for educating our children for a sustainable future – one of good jobs, good education and an end of the school-to-prison pipeline (which grows whenever we don’t pay attention to the first two). Find out more here and save the date: Saturday, April 27.

Teacher-legislators have a big role in fleshing out the "total package" of the Kirwan Commission proposals kick-started in this year's Assembly session -- and they explain why "wrap-around" approaches are needed in many struggling school systems, in this detailed account from Maryland Matters.

Progressive Maryland is resettling its work into our communities across the state after the all-hands effort during the General Assembly session that ended last week. We build power between elections and between legislative sessions, because that is how you win when it’s all on the line.

Getting lost in the excitement over the progressive-establishment spat in the Democratic Party is a political imperative – mutual, educational exchange of information from politicians to electorate – and vice versa. Stay current with your community. Or go home.

Maryland’s General Assembly passed over 850 bills by their Sine Die deadline. About 2,500, a record number, were filed, and there’s no doubt that many of those were bad bills and good riddance. But there were some real missed opportunities – at least as far as the state’s progressive forces are concerned. Let’s look at a few.

The struggle to improve our schools in Prince George's County and other embattled systems throughout the state has to happen at the grass roots -- parents, students, teachers who understand what excellence means for our children's future must build power in school and political systems to make it happen. Our newest Progressive Maryland organizer, Davain McClain, outlines what has brought him to the fight for education quality.

As Sine Die came and went -- the final day of the Maryland General Assembly's 2019 Session -- lawmakers mourned and engaged in horse-trading to get 850-plus bills across the finish line. Here is a roundup from Maryland Matters writers on bills that made it and some that didn't. And more pathways to info are included; read on...

Today is Sine Die, the last day of the legislative session  -- but one big chair is vacant after the death Sunday of Mike Busch, the House of Delegates’ longest-serving speaker.

The frantic business of Sine Die will go on, with many, many bills trying to get across the finish line – some to an uncertain fate at the hands of Gov. Larry Hogan. So the struggle always continues.

In an open letter to Delegates representing the Eastern Shore, Upper and Lower, activist constituents urge them to back the Clean Energy Jobs Act now struggling to get a floor vote in the House by the end of the session Monday. The House of Delegates is scheduled to convene at noon today (Saturday, April 6) to address lingering tasks -- like the CEJA -- before the frenzy of Monday's "sine die" end of the session.

Shore constituents -- and all Maryland voters who are interested in lowering or easing climate impacts AND bringing good-paying jobs to Maryland -- should take a moment to touch base with their delegates on this matter. They are working Saturday and maybe we should too, for an improved future for the state.