Outgoing state Del. Jimmy Tarlau (D-Prince George’s) is planning to become a pro bono lobbyist for progressive organizations and causes focusing on tax issues, economic justice, labor and consumer rights as well as local Prince George’s County matters.

There’s a struggle, not a coronation, in store as the state’s Democratic Party chooses its leadership team this Saturday (Dec. 1) in the wake of a decidedly mixed election result. Here's the state of play and the statements by aspirants to the party's chair.

SAVE THE DATE – SATURDAY, DEC. 29 FOR PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND’S STATEWIDE MEETING because we build power locally but exercise it statewide. So we’ll have a statewide gathering before the New Year to consolidate what we’ve learned and build on the power we have built. Save that date, Saturday, December 29 for our statewide meeting in Annapolis.

A return of the “individual mandate” -- softened Maryland-style -- may be in synch with a public opinion swing in favor of the Affordable Care Act and the salience of health care as an issue in the midterms. Our goal is a form of Medicare for All (yes, still with for-profit providers in the mix) leading toward a single-payer system that can keep the providers honest, patient-oriented and without a profit motive.

A good start for the Assembly’s tilt against Hogan; we’ll see if he sees the light.

Maryland Matters senior reporter Bruce DePuyt has the story; it also appeared in the Maryland Reporter today (Nov. 20).

Recognizing that this week, and probably the next month, is going to be light on activist events and meetings, there is nevertheless an important focus for us coming up sooner than we might think.

The General Assembly convenes January 9th for what has to be an interesting session, with a lame-duck Larry Hogan free to be GOP and a modestly more progressive Assembly ready to rumble. Let's start getting ready now.

Marylanders, just recovering from a mixed-results election, will soon be presented with the potential price tag for the excellent schools program that the Kirwan Commission has developed over its two-year investigation. As Jeff Bryant notes in this survey of the pro-education surge nationally, the state has approved the “lock box” on school revenues that will make sure that casino money will add to – rather than replace – the total spent on education. That’s a start, but more will probably be needed – and progressive activists must be ready to push the General Assembly to in turn push Larry Hogan to fully fund schools – which, despite his claims, he has never done. Bryant’s account puts our need for struggle in context.

A pre-election poll about issues -- imagine that, actual issues -- at play in the MoCo executive race shows "Marc Elrich not only won the election but also a mandate for his development agenda," David Lublin writes in Seventh State. Respondents favored "making developers pay more towards the county infrastructure needed to support the expanded population that development brings."

With the return of Congress featuring a flip to Democratic control in the House come January, Progressive Breakfast asks if the risk-averse Democrats can make real change. "That all depends — on their eagerness to think big and bold," says Sam Pizzigatti, "on their willingness to challenge the concentrated wealth and power that’s keeping things from changing. ... Just pushing for such legislation ... would send all of America the empowering message that meaningful change can conceivably happen."

The next stop is the General Assembly session in January 2019. 2019!!

Memo readers: keep your eyes open for local meetings that are designed to brief folks on the legislative session and create activism around it. Send them to us for wider announcement.

 We will keep both Larry Hogan and the corporate Democrats (yes, there are still some) on the back foot and keep the lobbyists honest.

"One possible path for Maryland, D.C., and neighboring states to pursue clean transportation goals is to adopt an initiative similar to the very successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)," write two Sierra Club researcher/activists.

"The cap-and-invest model would provide funding and incentives to: accelerate adoption of electric cars, trucks and buses; expand public transit and ride sharing; and build walkable, bike-friendly and transit-oriented communities accessible to all residents.

"Maryland and Delaware have years of experience with RGGI. In the eight years since it arrived on the scene, carbon pollution from power plants has fallen by 40%."