Montgomery County can remain a progressive beacon in the fight against inequality with its passage of a $15 minimum wage -- but County Executive Ike Leggett should sign it, not threaten a veto, to seal his own progressive legacy. PM member Bobby Bartlett explains why it's a critical moment.

This will be the year we get earned, paid sick leave for the 750,000 Maryland workers currently without it. Rally tomorrow night in Annapolis to bring a full-coverage bill to passage and squelch the governor's watered-down version. NOTE UPDATED LOCATION

Democratic Senators could have voted for the Sanders-Klobuchar amendment to allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada, saving US drug customers millions. Thirteen instead voted with their Big Pharma benefactors, showing that the party has not learned the lessons of the failed Clinton effort and the value of Bernie Sanders's alternative.

A narrow 5-4 victory for the $15 minimum wage bill yesterday (Jan. 17) in Montgomery County is threatened by a veto from the county executive. Progressive Maryland and allies worked hard to build support for this critical effort to reduce inequality in Maryland's most expensive county. Context in the political blog Maryland Scramble, reposted here, shows candidates for the county executive race on both sides of the question.

As Prince George's County's liquor-store corruption probe unfolds, veteran columnist Barry Rascovar reminds us that the county has a long history of such official misbehavior and a lamentable reputation among state politicians on that account.

A big week for progressives, despite the looming Trump event; there will be many voices against his brand of politics. And Maryland progressives must keep an eye on state government, where the governor's budget is likely to drop this week. Plus the past week's blog posts, with summaries and links.

While legislators play footsy with the Governor over the roads and budget, progressive agendas will challenge the Maryland General Assembly members to help ordinary people -- as they are sworn to do -- despite the lobbyists and donors looking over their shoulders.

The "tax plan" promoted by the President-elect may be more advantageous to some in relatively affluent Maryland, but others will get little or no benefit and the state may suffer from the consequent lowered federal revenue and drop in federal spending -- important for a state with a high dependence on federal spending for its continued prosperity. A detailed recent analysis from the Capital News Service at UMCP's highly-ranked J-school provides details.

Forcing state school leaders to grovel before the Gov and his henchpersons for the money they deserve is an old and despicable custom, usually with political knives out, that should be ended, says Barry Rascovar in Maryland Reporter (posted Monday, Jan. 9). And, to show that His Trumpness is not the only thin-skinned jerk in the cosmos, alleged Democrat Peter Franchot, the Comptroller, sent a mouthpiece to complain about Rascovar's colossal nerve in having an opinion about the matter.

The Maryland General Assembly opens this Wednesday (Jan. 11) and the fun begins. See some previews and the calendar of get-togethers for PM and allies as the session gets under way, plus the week's blog posts with summaries and links. One-stop progressive shopping.