In Maryland, the budget morphs with every twitch of Trump's Truth Social trigger finger (imagine announcing a war on social media...). More unemployed Marylanders, vanishing grants and federal funds, more irritating behavior from Himself's hired fan club. Meanwhile Gov. Moore has managed to put himself on a tightrope by vetoing a reparations (study) bill (Boo from the Black Caucus) and proposing grants for impacted communities (Boo, faint with echoes, from GOP legislators). The lawsuit seeking open primaries is a first peep but could have big consequences in the state' VERY closed-in politics. The Bay cleanup is in reverse, as feared, as Trump's EPA averts its gaze. And the state gas tax has "declined" but you have to squint. Other states continue to provide good and bad examples; the Ten Commandments are a popular new decoration for public schools but a judge in Louisiana has squashed it on constitution grounds, imagine that. Mississippi is tired enough of fighting off its own history to exempt high schoolers from getting tested on the past. Moves to say "no thanks" are on in Oregon, which has banned mobilization of the state's National Guard by the feds; in New Jersey concern about data centers that don't bring their own power source, and Montana mulls a ballot measure to forbid corporate money in state elections if the corp. does biz in the state.

National: in the midst of all the bomb-dropping in faraway places, a skill Trump has assimilated from the IDF, the Senate's parliamentarian has given a thumbs-down to significant parts of the GOP's Big Beautiful Ugly Bill that pretty plainly don't have anything to do with making a budget, such as revenge moves against the safety net. See Megan E's roundup, below, for details. The bad news is that it strips out money the GOP faithful were hoping to give to the rich; they'll be prowling for it somewhere else.

Each week brings new fights, which are very tiring when undertaken alone. Be sure to get your community involved, because solidarity is, well, just everything. 

While US Army soldiers paraded downtown in a history pageant illustrating the service's 250-year tenure (reviewed by the 79-year-old Prez, who basked in the reflected glory) Marylanders were declaring independence from kings of any sort throughout the state.

The reverberations of savage federal budget cuts are felt in the state's universities, in housing aid for the poorest, and continued ICE raids. Around the other states we find similar struggles among the Red and the Blue; quite a few Biden energy projects were scratched despite the economic potential they promised in... Red states. Measles spreads from Texas, where folks seem to have caught on about the effectiveness of vaccines, to North Dakota, which hasn't got the memo.

And in DC, while the House is away, the Senate appears inclined to play with the precariously devised Big Beautiful Bill, meaning it might be legislative ping-pong right up to the budget and debt-ceiling deadlines. Do the Dems have an answer? They retain the monopoly on disarray, it seems. The parade continues, with the cars packed with clowns up front.

What’s happening in Los Angeles is appalling. This abuse of power can occur anywhere, and in many ways, it is already pervasive.

This past weekend, we watched as community members in L.A. were abducted, detained without due process, and brutalized for demanding justice and safety. The deployment of the National Guard against residents is a violent escalation meant to silence dissent and sow fear. These tactics are authoritarian and fundamentally unconstitutional.

Resistance on the ground to excessive and terroristic behavior by ICE troopers trying to meet their quotas in Los Angeles has hit a peak even as much of the city is quiet, the Mayor says. Trump is enjoying the perceived opening to send the military against US citizens. It's like a prologue to the planned military-style victory parade for DJT's birthday this Saturday, bringing lots of signs of additional resistance locally. Here in Maryland, new methods of (hopefully harmless) penny-pinching could ease the strain on the state's coffers even as the bond rating has diminished (cut by only one of the three rating agencies). So life here stays interesting but the Trump rampages are directed elsewhere. For now.

Our priority legislation – wins and losses

Before each legislative session, Progressive Maryland members, leaders, and staff come together to identify priorities, draft legislation, and develop strategies to move bills through the state legislature. Going into this year, our focus was once again centered on environmental, housing, and healthcare justice. In general, we had mixed results- there were some setbacks and some advances. Here’s our summary:

At 17, I joined the U.S. Air Force driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact. I quickly realized that my passions did not lie in national defense, but in the defense of the planet we all share. As I transitioned out of the military, I began working to understand the links between environmental degradation and social injustice. Since then, I’ve channeled that energy into organizing. Working with Progressive Maryland’s Environmental Justice Task Force, as well as reviving the Baltimore hub of the Sunrise Movement, I have been fighting for meaningful climate action in my community. Living in Hampden, I stay closely attuned to how our local government supports (or fails to support) environmental action. So when I saw this year’s city budget proposal, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of investment in zero-waste initiatives, like composting and recycling. This is especially frustrating given that the Department of Public Works' 10-year solid waste management plan advocates for diverting 90% of our waste from incineration and landfills. Yet meaningful investments toward alternative disposal methods remain to be seen. 

June marks the beginning of Pride Month, a time to celebrate the courage, creativity, and history of the LGBTQ+ community, and to recommit ourselves to the fight for equality. Pride is more than a celebration. It’s a reminder of the ongoing struggle for dignity and safety, and a testament to the resilience of a community that has always shown up, spoken out, and refused to be erased. We honor that legacy, and we stand in full solidarity, not just this month but always.

Throughout June, we’ll be highlighting Pride events happening across the state in a special section of this memo. Be sure to check it out each week to find local celebrations and ways to show your support.

It’s hard to believe, but we’re already halfway through the year and it feels like time is flying. So much has unfolded across the country, and here in Maryland, we’ve been playing both defense and offense in the fight for justice. Whether it’s protecting our communities from harmful federal rollbacks or laying the groundwork for bold state-level wins, our team is working every day to advance a progressive vision on every front.

Read on for important updates from our issue campaigns, ways to get involved,  plus key news from Maryland and around the country.

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

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