This weekend, the founding convention of People's Action -- next door in Washington DC -- represents the forging of state organizations like Progressive Maryland and 50 other groups in 29 states into a refreshed force for resistance and for creation of positive change. Read more about the event and sign up for a call Thursday night (April 20) to answer questions and prepare for Progressive Maryland's major role in the shaping of this effort.

Introducing a new staffer, plus events for your calendar from our expanding roster of county chapters. And recent blog posts. Note that the founding convention of People's Action is coming up in DC at week's end; be in on it.

In a busy three months, Maryland's Assembly session showed lots of progress for progressives, but with much more to do to fight the agendas of Larry Hogan and Donald Trump. PM legislative coordinator Jennifer Dwyer puts up the tote board, and the tasks ahead.

With the major newspapers burbling about Larry Hogan's wonderful Assembly session (because he got two bills on the last day), a cooler voice comes from veteran observer Barry Rascovar in Maryland Reporter, who opines that Hogan had a rough session and is probably glad he's about to get Annapolis back to himself to start spinning up his 2018 re-election mirage...

Maybe even sweeter because of the five years it took to get here, progressives celebrated one of the top victories of the 2017 Assembly session -- the passage of paid sick leave for about three quarters of a million Maryland workers and their famillies, many in low-paid jobs and struggling to survive. As noted at the bottom of this blog post from our allies at Working Matters Maryland, Gov. Hogan still needs to be persuaded to accept the inevitable -- passed with veto-proof margins -- and make it law now. This post, first made on April 7, has been updated.

As the General Assembly drops the balloons and goes home on Sine Die today, we pat ourselves on the back for a quite successful session and note that our work continues all over the state. Plus recent blog posts you may have missed.

Maryland's highest court has ruled that cash bail as applied in the state is unconstitutionally discriminatory -- on racial and economic grounds. The bail bond industry, built on the lucrative supplying of emergency funds to the desperate, sees economic ruin in the ruling and is trying to head it off in the General Assembly with a last-minute bill. Progressive Maryland argues before the House Judiciary Committee that undermining the court's ruling is against the public interest.

Activists in Bladensburg and three neighboring towns -- the Port Towns -- are fighting the siting of a concrete batching plant in Bladensburg that they say endangers historic sites, the environment and public health. The town council meets on a special exception request next Monday (April 10) and faces an aroused community.

Steve Melkisethian walks the Progressive Montgomery walk and finds a comfort zone in the Town Hall environment, where public officials hope they control the tempo and agenda. Sometimes, thanks to activists like Steve, their plans don't quite work out...

One week to go in the 2017 legislative session, with plenty still on the table. Democratic leaders in the Assembly are hoping to put some veto bait in front of Governor Hogan well before sine die so he’ll be vulnerable to an override on some big-ticket items now, not next year. Meanwhile some important measures are still stuck in traffic and it may be time for us to blow the whistle on those who are slow-walking bills.