How Trump managed to act like the president when he is more than a month from being inaugurated is a puzzlement but reflects his particular talent for the spectacle, patched together from reality shows and Hitler-like rally scenes. As he piles up a collection of rich butt-kissers to populate his entourage -- er, administration -- more of the rest of us are calculating how far to burrow in to avoid his first swings at his imagined Deep State. We hope we can stop writing headlines like this one eventually, but alas not yet.

In Maryland, as you will see in the Memo, Progressive Maryland and allied groups are mounting their own campaigns to enable our working families to shake off the worst of the Marmalade Man. We are lucky in Maryland but have to watch our step with an economy well supported by about 150,000 federal employees. They are all watching their backs and we need to help them; a well-managed combination of policy and governance depends on them and, soon, may be even more the difference between bad and worse for all of us.

Happy Monday! We hope you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday break. As we jump back into the work ahead, we want to take a moment to recognize that tomorrow is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. At Progressive Maryland, we are committed to recognizing the intersectionality of the issues faced by people with disabilities and fighting for the rights of all. Whether it’s in the events we plan or the campaigns we lead, we strive to ensure our disability community is always included and uplifted.

It’s hard to believe, but we’re now at the start of December. While the year is winding down, things are still in full swing here at Progressive Maryland! In this week’s memo, we’ve got details on upcoming events, fun ways to stay engaged (including a game!), and important updates you won’t want to miss.

We’re excited to finish the year strong with you and look forward to continuing to reach our shared goals. Let’s make these last weeks of the year count!

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

As the once and future Prez assembles his gang of miscreants and oligarchs, Red states are wallowing in the possibilities while Maryland and other Blue states in gangland's sights are assessing Trump's intentions based on the people with whom he is populating his billionaires' paradise. Trump's intentions do not look like any kind of government we are used to, or can even imagine.  And in Maryland: MoCo to keep burning trash; Jamie R makes his move; the state needs to double mental health personnel; fossil fuel lobbying crimping climate plans (?); democratizing Assembly replacements; bracing for deportations in the state's Hispanic communities. See the details in News You Can Use for this week.

It feels good to be stepping into the official holiday season! While the exhaustion may be catching up with us, so is the joy of seeing just how much we’ve accomplished together. Here at Progressive Maryland, we’ve already started planning for our 2025 agenda, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.

In case you missed it, we celebrated a major victory last week: Prince George’s County Council passed a bill to index the minimum wage to inflation! Thanks to tireless advocates, over 2,600 petition signers, and powerful testimony from our members, wages in Prince George’s County will finally keep pace with the rising costs of housing, groceries, and other essentials. This is a life-changing win, and we’re determined to create even more victories like this in 2025.

There’s still important work to tackle in these final weeks, and we’re counting on all of you to help us finish strong. We’ve got some exciting issue campaign events coming up so be sure to look later in the memo for details to add to your calendar. You’ll also find important updates and key state and national news. 

Don’t forget to check out a sneak peek of our 2025 agenda and see how you can make a tremendous impact.

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

"Around the country, states led by Democrats have expressed alarm about many of the new measures that Mr. Trump and his allies have described and have made broad preparations of their own," the New York Times (among many others) reports. "Lawyers have been scouring through the conservative policy plan known as Project 2025, and they have been strategizing how to challenge any such plans in an altered judicial landscape. Private advocacy groups have hundreds of lawyers ready to go to court. Governors in Democratic-led states have been preparing to coordinate."
Maryland's attorney general, Anthony Brown, is joining other blue-state AGs to strategize in next-door Pa. as the Trump revenge machine cranks into action. The state's other officials (see below) are wondering if they are now on their own as far as preparing systems for the impact of climate change. Counties and cities are putting together protections for their immigrant communities. Get the picture, storm clouds and all, in News You Can Use.

Well, the new folks in DC (currently broadcasting from Mar-a-Lago) are not (at all!) clarifying what the next few years look like, but they are keeping everyone on their toes as their flurry of supposed appointments  shows just how uncertain civic life will be for all the states, Maryland definitely included.

Maryland houses over 138,900 civilian federal workers and roughly 50,000 active-duty and reserve service members (30,000 at Ft. Meade, the state's largest single employer). All are vulnerable to job loss or threatened relocation of agencies outside the DMV. Still, the state holds out hope that some high-profile projects (the Key Bridge replacement; possible new Bay Bridge spans, the new FBI building) may attract federal fund participation and coat-tail other projects. But serious cuts or "revenue enhancements" definitely loom for Maryland.

Both our state and others are fussing to adjust to the (sometimes surprising) local outcomes from the election, as we see as well, and plenty of organizations working with those newly under fire brace against the somewhat vengeful approach of the future administration. As Megan E.'s national report (below) points out, the House will vote tomorrow on a measure threatening any nonprofit not totally in step with the TrumpWorld line with charges of supporting terrorism (!). It sounds ridiculous -- until it passes.

So we have to toughen up. We are ready, and we know our allies will be too.

In victories from North Carolina to Washington State and Maine, we find evidence that good organizing not only works, it wins. When we look beyond the headlines, we find evidence that good organizing is the antidote to authoritarianism - which is something we will all need in the days to come. In places where People’s Action and its affiliate groups engaged in year-round organizing to build base and relationships around the issues that matter most to people, we won. Yes, we won.

Election season may have wrapped up last week, but we know the impact of these results will be felt for a long time to come. While we celebrate, we’re also fully aware of the work that lies ahead as we navigate this transformative moment in Maryland’s political landscape.

Progressive Maryland’s grassroots efforts delivered remarkable wins this cycle. From Angela Alsobrooks' historic election as the first Black Woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate to shaping Prince George’s County with a Progressive-majority school board, each victory is a testament to the dedication, unity, and strength of our movement. In Baltimore City, our coalition stood strong against the proposed reduction of City Council seats, defeating Question H and preserving the voice of Baltimore’s residents.

Through our Save the Senate campaign, we reached over 335,000 voters across the state, running the largest independent expenditure campaign in Maryland to ensure Alsobrooks’ success. This achievement is not only a reflection of our relentless organizing and advocacy but also of our belief in a Maryland where every voice counts, and every community has a champion.

Read on for a full recap of these victories, and click here to view a message from our Executive Director, Larry Stafford, where he addresses the election’s significance and our vision for the road ahead. 

With fewer than 50 days left in 2024, we’re determined to finish the year strong. Let’s keep this momentum going as we prepare for the challenges and opportunities of 2025!

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team