Progressive Maryland and the undersigned organizations have sent a letter to the Chairman of the Board of Election Supervisors to protest the unconstitutional acts targeting City Council Member Martin Mitchell, candidate for Laurel Mayor. 

Happy Monday! We are one month away from the Progressive Maryland Annual Gala so if you haven’t yet secured your spot for this event, make sure to grab a ticket before they sell out! This will be an evening full of food and fun that you won’t want to miss. The event features Maryland’s very own Rep. Jamie Raskin, a champion for Democracy! See you in a month, on Thursday, September 21st from 4-8pm at a beautiful Annapolis waterfront location. 

Be sure to check out the latest events on our calendar and stay informed about our ongoing task force initiatives, ways to get involved, and news you can use!

In Solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

PS - Don't forget to tune into our radio show, The Progress Report, live on air Fridays from 5-6pm ET on WPFW 89.3 PM or online at wpfwfm.org/radio.

It appears that for the eight years of Larry Hogan, building more roads to create more access to more real estate development was seen as the key to prosperity in Maryland.

Meanwhile, neighbor states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania were taking different steps, and Gov. Wes Moore told this weekend's gathering of the Maryland Association of Counties that economic data shows Maryland residents are losing earning power compared to our neighbors, and that was hampering economic progress he hopes to see in our state. So, tough times ahead.

This and more news you can use in this week's roundup, including the return of People's Action's congressional watchdog with, well, the usual dismal news about our fearless leaders on the Hill. Read it all here.

After eight years of Larry Hogan's indifference to issues of climate peril and environmental justice, some longtime advocates have taken on fresh challenges in the critical sectors of Maryland government that had been idle or out of action in the decarbonization struggle. Former Sen. Paul Pinsky and former House leader Del. Kumar Barve told members of the Maryland Association of Counties meeting in O.C. that the Maryland Energy Administration and the Public Service Commission might be on everyone's mind more than expected.

The Public Service Commission has a majority of new Gov. Wes Moore's appointees, including Barve, and Pinsky's Maryland Energy Administration some significant federal money to help decarbonize Marylanders' everyday lives.

Read more here from Maryland Matters.

Happy Monday! We're thrilled to kick off this week's memo by highlighting our latest endorsements for municipal races in the upcoming election. Our endorsed candidates are Iyamide House for Bowie City Council (District 3), Izola Shaw for Rockville City Council, and Martin Mitchell for Laurel Mayor These three remarkable community leaders embody the values we hold dear: progress, inclusivity, and a commitment to strengthening our communities. Read more about why we chose to support their campaigns in our official endorsement announcement.

Be sure to check out the latest events on our calendar, including the Vegan SoulFest we are participating in this weekend, and stay informed about our ongoing task force initiatives, ways to get involved, and news you can use!

Congress is out this week, though individual members are no doubt committing significant mischief back in their districts. We'll have to see how that goes down. But while the feds are idle (except Joe Biden, having a Camp David summit with Japanese and South Korean leaders this week) the states are busy. The National Conference of State Legislatures is meeting for their annual talkfest in Indianapolis.

All that federal money is running out now, so suddenly states are typically more interested in regulating (low cost) than in appropriating (high price tag); therefore they will be happy to pay attention to Route Fifty's focus on what to do about Artificial Intelligence, which we have all learned to call AI for short. If, instead, they have a look at the Pew Center's report on what they might spend some money on, they'll see a big take on tax policy justice (watch Maryland legislators looking carefully at their shoes) and other good ideas.

We'll check out what's going on in Maryland first, but pay attention to what other states are doing and the problems they are solving (or not solving). Those are issues that will probably come home to roost in our own state eventually. That's why we call this News You Can Use.

First, though, about Maryland...

Progressive Maryland Endorses Three Candidates for Municipal Races this 2023 Election

As we dive into another week, it's crucial that we remain dialed in to everything unfolding in our communities. Despite the media's relentless coverage of Donald Trump's ongoing antics and court proceedings, there's a lot more happening that deserves our attention and action.

While headlines may grab our focus, let's not forget that a significant milestone has been reached right here in our state. With a full month of legal recreational cannabis use behind us, Maryland has witnessed not only impressive revenues but also, more importantly, a trend that we’re especially proud of. The number of people cited for driving under the influence of cannabis in July has been astonishingly low. This data underscores that responsible, informed policy changes can lead to safer communities.

Find more in the Memo -- Progressive Maryland events (including the Gala!), News You Can Use and our blog posts, events from our allies and all the info you expect from our unique top-50-rated BlogSpace.

Green jobs and the Inflation Reduction Act -- has anybody heard that times are less bad, maybe a lot less bad? How is Maryland doing on green jobs anyway? (be prepared to be disappointed). All the states hoping to reap taxes on cannabis are struggling with US banking regs. But Marylanders are lighting up (or chowing down) anyway. Lots more is filling the news gap while Congress has gone home to do nothing rather than hanging around in DC doing nothing, and some of that news is even good -- for Maryland and the US. Best of all, we have no news about the former president. Read on; and don't forget our Friday Night Drive Time PM Radio Show on WPFW-FM (more below)

We're excited to announce the launch of our radio show, "The Progress Report"! Hosted by our Executive Director, Larry Stafford, the show will be airing every Friday from 5 to 6 pm on WPFW 89.3 FM.

At "The Progress Report," we're your hub for all things progressive. From addressing urgent societal issues to championing social justice causes, celebrating victories, and inspiring positive change, we're here to keep you informed, inspired, and connected. Our mission is to create a platform where you can gain insights, join the conversation, and make a difference.

What to Expect: Get ready for engaging discussions that span a wide spectrum of topics. Whether it's politics, environment, education, community engagement, or anything in between, we'll tackle it. "The Progress Report" also hosts interviews with activists, community leaders, and experts who are shaping the world for the better. Through these conversations, we aim to spark ideas, drive conversations, and encourage collaborative efforts.

How to Tune In:

You can catch our show in three ways

On Air: Turn to station 89.3 FM on your radio and join us live.

Online: You can also stream "The Progress Report" live on the WPFW 89.3 FM website. Just visit the station’s website and click on the "Listen Live" button.

As a podcast: All shows are stored in the website's archive. From the homepage, click "archived shows" to find previous episodes of The Progress Report

Be Part of the Conversation: We're all about community engagement. If you're interested in being a guest on our show or have a topic you'd love us to cover, reach out to us at [email protected]. Let's work together to create meaningful conversations.