Happy Valentine's Day! Here's the Weekly Memo from Progressive Maryland — your road map for progressive action in this and coming weeks. We can do it. Change starts today.

Where is the love on Valentine's Day? Not much we can (or want to) do about squabbling factions in the state GOP. But pressuring our state and federal officials about people- and family-centered laws and rules, keeping businesspersons' hands out of our pockets and securing our workplaces -- that's in our grasp. Take a look at the work going on at every level and team up with advocates and activists to make change.

Much of our focus in these cold, early months of 2022 has been on Annapolis, and so far we’ve encountered the good, the bad, and – well – the unsurprising...

Biden and Harris visit Upper Marlboro to strengthen workers' organizing clout around the nation. Plus, fighting eviction, wasting taxpayer money on bad financial advice, harsher sentencing vs. harm reduction. These and other news accounts give us all an edge against isolation in workplace and community. Share the news and use it to fight back.

New bills are still being added to the Maryland General Assembly website every day, but we've identified our broad policy priorities for this legislative session. We will continue to fight for equity in healthcare, for major changes to policing and our justice system, for meaningful drug policy reforms that acknowledge the failures of criminalization, and for measures that combat environmental injustice in its many different forms. Check out this week's memo for plenty of exciting advocacy opportunities!

News you can use on what our national progressive affiliate People's Action has on the burner -- and what is going down in the Maryland General Assembly. Find pathways and tools to make change below, too...

This year’s Maryland General Assembly session is well underway, and we’re calling on our representatives to push for the type of bold, progressive legislation our communities deserve. Check out this week's memo for more on how to get involved with our advocacy efforts, electoral updates, and some critical federal-level action items. 

Voting rights across the country are under threat as GOP lawmakers continue introducing voter suppression laws that will disenfranchise millions of American voters in the coming elections. The Senate must act with urgency to protect our democratic institutions. Check out this week's memo for more on how to push for critical federal voting rights legislation, some updates from our endorsed candidates from 2022, an exciting grant opportunity led by our incredible volunteer-run Reentry Work Group, and so much more.

The good news is that Maryland wages are going up fast. The bad news is that state and local governments won’t be able to stay competitive because of their lumbering process. “But rising wages — propelled by an unusual churn in the workforce — are going to make it “incredibly difficult” for state and local governments to attract and retain talent, MM reporter Bruce DePuyt reports. It could take activism and pushback to make sure local governments don’t fall short in providing public services.

Who is responsible for actually thinking ahead, making plans, keep the state on an even keel? The usual suspects in the State House. Let's keep an eye on them and make sure we don't just hear the forlorn sound of a can being kicked down the road... our path to reminding the legislators who they work for begins here. Read on... we have action plans to work on the gridlock in Congress too...

Our democracy is under attack.

Voting rights are being restricted by hundreds of voter suppression bills GOP lawmakers have introduced across the county in recent months. These new laws are intentionally designed to make it much more difficult for young people, new voters, and people of color to exercise their democratic right.

Take action to keep democracy vital. Call our elected officials and demand an end to voter suppression.