Parren Mitchell's Legacy: a just society in a peaceable world

Parren Mitchell, Maryland's first African-American congressman, saw that the key prerequisite for racial justice was economic justice. He made his mark trying to move public resources out of the Pentagon and into social spending, and local governments came to see the benefits to that.

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Progressive Maryland's Legislative Priorities -- at Mid-Session, Where Do They Stand?

Progressive Maryland approached the 2016 General Assembly session with a distinct list of priorities. How are those priorities faring as we approach the mid-point of the session?

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METROACCESS RIDERS, WORKERS JOIN TO SEEK REFORM, FIGHT PRIVATIZATION EFFECTS

Facing increased oppression by the Metro Board through privatization and cost-cutting, MetroAccess drivers are teaming up with riders to fight back against the bad service that the cutbacks bring about. Woody Woodruff describes a rally that joined these natural allies to democratize the public's transit system.

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700,000 working Marylanders deserve earned, paid sick leave

Maryland General Assembly legislators will hold critical committee hearings this week on a bill granting nearly a quarter-million Maryland workers the right to earn paid sick leave on the job. It's important that those members hear how important this issue -- before them for the fourth year in a row -- is to the health of our citizens and our economy.

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Marylanders don’t turn away those in need – including refugees

Despite our governor's ill-natured refusal to give refugees from war and devastation a place in Maryland, we are not that kind of people, activist Jean Athey says. Urge your legislators to sign on to a letter affirming our state's welcoming nature,

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A secularist agenda in Maryland for 2016

The back-and-forth contest between a Maryland legal and social landscape influenced by religion and one free of religious aspects gets renewed in the Assembly each session, with mostly limited bills submitted on both sides. Mathew Goldstein offers a look at the state of play this year.

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Maryland Could Lead the Nation on Police Reform

Advocates for significant reform of police accountability measures in Maryland -- in the wake of notable instance of police misconduct -- packed a hearing in Annapolis as Assembly members fashioned a package for change.

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The Joy of Citizen Lobbying

Trekking to Annapolis to lobby your legislators face to face is a somewhat scripted ritual, yes. But it often has an effect, and has other compensations.

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WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE BLOGS: An Index, June 2015 to the present

Bloggers for Progressive Maryland have covered the range of local, state and national issues important to PM activists in 42 posts since last June. Here's an index and summary of the posts so you can catch up.

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STATE EITC BOOST COULD HELP SUPPORT HOUSEHOLDS AND KIDS RIGHT FROM THE START

The Earned Income Tax Credit already helps remedy our income inequality -- but state action in the Assembly could help it support even more households and struggling children, says educator Rosalyn Turner.

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