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.

What a way to start the year, with a big electoral win for our endorsed candidate Edward Burroughs in the special election race for the Prince George's County Council seat in District 8! Check out this week's memo for more on how to get involved with our electoral work, defend voting rights across the country, and challenge our Maryland state leaders to address the current pandemic surge with the urgency it demands.

The General Assembly 2022 Session begins Wednesday. It's an election year. Need we say more? Legislators are not allowed to raise money during the session, but they will be tempted to perform like crazy in hopes of future money between the end of the session in April and the all-important primary elections in late June.

We have some preliminary accounts and tools for navigating that and making sure the people's business, not the lobbyists' business, gets done.

The Anne Arundel County Council has set in motion a path to a public referendum enabling a Small Donor Funded Elections Program to open up the electoral process to candidates not backed by big money. Progressive Maryland along with Common Cause Maryland and the Maryland Public Interest Research Group are cheering this citizen-initiated process, in which AAC would join five other major state jurisdictions in a publicly funded elections process.

Dueling messages are swirling around this Thursday's anniversary of Trump's attack on democracy, and we'll be watchful. Meanwhile, Progressive Maryland members have work to do, an annual Membership Assembly this Saturday to prep for and an upcoming General Assembly session. And COVID's not done with us. You'll find what you need to stay safe and take action with your fellow progressives and make real change in Maryland in 2022.

The portal of 2022 brings the expectable array of good news (minimum wage increase!), sordid news (Larry Hogan’s messaging stays undercover while his admin’s Covid response and miserable unemployment comp process (don’t trust the process!) get eyeballed unfavorably—plus unpleasant vibes around rising Covid numbers statewide reflecting national trends. Here’s what we’ve got, progressive Marylanders…

Find out more about what you can do in today's Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo.

The Weekly Memo is taking a week off, but we don't want you to miss important news that concerns progressive activists -- and struggling working families in Maryland -- that fall in the hammock between Christmas and New Year's.

Local special elections; inequities in how to get federal money (it's an art!); Maryland's gains in diversity; Maryland COVID data returns from ransomware exile; and more.

A reminder: we swipe a lot of our news coverage throughout the year from the nonprofit news sites Maryland Matters and Maryland Reporter. They deserve your support in this giving time. As Maryland taxpayers you are already supporting the nationally acclaimed Capital News Service at UM's Merrill College of Journalism, where skilled student reporters provide statewide coverage that's used by many of our local papers across the state.

Progressive Maryland's Membership Assembly is Saturday, January 8 and we'll build momentum for the legislative session and a busy 2022. See more below.

Happy holidays from all of us at Progressive Maryland! We look forward to continuing our work with you in the new year.