Across the state of Maryland, community members are rising up to resist policies that divide and dehumanize us and to advance an agenda that puts people and planet first. They are leading and organizing their communities by knocking on doors, making calls, building relationships, leading issue campaigns, and running for office.

Help us support these leaders as they invest in their development this spring and summer!

“Without a doubt, union organizing was instrumental in generating the West Virginia teachers’ successful action. But the strike may illustrate the changing nature of union power in the progressive movement," Jeff Bryant explains here. " …. In the meantime, the strike’s results, and the organizing and communications effort that brought the results about, seem to be galvanizing a movement for progressive change that could carry into November elections.” As Bryant points out here, the public at large needs to fight alongside the teachers as regressive legislators try to sneak through offsetting cuts in social services to meet revenue needs.

Senator Rich Madaleno recently proposed a $15 minimum wage bill for Maryland, SB543.  A companion bill was proposed by Delegate Shelly Hettleman, HB664. These bills propose a gradual increase in the state minimum wage from its current level of $9.25 to $15 in 2023.  After that, the minimum wage will be increased annually based on the consumer price index. My daughter and step-son are both struggling to survive in Columbia on part-time minimum wage jobs.  For them, even $0.50 more an hour makes a noticeable difference.

As of this writing, the House bill has 73 cosponsors for a total of 74 votes, ensuring passage of the bill by majority vote. On the other hand, the Senate bill has 20 cosponsors for a total of 21 votes.  Since there are 47 Senators, 24 votes are needed for passage by majority vote. So we need at least three more Senators to sign on as cosponsors to ensure passage in the Senate. If Gov. Hogan vetoes the bill, we would need 85 votes in the House and 29 in the Senate to override the veto.

To get contact information for your state Senator, go to <http://www.progressivehoco.org/hoco_sb0543>. While there please sign the petition in support of the $15 minimum wage bill.

We have three state Senators who serve Howard County, Gail Bates (Rep-District 9), Ed Kasemeyer (Dem-District 12) and Guy Guzzone (Dem-District 13.)   None of our Senators has signed on as a cosponsor of the bill. I corresponded with Sen. Kasemeyer's office and he expressed some reservations about supporting the bill because of a slow economic recovery of the Lower Shore region.  He also expressed concern that raising the minimum wage would encourage automation to replace low paying jobs, eliminating those jobs and ultimately hurting the workers. Both of these are spurious arguments. A study of minimum wage hikes in 137 localities around the country showed no adverse affect on the minimum wage workers.  An article referencing the work can be found at:

<http://wapo.st/2E6DH4F?tid=ss_mail&utm_term=.4699ee93470e>

Similarly the worry about automation in unfounded.  Automation is part of our future and will certainly be replacing jobs whether we have a minimum wage hike or not.  Some minimum wage jobs are vulnerable to automation, but many are not because they involve human interaction. These include jobs in daycare and elder care where the point is to have people take care of people.  And these are some of the lowest paying jobs in the country.

When I called Senator Guzzone's office I asked what his stand was on the bill.  They were not very familiar with the issue (there are a lot of bills, they said) and asked what my opinion was.  I told them I was strongly in favor of it and that I encouraged Sen. Guzzone to sign on as a cosponsor.

I have not contacted Gail Bates office.

From my interactions with Howard County's Senators, I feel that they can be persuaded to support the Senate bill and to sign on as cosponsors.  But they need to hear from you, their constituents. I am sharing the petition and contact information (<http://www.progressivehoco.org/hoco_sb0543>) in the hope that you, the residents of Maryland, will engage your Senators and tell them that you want them to cosponsor this bill. I only takes a call or an email to let them know what you think about the Fight for $15!

Stay involved!

Welcome to the Weekly Memo.

STATEWIDE ACTION

Fight for $15 hearing in Annapolis,

Progressive Maryland needs you to show up. If you want to speak and tell your legislators why Maryland workers deserve at least $15/hr, arrive by 12 noon on Thursday, March 8th, The hearing will be held in State Senate building in Annapolis.

It will take each and every one of us involved and engaged to get the things we need and deserve to live and thrive in our state!

Progressive Maryland will be hosting a remote phone bank to recruit canvassers to the March Monthly Canvass! Join us at our office (35 University Blvd East, Silver Spring, MD 20901) or remotely on Thursday, March 8th from 5 pm-8 pm. Sign up here to make calls to others to be canvassers!

From Protest to Power Canvass

Meet your neighbors. Explore your community. Win elections. Make positive social change. 

We will connect with voters about the Protest to Power Platform, working to elect Ben Jealous & Susan Turnbull Governor/Lt. Governor of Maryland, and the most important issues in voters’ lives. Join us March 31, 2018, at 10 am and April 01, 2018 at 10 am

Sign up to HOST your own canvass, so others in your area can sign up to go door-to-door with you or RSVP for an event happening near you here:  http://www.progressivemaryland.org/march2018canvasses

Member Leaders:

Come Out To Movement Politics Interest Meeting

If taking back our democracy by winning elections is where you want to build your organizing home, complete the Movement Politics Team Survey! I will be holding an in-person meeting on Wednesday, March 7th from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm to talk about volunteer strategy around the 2018 Primary. RSVP here!

Progressive Caucus Candidate Slate Interest Meeting

Progressive Maryland has set electing progressives into positions to govern as our top objective this year. We have recruited and endorsed a number of candidates that match our values for governing and we must put every effort possible into making sure that they run viable campaigns. Our candidate pipeline and endorsed candidates need to be one accord with the organization. I will be holding an in-person meeting on Wednesday, March 7th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm to talk about strategy. RSVP here!

If you aren't able to join us this week, Sign up for our Movement Politics Team and stay informed about the upcoming events by clicking here!  

OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE

BALTIMORE

(The previous memo, announced the non rescheduled date for this event)

Baltimore Chapter Office Opening and Community Meeting, RSVP here

On March 15th, 2018 at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, the Progressive Maryland Baltimore Chapter will be having its official Office opening.

We want to hear from you! On Thursday, March 22nd at 7 p.m. we'll be focusing on the problems and crafting community solutions to solve the problems in PG County. RSVP  here

Take Action Anne Arundel County 

Talbot Rising

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

PMD Montgomery

EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES

Thursday, April 5 -- County Council candidates forum. Details to be announced. 7:00 -- 9:00 p.m. Hoyer Education Center

Reading the Progressive Maryland Blog Space: our blogs for the previous week are shown below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blog space and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at [email protected]

Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM Blog Space from June 2015 through December 2016 are all available with descriptions and links here. You can follow blogs for 2017-18 starting from here

It will take each and every one of us involved and engaged to get the things we need and deserve to live and thrive in our state!

Join us to knock on doors in your community on Saturday, February 24th

Wobbles in the polls may unnerve Democrats, but recent Democratic candidates have won in deep-Red territory by speaking truth to power, Hal Ginsberg relates. "All is not lost for those hoping for an end to Republican hegemony in Washington, however, as recent victories on seemingly unfavorable terrain have shown."

Great breaking news from the Working Matters coalition (Progressive Maryland is on board):

The Working Matters coalition is delighted to report that the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act (MHWFA) will continue with no delays thanks to the House Economic Matters Committee (ECM).

In these difficult times when access to voting is under attack from the Right – especially access for poor people and those of color – some good pushback bills are in the General Assembly that deserve support. They will expand access to voting for all Marylanders.

Below is the testimony on two of them by Progressive Maryland (through Jennifer Dwyer, PM policy and legislative director) on one and by Common Cause with endorsement from Progressive Maryland on the second. The League of Women Voters, ACLU, PIRG, Brennan Center, SEIU, Sierra Club, Black Girls Vote and other organizations also signed on to the bill proposing election-day registration.

Statistics from the National Alliance for Mental Health are evidence of the importance of implementing psychologists within schools and obtaining more psychologists working in the juvenile justice system, PM's Prince George's intern shows. Without their help, many children and teens are susceptible to mental illness. We can reverse this detrimental trend by taking action and offering them access to therapy from certified mental health professionals.

Bend your energy toward the future… if everyone who marched against the current administration went out and spent a four-hour shift knocking on doors in their neighborhood in a mass canvass…. Well, you do the math. Energizing folks to realize their power – the power to vote, the power to engage in community action – is the simple startup solution to a lot of complex problems.