The Maryland General Assembly begins its 2019 session today with a lot of handshaking and baby-carrying, as a large (though not record-setting) group of first-timers begins the process of settling in while some veterans in new positions of authority look to shore up their fiefdoms as early as possible.

Progressive Maryland and allies will be carrying an agenda for working families and empowerment to every part of the session from committees to the floor between now and the finish of business with April's sine die.

The Maryland General Assembly begins its 2019 session today with… almost nothing, actually. There will be a lot of handshaking and baby-carrying, and a large (though not record-setting) group of first-timers begins the process of settling in while some veterans in new positions of authority look to shore up their fiefdoms as early as possible.

Progressive Maryland and its allies will be carrying an agenda for working families and empowerment to every part of the session from committees to the floor between now and the finish of business with April's sine die.

There will be demonstrations, of course, on the session’s opening day… one of the more prominent, at 11 a.m., is pushing to solidify gains on renewable power sources and link them to Green Jobs. Veterans of protests past will feel like newbies because Lawyer’s Mall, the sculpture-bedecked venue right in front of the State House, is closed for an upgrade and a new designated rally spot a block away is the substitute.

Meanwhile in the hallowed halls, the General Assembly will convene at noon. Observers of that mini-circus anticipate progressive enthusiasm to collide with the biz-as-usual tenor of the Democratic leaders, with the inexplicably popular Larry Hogan looking over the leadership’s shoulders. Here’s what the Sun sees ahead for the session.

Those who don’t want to be surprised by the outcome of the session when April rolls around should check out the major aggregators of news, which do a great job of fact and interpretation roundups. Most of them will send you an email with the daily haul.

Maryland Reporter

Maryland Matters

Center Maryland

And of course the Progressive Maryland blogspace will rely on all those plus our own activists and blogger-activists to keep you up on how our project is going. What’s the project? Gaining power for working people and keeping those already in power on their toes.

Stay tuned.