Celebrating National Seniors Day: Aging with Dignity and the Fight for Healthcare

By Patty Snee, Healthcare Justice Organizer, Progressive Maryland

(A valentine to all the incredible older adults in our communities across Maryland—you inspire us every day!)

Yesterday, we celebrated National Seniors Day! I’m just catching up because I was busy working on our state and national fight to protect our healthcare in the face of deadly and devastating healthcare cuts in the new federal budget. I hope you had a chance to celebrate. In addition to National Seniors Day, our country, in the past few weeks, has celebrated the 60th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid and the 90th Anniversary of Social Security! Monumental milestones! These enduring programs have been providing health and retirement security to millions of older folks for multiple generations. Seniors have contributed to our society all of their lives, and they deserve to age with dignity, respect, and access to the resources they need to thrive.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

PMD is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Accordingly, all terms and conditions of employment will be carried out without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, veteran status, age, pregnancy, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law (“protected status”). PMD will not tolerate acts deemed to constitute discrimination or harassment based on protected status. 

PMD’s procedure for responding to individual discrimination and harassment complaints concerning protected status is guided by the regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, although by their terms those regulations apply to some but not all of the protected status categories listed above. Any employee or applicant for employment who believes that unlawful discrimination or harassment has occurred must consult with the Executive Director, or the Executive Director's designee, within a reasonable period of time following the alleged discriminatory action. The Executive Director will then conduct an investigation and advise the employee or applicant of the findings and any remaining steps that may be taken. 

If the alleged discrimination involved the Executive Director, you should report the conduct to the President of the Board. The Board will establish a committee to investigate the complaint and determine a course of action. The committee will be charged with initiating the investigation, conducting the investigation, and determining a response or course of action within a reasonable period of time. PMD will conduct follow- up interviews to determine that the appropriate steps were taken and the issues were resolved. 

DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT 

PMD does not condone or excuse harassment of any kind. PMD’s policy prohibits employees from discriminating against or harassing their colleagues based on gender (more commonly known as “sexual harassment”) or another protected status. PMD will take immediate steps to address complaints of slurs or harassment based on protected status. 

This policy applies to all work-related settings and activities, whether inside or outside the workplace, and includes business trips and business-related social events. PMD’s property (e.g. telephones, copy machines, facsimile machines, computers, and computer applications such as e-mail and Internet access) may not be used to engage in conduct that violates this policy.

In a powerful and precent-setting moment, Governor Wes Moore has taken a groundbreaking step in the fight for environmental equity by signing Maryland’s first-ever Environmental Justice (EJ) Executive Order (EO). At a time when federal protections are being dismantled, Maryland is charting its own course—one that centers equity, accountability, and community partnership at the heart of state government operations.

Announced at a special event alongside key leaders and advocates, the Executive Order affirms that environmental justice is not just an ideal—it is a state-wide priority embedded in how Maryland governs, protects, and uplifts its people.

This EO is “a directive for action and a blueprint for equity,” said Governor Moore. He went on to state that this reflects Maryland’s unwavering commitment to environmental justice, regardless of what is happening in Washington, D.C., or elsewhere. Every single agency in Maryland will be part of this work, because it is core to what we do and who we are.

A Statement from our Director of Communications, Christianne Marguerite

At Progressive Maryland, we reaffirm our unwavering support for immigrant families across our state. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with CASA and our many ally organizations in the fight to ensure Maryland remains a safe and welcoming home for all who live here, regardless of their background or status.

This mission has taken on even greater urgency as we witness continued and deliberate attacks on immigrant residents across the country by the current federal administration. Policies born from racism and hatred generate fear and division. Harmful actions that strip away the dignity and humanity of our immigrant communities by tearing families apart with unjust deportations are endangering the lives of our neighbors and creating deeper generational trauma with health, wellbeing and financial consequences. 

This work is deeply personal for me. As a proud child of a Trinidadian immigrant and wife of a Dominican immigrant, I know firsthand the resilience and contributions that immigrants bring to our communities. My family’s story of coming to this country seeking education and opportunities is one of strength and hope, and it drives my commitment to fight for a Maryland where no one is forced to live in fear or suffer through discrimination from being treated as less than human. I find inspiration in knowing that one day, my children will look back with admiration on the hard work and sacrifices made by their parents and grandparents. I hope they will grow up in a thriving, diverse world where everyone is celebrated for who they are and where they come from.

At Progressive Maryland, we are resolute in fighting against dangerous attacks on our community and, under CASA’s leadership, advocating for policies that protect immigrant rights to uphold justice, compassion, and respect for all. We urge our lawmakers to pass the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, Maryland Data Privacy Act and Maryland Values Act. Together, we recognize the power of unity and collective action in the face of injustice. 

The road ahead may be challenging, but the fight for our rights is one we will never abandon. We are proud to say loudly and clearly that every community member deserves to live with dignity, to dream without barriers, and to thrive in a state they call home. Progressive Maryland stands firmly with our immigrant communities today, tomorrow, and always.

Call 1-888-214-6016 to report any ICE encounters and learn more about the fight for immigrant rights at wearecasa.org.

 Progressive Maryland Is Working To Transform Our Healthcare System to put

  People and Patients Over Profits!

Medicare For All!

The best solution to rooting out the excessive greed and addressing the problems that make our healthcare system so expensive, unjust, and inadequate is to transition to an Improved Medicare For All System.

Our M4A movement is gaining traction thanks to the work of our leaders, members, staff, and allies. Sen. Chris Van Hollen signed on as a cosponsor in November and Rep. April McClain Delaney (CD 06) became a House cosponsor in December. Check out the Senator’s video

If you live in Maryland’s Second or Third Congressional District please email or call Rep. Olszewski (CD 02) and Rep. Elfreth (CD 03) and ask them to join their fellow Maryland Representatives: Raskin, Mfume, Ivey, and McClain Delaney as sponsors of the Act. 

Facts and Talking Points Resource

 

Reclaim Medicaid Campaign!

Maryland must protect Medicaid enrollees and their caregivers and providers. The upcoming 2026 legislative session is critical. There’s still time for state lawmakers to take action before the funding cuts and changes take effect in late 2026. Progressive Maryland recommends that they:

• Hold community meetings  with impacted enrollees to hear their concerns and questions
• Prevent the  elimination of critical programs and services
• Put systems in place to support enrollees impacted by so called work requirements
• Get rid of the costly Middlemen MCOs in our state Medicaid system--Connecticut did this in 2012 and since then has saved $4 billion and achieved better health outcomes
  
  

 

Here’s what you can do:

• Sign the petition   
• Take the survey  

Pass the Safe Staffing Act, save lives!

Maryland has the longest Emergency Department wait times in the country, now for the 10th year in a row. Unacceptable!  Progressive Maryland, Marylanders for Patient Rights and 1199/ SEIU formed the Patient Worker Collaborative (PWC)  in 2025 in order to push for reforms like the Safe Staffing Act.

The Maryland House of Delegates has passed the Act 2 years in a row but the bill has not yet made it to a Senate floor vote. Let’s change that in 2026!

Learn more about the problem and the legislative solution here:

PWC PPT - Presentation  

Baltimore Sun op-ed 

Take Action - when we organize we win!

Come to the PWC virtual member meeting on Wednesday, January 14th at 5:30pm.

Email Patty at patty@progressivemaryland to get the zoom link.

 

 

Point of Contact:
Patty Snee
Healthcare Justice Campaign Lead Organizer
[email protected]

 

Progressive Maryland is deeply concerned by the Maryland General Assembly’s refusal to include Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) in the FY24 budget. This decision will harm over 100,000 Maryland families who are behind on rent. We are demanding our legislators turn this around and continue to fund the ERA program so we can keep Marylanders housed. We are urging our members to share their story about facing eviction to help persuade our elected officials and are asking the press to help keep up the pressure too by covering this urgent issue.

The Subminimum Wage and its Roots in Slavery

By: Christianne Marguerite, Director of Communications at Progressive Maryland

The issue of the subminimum wage has a deep and complicated history that dates back to the early days of slavery. This system has evolved over time, but its roots in slavery remain even to this day. In recent years, efforts have been made to end this legacy by raising the minimum wage for certain groups of workers.

Testimony Supporting Maryland Senate Bill 590

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Eligible Sources - Alterations 

(Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2023)

TO: Chair Feldman, and Members of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee

FROM: Christianne Marguerite, Director of Communications at Progressive Maryland 

DATE: February 27, 2023

POSITION: Favorable

Project Labor Agreements: A Community Good Worth Fighting For

To Black Construction Workers SQ.mp4

Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) are a type of pre-hire agreement unique to the construction industry and we need to make sure they are mandatory for any new school construction projects in Prince George's County. They lay out the terms and conditions of construction projects but can also require the hiring of local residents, which will help promote Black construction workers and Black-owned construction business given that Prince George's is predominantely Black. Right now, billions of dollars are being allocated to build new schools and this is great for our community, but we need to make sure that the workers who build these schools are from our community and have union wages and protections.

Oftentimes, PLAs include standards that all contractors and subcontractors must meet, like hiring local residents, participating in state-approved apprenticeship programs, paying area standard wages, and protecting workers against wage theft to combat discrimination increase productivity, and create value for taxpayers.

This is a community good worth fighting for and we need our County Executive, Angela Alsobrooks, to get on board with it. Please call her office and ask her to support PLAs for a better Prince George's.

What is a Project Labor Agreement? 

Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) are a type of pre-hire agreement unique to the construction industry. They lay out the terms and conditions of construction projects. Oftentimes, PLAs include standards that all contractors and subcontractors must meet, like hiring local residents, participating in state-approved apprenticeship programs, paying area standard wages, and protecting workers against wage theft.  

PLAs are widely used throughout the Baltimore-Washington region and across the United States. In fact President Biden recently issued an Executive Order requiring PLAs on federal projects valued at $35 million or more. 

Why PLAs are a Community Good:

-PLAs combat discrimination. PLAs set pay, benefit and jobsite safety standards that apply equally to all workers, regardless of their backgrounds. 

-PLAs promote jobs for local residents and local businesses. PLAs are frequently tailored to local community needs, including requiring the hiring of local residents, minority workers and women- and minority-owned contractors. And, PLAs are open to all contractors, both union and non-union. 

-PLAs create quality jobs with health and retirement benefits. A steady pipeline of PLA projects enables apprentices to get the hours they need to become union journey workers who will receive not only family-supporting wages but also family health insurance and a pension.  

-PLAs raise wages because they ensure that everyone on a construction project gets paid regularly and at the area standard rate, which prevents unscrupulous contractors from underbidding local competition.  

-PLAs promote quality apprenticeship programs and career opportunities. PLAs outline clear guidelines around apprenticeship programs and ensure that contractors and subcontractors performing work are participants in state/federally-registered apprenticeship programs. Once apprenticeship is completed and a worker becomes a journeyperson, they have a career accepted across the United States and beyond.

-PLAs increase productivity because they standardize work schedules and payment arrangements,which helps project owners better estimate construction costs. PLAs also prohibit strikes and lockouts, a benefit to owners and developers who want to prevent unexpected delays.  

-PLAs help small, local and minority businesses. PLAs accommodate any existing policies promoting the use of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses. In addition, union hiring halls ensure that small, local, and minority businesses have a steady supply of qualified workers to satisfy their workforce needs.  

-PLAs are good for safety. Safety violations are far less likely to occur on jobs with PLAs because PLAs include provisions that require and verify that contractors and subcontractors comply with all federal, state, and local safety laws.  

-PLAs create value for taxpayers. Studies show that PLAs lead to increases in productivity, economic impacts, and stability – and decreases in change orders and safety violations. In addition, PLAs are a mechanism for controlling construction costs and ensuring efficient completion of projects.

Don’t Believe the Lie – PLAs and Minority Businesses Can Work Together to Build Strong Communities

Across the Baltimore-Washington region and the United States, local governments are using both MBE requirements and PLAs to address racial disparities in construction contracting and employment.

Experience with PLAS both in and around Prince George's County demonstrates that this tried-and-true tool is not an obstacle to achieving high rates of minority business participation but can rather be used to promote that participation: 

• Under a PLA, the MGM National Harbor Casino exceeded local workforce participation goals, with 47 percent of workers being Prince George's County residents, and it met the goal of $368 million of contracts going to minority- and women-owned businesses. The project was completed on time and on budget. 
• The Banneker High School project, a PLA project, won the Engineering News-Record's Best K-12 Project of the Year in 2022. Built on time and on budget, the project saw no lost-time accidents during nearly 400,000 work hours. It also complied with DC's stringent local hiring requirements and participation requirements for certified local, small and disadvantaged businesses participation. 

In its pilot asbestos removal project with LIUNA and the Prince George's County Board of Education, the Board's report shows that of 63 workers employed, 98 percent were minority. Fifty-eight percent of the workers were residents of Prince George's County. Also of note, 56 percent were female.

Click to Call Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks urging her to support PLAs.

Progressive Maryland will host it's Annual Membership Assembly on Saturday, February 4th from 10:30am-1:30pm in Anne Arundel County. This member-exclusive event will feature guest speakers and issue task force breakout groups to discuss the future of the movement for building power for Maryland's working families. 

Progressive Maryland joined People’s Action and nearly 200 organizations to issue a letter urging Congress to pass the bipartisan Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act by the end of the year. If passed, the MAT Act would prevent overdoses, increase access to treatment, and reduce stigma by removing federal rules that prevent healthcare providers from prescribing a lifesaving medication for opioid use disorder.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the MAT Act in June of this year as part of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022. The package passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support (402-20). We are pushing for it to be included in the end of year omnibus spending bill. 

Since 1997, the United States has lost more than one million people to drug overdoses. More than 108,000 of those deaths occurred in 2021 alone. If nothing changes, we are projected to lose one million more people to drug overdose by 2030. Each person lost to the overdose crisis leaves behind loved ones - children without a parent, lost siblings, friends, and community members. 

Overdose deaths are preventable through evidence-based treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder that prevent withdrawal symptoms and stem cravings. By passing the MAT Act, Congress can prevent future deaths and help people with substance use disorder secure recovery.

You may view the full letter here.

In a recent announcement, Progressive Maryland endorsed 11 new candidates for the 2022 General Election, including Wes Moore for Governor.

The At-Large Council Members are acting to strip new Council Majority of zoning powers. Please take action against amending the new Zoning Ordinance.

Council members Calvin Hawkins and Mel Franklin are at it again, seeking to protect their own political power and developers interests over the community. This past Tuesday, Council Chair Hawkins and Council Member Franklin presented two bills they hope will prevent the incoming Council Majority from enacting positive, community-centered zoning legislation or hearing most zoning cases. 

Their bill, CB-91-2022 will amend the new Zoning Ordinance rules for enacting amendments to the Zoning Ordinance so as to require a Supermajority vote (8 votes) instead of the longstanding simple majority (6 votes). Hawkins and Franklin, in collaboration with other Council Members, have adopted countless friendly amendments to the Zoning Ordinance based on a simple majority vote. Now, they want to change the rules for an incoming Council Majority that they know will be accountable to the community instead of developers. 

CB-92-2022 will amend the new Zoning Ordinance to prohibit the County Council from hearing zoning and site plan cases from the Planning Board and Zoning Hearing Examiner. For decades, zoning hearings have been a vehicle for the community to express their concerns. If enacted, there will be no hearings for the community, and only appeals will come before the council in limited circumstances. Developers have long wanted to eliminate public hearings to avoid accountability.

In another anti-democratic move regularly used by Hawkins and Franklin, CB-91-2022 & CB-92-2022 are being rushed through the legislative process to avoid public awareness and scrutiny. ALL Zoning Bills must be "Introduced" by Tuesday, September 20th. These bills have been assigned to the "PHED Committee", which must convene next week, BUT NO DATES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED. This committee's members include current Council Members Mel Franklin, Calvin Hawkins, Todd Turner, Sydney Harrison, and Danielle Glaros. Many of this group of Council Members have a track record of trying to enact legislation that favors special interests groups over community stakeholders, always without community input, sometimes illegally as recent history has shown. The community has no way to plan to speak out against these bills at present. 

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO TAKE ACTION:

Progressive Maryland & PG Changemakers are working together to get the word out to the community so that we can stand up to these members, and let them know we oppose Council Bills 91 & 92 that seek to, once again, silence the voice and usurp the will of the voters by using our system of democracy to cater to developers and their own political power instead of their constituents. 

• Sign the petition

• Send an email to our County Council members

• Write to the Clerk of the Council asking that your comments be added to the record in CB-91-2022 & CB-92-2022. [email protected].

• When the Committee date is announced, sign up to speak. 

• Write to the County Executive and demand that she take a stand for Democracy in Prince George’s County. [email protected]. 

 Add your voice by signing the petition and/or send an email to your council members. Share them with friends and through your networks and ask them to pass them along. If the former Council Majority's failed attempt at illegal redistricting taught us anything, it is that when enough of us stand up together in solidarity and demand that our elected representatives do what's in the best interest of the people of this County, we WIN!

*The incoming Council Majority includes Wala Blegay, Ed Burroughs, Tom Dernoga, Jolene Ivey, Eric Olson and Krystal Oriadha (at least). These members have pledged to work together for a more transparent Council that works closer with communities and community leaders on land use and other matters.

We are delighted to announce that a coalition led by Progressive Maryland, the League of Women Voters of Anne Arundel County, Common Cause Maryland, and Maryland PIRG delivered petitions with more than 11,000 signatures to the Board of Elections to put a charter amendment on the ballot that would create a small donor campaign finance system for Anne Arundel County executive and council races. If certified by the Board, the amendment will then be included on the ballot in the general election this November for consideration by Anne Arundel County voters.