Maryland is characterized as a Blue state, but getting people-centered laws through our General Assembly, with supermajorities of Democrats in both chambers, can be a years-long grind. As Progressive Maryland's recap of the session (see more below) observes, "Although we cracked the Senate for immigration protections and secured a few additional wins, the fact remains that the state's political landscape remains hostile towards people-centered policies. It should not have taken the Maryland General Assembly so long to enact these immigrant protection policies and in this current climate, defined by a worsening crisis of affordability, rollback of civil rights, and white ethnonationalist sentiments, we need elected majorities that will act swiftly and in favor of working people, not corporate actors… A legislature that continues its legacy of stalling on people-centered policies or a legislature should be replaced by one that is responsive to the needs of everyday Marylanders."

And it’s an election year. There is a countable, name-able number of Assembly members who are shirking their duties to their constituents and instead listening too closely to well-paid, and well-paying, lobbyists. Find out who they are and replace them. 

HERE IN MARYLAND

ABOUT THE 2026 ASSEMBLY: Winners & Losers of What Was Supposed to Be A Quiet Session: It’s the fourth year of the legislative term, when lawmakers are supposed to stick to noncontroversial topics, avoid taxes and just not screw up. They didn’t pass any new taxes or raise any fees. But it wasn’t exactly drama-free, from the election of a new House speaker weeks before the start of the session and continuing through the final minutes, when House Democrats and Republicans erupted into a shouting match over the Maryland Voting Rights Act, which passed with a minute to spare. Maryland Matters. >> Progressive Maryland’s Legislative Debrief: "Although we cracked the Senate for immigration protections and secured a few additional wins, the fact remains that the state's political landscape remains hostile towards people-centered policies. It should not have taken the Maryland General Assembly so long to enact these immigrant protection policies and in this current climate, defined by a worsening crisis of affordability, rollback of civil rights, and white ethnonationalist sentiments, we need elected majorities that will act swiftly and in favor of working people, not corporate actors… A legislature that continues its legacy of stalling on people-centered policies or a legislature should be replaced by one that is responsive to the needs of everyday Marylanders. And it’s an election year.>> MACO’s Session Recap and Wrap-up: Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from taxes and public safety to housing, elections, education, procurement, and economic development. Maryland Association of Counties “Conduit Street”>>Gov. Moore signs 146 bills into law after legislators scrambled to get them over the finish line: Gov. Wes Moore signed 146 bills into law after Maryland legislators rushed Monday to pass legislation before the midnight deadline. Lawmakers rallied to address affordability and accountability as the state reacted to the Trump-Vance administration’s agenda, legislative leaders said Tuesday. Capital News Service (UM J-School)

Child-Care Scholarship Freeze Could Start Thawing Soon: This legislative session's infusion of $20 million into the state’s child care scholarship program for pre-schoolers aims to cut the current waiting list of 5,000 families by more than half, starting next fiscal year. When funding will actually arrive and how many seats could be filled at these childcare centers remains unclear. Maryland Matters.

Police Continue To Be First Responders To Mental Health Crises: When 25-year-old Alex LaMorie called Howard County Police for help during a mental health crisis, his family expected officers trained to de-escalate the encounter. Instead, police fatally shot the Columbia man, who had autism. Advocates say LaMorie’s March 1 death reflects a broader problem across Maryland and nationwide: Police are often the first responders to mental health crises, and too often, those encounters turn deadly. Baltimore Sun.

Dense Utility Relief Bill Difficult To Navigate: At more than 100 pages, the Utility RELIEF bill passed by the General Assembly addresses issues large and small, from data centers that burn through 25,000,000 watts of electricity a month to the minimum size of the sign for a public hearing on a transmission line route. But what’s in those pages for a typical utility customer? What savings will they see on their monthly bills? As you might imagine, it’s complicated. Baltimore Sun.

Maryland Among 14 States That Don't Report Data Center Incentives: Though public scrutiny of data centers is growing, 14 states do not disclose how much revenue they lose to data center tax breaks. Three states — Georgia, Virginia and Texas — report losing $1 billion or more per year to data center incentives, according to Good Jobs First. But Maryland, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah all failed to report data center incentives, which generally include sales, use and property tax breaks. Maryland Matters.

ICE Agents Chase Man Into Bakery, Scaring Workers, Customers: Federal immigration officers chased a man they were attempting to detain into a Baltimore bakery on Friday morning, leaving staff shaken from the encounter. The bakery’s owner said a man asked staff members in front if they spoke Spanish before running into the back area. Four ICE agents, described by the owner as “jacked up,” followed him into the business and began questioning staff and customers. Baltimore Banner.

Resident Who Traveled Internationally Becomes State’s First Measles Case of 2026 Maryland health officials announced the first case of measles in the state this year in a Baltimore-area resident who recently traveled internationally. The Maryland Department of Health issued a warning Sunday that people may have been exposed to the patient. Baltimore Banner.

‘Cash Bill' To Allow Dollars In MD Stores As Credit Card Interest Rates Climb: Montgomery County Del. Greg Wims told The Baltimore Sun that his push to ban cashless-only businesses began with a chance encounter at a Costco gas station, where a veteran told him he couldn’t use cash at local stores.  Baltimore Sun.

Lawmakers Crack Down On “Super Speeders” And Vehicles Registered In Va: Maryland lawmakers passed a pair of bills before the end of the 2026 legislative session aimed at cracking down on speeding and vehicles registered in Virginia. CBS News. 

THE REGION AND THE OTHER 49

Potomac River tops list of country’s most endangered rivers

The American Rivers report comes in the wake of a spill of 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the D.C.-area waterway. Even before the contamination, experts said, they were troubled by the strains put on the Potomac by the rapid development of data centers in the region, particularly in Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland. WaPo

GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND THE FEDS

Forest Service plan to close research stations stokes fear as wildfire season approaches

The agency is poised to shutter 57 stations in 31 states.  The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to close scores of research stations could threaten the nation’s wildfire readiness, many foresters fear, and erode decades of work to understand timber production, soil health, pests and diseases, watersheds and wildlife. Late last month, the Forest Service announced plans to close 57 of its 77 research stations, located across 31 states, merging them into a single organization in Fort Collins, Colorado. Stateline Daily

ICE went on a hiring spree. Sterling credentials were not required, AP investigation finds

The agency has said the majority of new hires are police and military veterans. But evidence is mounting that applicants with questionable histories were either not fully vetted before they were brought on or were hired in spite of their past, an investigation by The Associated Press found.

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Here is People’s Action federal affairs director Megan E’s weekly report on federal behavior, or misbehavior. People’s Action is the national affiliate of Progressive Maryland.

Hi People's Action!

Congratulations to Analilia! Former Popular Democracy co-ED Analilia Mejia won her special election to Congress last week! Woohoo! Analilia won a competitive primary earlier this year due to her strong support for Medicare for All and forcefully speaking up to get ICE out of our communities. She also defeated an AIPAC backed candidate. Analilia will be sworn in to Congress to represent NJ’s 11th Congressional district tonight. Many people and institutions in the progressive movement supported her campaign, including our member New Jersey Citizen Action. 

Last week, Senator Sanders forced a vote to block arms sales and bulldozers to Israel. These include $151.8 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs used in Gaza and Lebanon and $295 million worth of bulldozers used to demolish homes in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank. This is the fourth time that Senator Sanders has forced a vote like this in the last few years and he has gained Democratic support each time. This time, a record 36 Democrats voted against the bombs transfer and 40 voted against the transfer of bulldozers. 

Time reported on the seven Democrats who voted with Republicans to defeat the proposals. They are “Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Chris Coons of Delaware, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.” 

Israel’s government is becoming increasingly unpopular with people in both parties but particularly Democrats. Last week, Ezra Klein’s podcast focused on how Israel is ruling an apartheid regime and how the government is actively supporting settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. 

A House vote on a War Powers Resolution that would require Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran without Congressional authorization narrowly failed last week 213 - 214.  Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only Republican to cross party lines and vote for the measure and Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote against the measure. A similar vote happened in the Senate with Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voting with Democrats and Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) voting with Republicans. (There is some reporting this morning that not a single Pennsylvania House Democrat in the delegation will say Fetterman should run for reelection as a Democrat.)

Senator Lisa Murkowski is working with several Republican Senators on a War Powers resolution that they would offer after 60 days of War with Iran passes. 

New polling shows Trump’s approval ratings at a record low, sinking worse when asked about his handling of the economy and the Iran war. “Just 32% of Americans said they approve of Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living, compared to 68% who disapprove.” Trump’s approval of the Iran war is similar though more polarized. Almost all Democrats and 82% of independents disapproved of Trump’s handling of the war, while 26% of Republicans disapproved. 

DHS is still shut down. Trump can make one more TSA paycheck on Friday before running out of money. The Senate will release a budget resolution tomorrow giving instructions to committees on how to fund ICE & border patrol through budget reconciliation. We’ll know more by the end of the week if Republicans will include more than ICE & border patrol funding in that budget reconciliation package. 

Rising health care costs due to corporate greed in our health care system is a major driver of the affordability crisis. KFF is out with new polling showing that just under half of US adults find it difficult to afford health care costs. In the last 12 months, 36% of adults skipped or postponed getting care due to cost. 41% have medical debt. 

We may face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to legislate on health care in 2029. We need to rally behind the boldest possible reform, Medicare for All, that brings together the broadest possible movement. Congressional support for Medicare for All is growing. A majority of House Democrats are cosponsors of the bill and two more Senators joined the bill late last year. We expect to have strong support for Medicare for All among new members in 2028. 

 In addition to rising health care costs, Democrats are starting to understand that continuing to subsidize private insurers is not working or sustainable. Others rightfully understand Trump’s 2024 victory to be a wake-up call on Democrats failing to push hard enough for structural reforms that address inequality and affordability. Some more moderate members of Congress have joined the bill when facing serious primary challenges. A weak economy and labor market, DOGE cuts and impending AI layoffs will increasingly reveal that tying health care to jobs is harmful policy. Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first gen Z member of Congress, recently said that Medicare for All is the most important policy for gen Z,  struggling to get full-time permanent jobs that offer health care. 

Trump and Republicans gave us an organizing gift in blatantly trading health care funds for tax cuts for billionaires and then saying there is not enough money to extend ACA subsidies and then asking for over 10 times that cost for a war nobody supports or understands. 

Yet, some health care policymakers and advocates are stuck in the same mindset from five years ago and don’t understand these shifts. Now is not the time for overly complex incremental measures that prop up the same systems we’re seeing fail under the weight of attacks by Trump and Republicans. Now is the time for Medicare for All. Please sign on to the letter below. 

DEADLINE TBD Please Consider Signing this Open Letter to those seeking to reform our health care system: Dream Bigger in support of Medicare for All. I don’t have a deadline yet for the sign-on letter.  Sign on here. 

April 24th 2:00 -- 3:30pm: People's Action Institute is starting a Popular Education Book Talk Series! 

The first book is by Loretta J. Ross -- "Calling-in: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel" is really great. Loretta will be our first author on April 24th. You can register at the link below and see the other book talks that we’ll be doing:  https://www.tfaforms.com/5175784

In solidarity, 

Megan