Despite a two-week hiatus for Progressive News You Can Use, things just kept on chugging along in Maryland, in the other states, and at the federal level (though it looks as though Congress has given up on even the appearance of being effective). So there is lots to catch up on, including the Ocean City meeting of local and state government folks at the Maryland Association of Counties (MaCo). They hope to solve some persistent budget problems. Our workers worry about budget problems, of course, but also surviving the hot weather as heat protections for workers are crawling to a conclusion after long wrangling. So there is plenty here to churn through, and every shred of this is important, take out word for it. It's Progressive News You Can Use from (who else?) Progressive Maryland.

HERE IN MARYLAND

This is a particularly good time to get on your local government officials about Improvements to Your Everyday Surroundings and Local Services. Why? They are going to the beach. The annual conference of the Maryland Association of Counties takes place this week in O.C., and although Maryland Matters says they’ll be focused on the state’s budget problems and not sandy sojourns, the prospect of the best weather of the summer may beckon. Maryland Matters continues that “there will be hours of sessions on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and behavioral health to education, energy and the environment. Local leaders will use the convention to meet with state officials, including Cabinet secretaries and the governor, who wraps up the conference with an address on Saturday. But hanging over this year’s convention are billions in looming structural state budget deficits, driven by the costs of the ambitious Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reforms. There are billions more in shortfalls in the Transportation Trust Fund that could stall some projects.”

$19 Million Public Safety Grants For 36 State Colleges And Universities: Three weeks after the Board of Public Works approved nearly $150 million in budget reductions for this year, Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Thursday that 36 colleges and universities will share nearly $19 million in grants for campus safety projects. Maryland Matters.

Trump’s Plan To Relocate Federal Workforce Could Impact DMV Economy: Trump’s vow to eliminate, overhaul or relocate big chunks of the federal bureaucracy could have a significant economic impact in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. WaPo

Election Board Asks Fed Appeals Court To Uphold Lower Court Ruling: The Maryland State Board of Elections is asking a federal appeals court to uphold a lower court decision dismissing a lawsuit intended to stall the 2024 elections in the state. Maryland Matters.

Uh Oh -- A D.C. Metro safety audit found that train operators are allowed or forced to work after nights of heavy drinking and on too little sleep. (WTOP) via StreetsBlog

Youth With Severe Mental Health Needs Sent To Detention Centers: Young Marylanders with severe mental health needs are being “inappropriately” sent to detention settings that are struggling to help them, according to the state’s Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit. Baltimore Sun.

Workplace Heat Rules Are In Final Stretch: After nearly four years of discussion, and a week after a Baltimore sanitation worker died of heat-related causes, proposed state regulations to protect workers from heat stress are nearing the final stages of review. Maryland Matters. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Banner reports, “emergency room and urgent care visits for heatstroke, heat exhaustion and hyperthermia are the highest recorded in the last five years, according to the health department.”

‘Clean Energy’ Battery Manufacturer Gets Federal, State Grants: Maryland’s clean-energy future — and maybe the clean-energy future of the U.S. and the entire world — is being developed in a lab in Beltsville, using battery technology that was developed just down the road at the University of Maryland. ION Storage Systems recently won a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to scale up its technology. And Gov. Wes Moore (D) said the state was kicking in another $1 million, while the Maryland Technology Development Corp., the state’s venture capital agency for technology, would provide another $1.5 million. Maryland Matters.

 
Pedestrian Deaths Shoot Up In Maryland: Pedestrian fatalities increased in Maryland last year even as state agencies, local jurisdictions and grassroots organizations work to improve the safety and experience of roadways for all users. Maryland saw an 18% increase in pedestrian deaths in 2023 amid a 5% decrease nationwide, according to preliminary data from the Governors Highway Safety Association released in June. Baltimore Sun. via Maryland Reporter

 More Parents Using Religious Exemption To Opt Out Of Vaccines: With schools set to start in a couple weeks, most parents of kindergartners are working to make sure to get required vaccinations for their children before sending them off to school. But not all parents. Over the last decade, more parents have opted their children out of vaccination requirements through the use of nonmedical religious exemption – especially in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Maryland Matters via Maryland Reporter

PSC Sets Hearing On Westminster Solar Farm: The Maryland Public Service Commission has scheduled a public hearing on a proposal to build a solar farm on agricultural land in Westminster. The state commission will hold an online hearing at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 before Public Utility Law Judge Christine L. Burke, for a proposal from Bear Branch Solar LLC, to construct a 4-megawatt solar farm on 65 acres north of Westminster. Carroll County Times.

Federal Court Upholds Maryland Assault Weapons Ban: A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld Maryland’s ban on the sale and possession of military-style assault weapons in the state, raising the possibility of another Supreme Court showdown over gun laws. Baltimore Banner

The 10-5 split decision by the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond leaves in place the 2013 law, despite recent landmark rulings by the nation’s highest court that some felt would nullify the decade-old Maryland law. Maryland Matters

After dissecting how high-powered assault rifles are ineffective and inappropriate for self-defense, and recounting in some detail the horrors of mass shootings in the United States, the court endorsed the Maryland law by saying, “Our nation has a strong tradition of regulating excessively dangerous weapons once it becomes clear that they are exacting an inordinate toll on public safety and societal wellbeing.” WaPo

MARC, Virginia Railway Express Unveil Ticket-Sharing Agreement Between States: Some riders will be able to transfer from MARC to Virginia Railway Express trains without buying another ticket, and vice versa, under a deal announced this week. The region’s two commuter rail services said they are bringing back a ticket-sharing agreement that will make train travel between Maryland and Virginia a little smoother for passengers. As of Thursday, MARC and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) riders with a weekly, monthly or 10-trip pass on either service can transfer to the other rail line at Washington, D.C.’s, Union Station without having to buy a new ticket. The program currently does not apply to single-trip tickets. The two train systems previously had a similar agreement, but it ended in 2015. WTOP news

Unions, State Officials Hope Long-Awaited Workplace Heat Rules Are in Final Stretch

After nearly four years of discussion, and a week after a Baltimore sanitation worker died of heat-related causes, proposed state regulations to protect workers from heat stress are nearing the final stages of review. The proposed regulations were published by the Division of Labor and Industry on July 26, starting a 30-day public comment period. A hearing has been scheduled for next Friday, Aug. 16, and barring any major changes, the new rules could be in place by early fall. Denise Gilmore, legislative director with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 3, said the proposed regulations aren’t perfect, but are much better than going without regulations.

University System Of Maryland Workers Secure ‘Historic’ System-Wide Union Contract

After years of negotiation, University System of Maryland workers secured what they called a “historic” system-wide union contract that will increase minimum wage, improve annual leave and establish new health and safety protocols, their trade union said. The University System of Maryland signed the pact earlier this month, after a majority of workers represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 3 supported the contract last month, according to a press release by the union. The agreement will affect about 5,700 workers at several public institutions in the Baltimore area, including University of Baltimore, Coppin State University, University of Maryland Baltimore and University of Maryland Baltimore County. “We fought for the rights of all of the workers who keep the university system running,” Kevin Carr, a program specialist at Coppin State University, said in the release. “We’ve set the groundwork for future system-wide contracts, and we won big for everyone!” Baltimore Banner

THE OTHER 49

Wisconsin will use federal ARPA funds to raise caregivers’ wages

The state will raise wages for workers who provide care to the elderly and people with disabilities, following an executive order from Gov. Tony Evers earlier this month. Evers directed the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to spend $258 million in federal funding on establishing a fee floor for certain preexisting Medicaid programs that support both in-home and facility-based care services. According to a press release announcing the investment, the Wisconsin funding will amount to a 15 percent rate increase for home-based services, and about a 41 percent increase for residential care services. Wisconsin Public Radio

Enviros cheer court OK on tighter factory farm regs in Michigan 

A Michigan Supreme Court ruling earlier this month upholding the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s (EGLE) ability to announce stricter permit conditions for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) than outlined in the department’s formal rules is being celebrated by multiple environmental groups.  Five of seven justices held that EGLE had not violated proper rulemaking when issuing new general permit requirements limiting the amount of phosphorus that can be applied to land and revising setback requirements for where these feeding operations can apply livestock waste. The Environmental Law and Policy Center released a report earlier this year calling for stricter regulations on CAFOs, examining the various ways these operations contribute to pollution in the state. With permitted large scale feeding operations producing 17 million more pounds a day than the state’s 10-million population daily, many dairy and hog feeding operations use liquid manure systems and store untreated waste in liquid form in “lagoons” which are later applied to crop fields as fertilizer. Michigan Advance via States Newsroom

PJM capacity auction to lead to double-digit rate hikes for Exelon utilities: CFO

When asked about possible power plant ownership, Exelon President and CEO Calvin Butler said, “We’re working with our [state utility] commissions on all types of scenarios.”

Utility Dive. And from Inside Climate News, Consumers—and the Environment—Are Going to Pay for Problems With the Nation’s Largest Grid Region

Prices soared last week in an auction conducted by PJM Interconnection, reflecting a backlog of approval for renewable energy projects.

NATIONALLY

If there’s any doubt that our students are faster on their feet than the folks who run their K-12 schools, the NYT has a roundup for you on how kids seek distraction in the classroom as an exit door from learning. And it’s not all just cellphones.

Usual suspects fight health care for Dreamers: Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of 15 states in an attempt to stop President Joe Biden from expanding health care access to “Dreamers” by making them eligible for participation in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace, the Kansas Reflector reports. He was joined by attorneys general in Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia.

In case you are wondering where some of this social media garbage comes from, here’s a clue: Gamergate’s Legacy Lives on in Attacks Against Kamala Harris  A decade after Gamergate launched a new, toxic era of online communication, the tactics developed and honed in 2014 are now in full view in attacks against the vice president. WIRED

Congress Limps To End Of A Disappointing Session, With Just 78 Laws To Show So Far Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades. The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions. [and not much time to improve its record]. Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line. Maryland Matters

NATIONAL/FEDERAL

From Megan E, federal affairs director at People’s Action, our national affiliate:

Last week, Vice President Harris announced that Governor Tim Walz will run as her Vice-Presidential candidate. Walz is the most progressive of the candidates that she was looking at. People’s Action’s statement on the announcement is available here.  Harris is ticking up in the polls but the race is still very close. 

Congress is out for August recess. 

Here's what's in this email today for our progressive activists in Maryland....

Wed, 8/14 7pm ET Please register and share our livestream “Our Future is Now” PPLS.AC/FUTURE  Our future is now! Join U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Sulma Arias and People's Action members from all across the country to discuss what we can do to meet everyday Americans’ urgent needs and rebuild the American dream for poor, working, and middle-class people. Jayapal chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), which represents nearly 100 progressive members from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The CPC recently released their Progressive Proposition Agenda, a framework to expand access to health care, housing and education, protect the environment, strengthen democracy and defend fundamental rights in 2025 and beyond.

ALSO: Join People’s Action Institute and 350.org for a Utility Justice Week of Action from August 12-18. Across the country, we’re demanding clean and affordable energy for everyone!

Find an action near you: https://ppls.ac/utilityjustice

Sign & Share Uncommitted’s Petition to Demand the DNC Allow Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan to Speak at the Democratic National Convention (DNC)

ISSUE UPDATE: CLIMATE

PJM Interconnection [from Chicago to NC], the organization that oversees the country’s largest grid region, held its annual “capacity” auction last week to secure the resources needed to meet projected electricity demand in 2025-26 (see above). It resulted in a price surge, with a projected cost of $14 billion, compared to $2.2 billion from the previous auction, for 2024-25… The winners include anyone operating a coal, natural gas or nuclear plant that may be struggling to stay afloat financially… “It just shows how poor the planning is,” said Ric O’Connell, executive director of GridLab, a nonprofit that does technical analysis for regulators and renewable power advocates. He said “it’s depressing” that wind and solar make up such a tiny part of the mix. Consumers across PJM’s territory, which runs from Chicago to North Carolina, who indirectly pay these costs through their electricity bills, lose when prices go up.

Federal Appeals Court Reverses Approval of Massive LNG Export Plants in South Texas

The Washington D.C. court ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission failed to adequately assess the plants’ environmental justice, climate and air pollution impacts.

ISSUE UPDATE: HOUSING

NYTimes published an Opinion piece about the Louisville Tenants Union, a member of the Tenant Union Federation:  “In Louisville, a Tenants Union Stares Down the Housing Crisis” by Tressie McMillan Cottom: “An organizing effort could set a template for helping the nation’s poorest and marginalized Americans find stability.”