"Around the country, states led by Democrats have expressed alarm about many of the new measures that Mr. Trump and his allies have described and have made broad preparations of their own," the New York Times (among many others) reports. "Lawyers have been scouring through the conservative policy plan known as Project 2025, and they have been strategizing how to challenge any such plans in an altered judicial landscape. Private advocacy groups have hundreds of lawyers ready to go to court. Governors in Democratic-led states have been preparing to coordinate."
Maryland's attorney general, Anthony Brown, is joining other blue-state AGs to strategize in next-door Pa. as the Trump revenge machine cranks into action. The state's other officials (see below) are wondering if they are now on their own as far as preparing systems for the impact of climate change. Counties and cities are putting together protections for their immigrant communities. Get the picture, storm clouds and all, in News You Can Use.

HERE IN MARYLAND

State Commission Delays Decision On Revenue-Raising To Fight Climate Change: A state commission is moving closer to suggesting that Maryland adopt aggressive revenue-generating measures to fund programs that confront climate change — but last week put off a decision until next month, so members can evaluate the impact of the presidential election on state policymaking. Maryland Matters.

Environmentalists To Seek Bottle Bill To Increase Recycling: It’s time to put Mr. Trash Wheel on a diet. Environmentalists say the iconic Baltimore waterfront hero has gobbled up too many plastic bottles — 1.8 million to be exact — over the last decade. They are pushing the Maryland General Assembly to pass a ‘bottle bill’ in the upcoming session in hopes of increasing recycling. WYPR-FM.

Small Business Owners Bullish On Gov. Moore, State Economy: Attendees to a large conference of small businesses in Maryland seemed bullish on the economy, which largely hadn’t affected their businesses negatively, as well as the leadership of Gov. Wes Moore. “It’s my impression that the state of Maryland is a great place for small businesses, and it seems that the governor, really and his entire administration, is focused on helping to grow small businesses,” said one Montgomery County businessowner. Baltimore Sun.

Bay Area Closer To Becoming Part Of National Parks System: The Chesapeake Bay area is one step closer to becoming part of the national parks system. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week passed the Chesapeake Bay National Recreation Area Act, moving it onto the Senate floor. The measure, sponsored by Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, would create the Chesapeake National Recreation Area in Maryland and Virginia and make it part of a network of sites overseen by the National Park Service. Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com. [More on the Bay/NP story from the Bay Journal]

Taking A Toll: Lawmakers Tackling Transit Needs See Political Landmines Ahead: Maryland officials at the center of conversations about how the state will pay for its underfunded transportation needs said Wednesday they will likely soon need to make politically unpopular decisions — including, potentially, higher tolls and shifting some taxing responsibilities from the state to new regional authorities. Baltimore Sun.

Maryland Among Worst States For Youth Imprisonment: Maryland is among the worst states in the nation when it comes to the number of prison inmates who began their time behind bars for crimes they committed as children, according to a report released last week. With 6% of its overall prison population incarcerated for crimes they committed as minors, Maryland trailed only Louisiana, Wisconsin and South Carolina, according to the report. Maryland Matters via Maryland Reporter

Audit: Housing Dept Failed To Monitor Compliance Of Loan Recipients: Developers who received state government loans to provide low-income multifamily housing had tenants who exceeded the age and income limits, according to a Nov. 14 audit of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The audit, conducted by the Office of Legislative Audits for the Maryland General Assembly, disclosed that the housing department did not effectively monitor loan recipients to ensure they were in compliance with the terms of the agreement. Baltimore Sun.

BPW Oks Wind Firm's Industrial Pier In W. Ocean City: Maryland's Board of Public Works approved US Wind's Tidal Wetlands License Application last week to build an industrial pier in West Ocean City, a move strongly opposed by many of the resort town's residents. The application, proposed by Baltimore wind company US Wind, requested to expand a 353-foot long pier used by local fishers. The permit is part of the company’s plan to build offshore wind turbines and bring renewable energy to Maryland.  Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.

Judge Says Virginia’s Inclusion in RGGI Stands Despite Youngkin’s Maneuvers – A Virginia court ruled last week that Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) administration cannot withdraw from an interstate carbon emission-capping compact without approval from the state Legislature. [Maryland and over a dozen other states are members.] Shortly after taking office in 2022, Youngkin announced plans to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multistate agreement the state General Assembly voted to enter under his Democratic predecessor, Ralph Northam. After the Legislature voted down multiple Youngkin-backed bills to withdraw, the State Air Pollution Control Board — which has a majority of Youngkin appointees — voted 4-1 to exit the agreement. However, in a five-page decision Tuesday, Floyd County Circuit Court Judge Randall Lowe declared the action “unlawful, and thereby null and void.” [A Youngkin spokesperson said he would appeal]. The Hill [more on this from the Bay Journal]

Blueprint Board Approves Another 15 School Districts: The board overseeing implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan approved plans from another 15 school districts Thursday, allowing those schools to receive 25% of Blueprint funds that had been withheld from this year’s budget. Maryland Matters.

Moore Puts $1.8M Toward Cybersecurity Training: Gov. Wes Moore announced a $1.8 million award to all 16 community colleges in the state last week to boost cybersecurity training and career opportunities. The Maryland Association of Community Colleges and BCR Cyber, a private company that provides cybersecurity training programs and job placement services, received the awards with funding from the Accelerating Cyber Careers grant by the Maryland Department of Labor. Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.

Key Bridge Replacement Could Be Taller Than Original: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge could be 45 feet taller when rebuilt, according to preliminary renderings from the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). In August, the agency submitted an application to the U.S. Coast Guard, including its initial plans for the rebuild. WJZ News. via Maryland Reporter

Children in Criminal Justice System Come With Trauma and Abuse: According to a new report, more than 70% of adults incarcerated in Maryland for crimes they committed as children were physically abused before being locked up. WYPR via Maryland Reporter. 

PG And Ba Co Polls On Would-Be County Exec Replacements: As political insiders in Baltimore and Prince George’s counties anticipate the looming fights to replace their departing county executives, a new poll shows that voters in the two jurisdictions don’t know a lot about their likeliest successors. Maryland Matters.

IN THE OTHER 49 STATES

Feds Roll Out 2025-26 FAFSA College Aid Form Ahead Of Schedule: The 2025-26 form to apply for federal student aid is now available to all students and families, the U.S. Department of Education said last week. The department used a staggered approach to launch the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — to address any issues before the form became available to everyone at a later date. Maryland Matters. 

Cities cut red tape to turn unused office buildings into housing: Nearly a fifth of office space across the country sits empty, a record high vacancy rate that’s expected to keep growing. Seeking both to boost their economies and ease their housing shortages, cities are taking steps to encourage the conversion of unused office space into much-needed housing. States Newsroom

Texas Board of Ed bribes schools to adopt Bible-heavy curriculum [our headline] A majority of the Texas State Board of Education gave final approval to a state-authored curriculum under intense scrutiny for its heavy inclusion of biblical teachings. School districts can choose their own lesson plans, but the state will offer $60 per student to districts that adopt the lessons, The Texas Tribune reports. Route Fifty

NATIONAL AND THE FEDS

Blue States Worry That Blocking Trump Will Be Tougher This Time
 Democrat-led states successfully challenged policies during the first Trump administration. Now, they worry the new White House will be more prepared and less restrained. NYT

As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing by 
Some militia groups may see it as their duty to assist with immigration-control efforts. Some may even be deputized for this purpose by local law enforcement agencies.The Conversation

Based on market behavior after Trump's win, who can be expected to benefit most? The Economist reported "Shares in GEO Group and Core Civic, which own and run prisons, soared by two-thirds in the three days after the election, beating the rest of America’s 1,500 most valuable firms. Investors’ reasoning may be cold, but it is clear: Mr Trump takes a hard line on criminal justice. He is expected to revoke Joe Biden’s executive order phasing out the federal government’s use of private prisons, having rescinded a similar edict by Barack Obama in his first term."

US House passes measure that could punish nonprofits Treasury Department decides are ‘terrorist’: Organizations representing nonprofits have condemned this bill, which critics see as a threat to President-elect Donald Trump’s opponents. [the Senate still has to pass it]. The Conversation

And here is the weekly dispatch by People's Action federal affairs director Megan E (People's Action is Progressive Maryland's national affiliate):

Last week, Senator Sanders forced a series of votes on the Senate floor on three resolutions to block the sale of certain, offensive weapons to Israel. The vote failed, however a total of 19 Democratic and Independent Senators voted for at least one of the resolutions, which was historic in nature. Getting 18 Democrats to vote with Senator Sanders was an organizing victory. Congratulations to Take Action Minnesota on their organizing to get Senator Smith to vote for all three resolutions. People’s Action also organized a meeting for Maryland constituents with Senator Van Hollen’s office and submitted a vote recommendation in favor of the resolutions.

Jewish Voice for Peace said this about the historic vote: “Over a year into the U.S.-backed genocidal Israeli military campaign of slaughter, starvation, and annihilation against Palestinians, it is unconscionable that the majority of the Senate voted to continue arming Israel unconditionally. But this vote was proof of a permanent rupture in the once unquestioning bipartisan support for the Israeli government’s atrocities against Palestinians and a critical step toward ending the flow of lethal weapons to the Israeli government.” “In spite of immense pressure from President Biden and the pro-war lobby, an unprecedented number of Democratic Senators – close to half of the Senate Democratic caucus – voted in favor of halting weapons shipments to the Israeli military.  Over a year into the U.S.-backed genocidal Israeli military campaign of slaughter, starvation, and annihilation against Palestinians, it is unconscionable that the majority of the Senate continues to support arming Israel. But this vote was proof of a permanent rupture in the once unquestioning bipartisan support for the Israeli government’s atrocities against Palestinians and a critical step toward ending the flow of lethal weapons to the Israeli government.” – Beth Miller, Political Director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action. Their full statement is available here. 

Senators who voted in favor of one or more of the three resolutions are Senators Tim Kaine (VA), Bernie Sanders (VT), Peter Welch (VT), Jeff Merkley (OR), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Elizabeth Warren (MA), Brian Schatz (HI), Dick Durbin (IL), Ben Ray Luján (NM), Chris Murphy (CT), Ed Markey (MA), Angus King (ME), Jon Ossoff (GA), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Raphael Warnock (GA), George Helmy (NJ), Tina Smith (MN), Martin Heinrich (NM), and Mazie Hirono (HI).

HR 9495, which would make it easier to strip the 501(c)(3) organizations of their tax exempt status if the federal government finds that they have provided “material support to terrorist organizations,” also passed the House, with 15 Democrats voting in support of the measure (down from 52 the previous week). This bill is not likely to move through the Senate this year but could more easily be added to a larger package next year. Existing law makes it easy for Muslim and Arab organizations and other organizations that may fund humanitarian aid abroad, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank to be labeled as supporting terrorist organizations with minimal due process. We saw this earlier this year when the UNRWA was stripped of US and other funding. HR9495 would make it easier to then pull such an organization's 501(c)(3) status. [See also our story, above, from The Conversation].

The biggest news in the Trump administration is that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, self-appointed leaders of our oligarchy, will run the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency.” They seek to massively cut government spending and the government workforce making a ridiculously false constitutional argument that the President doesn’t have to spend money that Congress appropriates (and they think that Trump’s Supreme Court will rubber stamp this idea). 

From MSNBC: “Ramaswamy summarized the aims of this group much better earlier this week, when he openly endorsed the idea of instituting “Milei-style cuts, on steroids. That's what's really at stake here: brutal cuts to the government. As I’ve written previously for the blog, Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, instituted severe austerity measures that caused his country’s poverty rate to skyrocket above 50% in the ensuing months. Musk has proposed similar cuts to the ones Milei instituted. And Ramaswamy clearly thinks even more crushing austerity than what Argentina has experienced should be on the menu for Americans. Milei, by the way, has said Musk and Ramaswamy — both billionaires — should push these cuts ‘to the very limit.’” 

These plans won’t be popular and can be slowed or stopped if we organize. 

With Matt Gaetz quitting Congress (and withdrawing from his nomination for Attorney General - don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll find a home in the Trump administration that doesn’t require Senate confirmation) due to his illegal activities and Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations, it’s looking like Republicans will start Congress with a two seat majority, making it relatively easy to thwart their agenda. 

Here's what's in this email today....

ISSUE UPDATE: ELECTIONS

The US needs more working-class political candidates | Dustin Guastella and Bhaskar Sunkara in The Guardian -- Union mechanic Dan Osborn’s independent campaign outperformed Kamala Harris by 14 points in Nebraska

ISSUE UPDATE: CLIMATE

In this guest column, Tulane Professor Joshua Basseches argues that even with the expected Trump Administration hostility to clean energy, there is still a lot the states can do. Here's why.

Climate policy conflict in the U.S. states: a critical review and way forward

Climatic Change - Many U.S. states have taken significant action on climate change in recent years, demonstrating their commitment despite federal policy gridlock and rollbacks. Yet, there is still...

How to keep the climate fight alive through a second Trump term

Leah Stokes and Adrian Deveny, two architects of the Inflation Reduction Act, sketch out a plan to keep the clean energy transition on track.

Why back public-owned power? Easy: Investor owned utilities using ratepayer money to fund MAGA “The top contributors this cycle have been some of the largest names in the utility sector: NextEra Energy, Southern Co., Dominion Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric and Duke Energy, followed closely by Entergy.”

ISSUE UPDATE: DEMOCRACY

NLRB Board Rules Captive-Audience Meetings Unlawful

Today, the Board issued a decision in Amazon.com Services LLC, ruling that an employer violates the National Labor Relations Act by requiring employees under threat of discipline or discharge to attend meetings in which the employer expresses its views on unionization

In solidarity, Megan