Welcome to the Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday, April 9 to Monday, April 16 (and beyond). This is the full version of the Memo. If you subscribe to the email version of the Memo you get a trim, brief and easy to scan version with plenty of links leading you to the information you want (you can sign up to get that every week here.)
TODAY – Monday, April 9 – is Sine Die, the end of the line for the Maryland General Assembly (if they finish their work by midnight). Most people would say they have not really finished their work because they left many important things undone (as well as accomplishing some less helpful measures, such as the denatured but still toxic remnants of the unacceptable SB 122, a comprehensive crime bill that singled out and penalized poor communities of color).
A lot of these legislators, including many Democrats, are hoping that by June 26 Primary Election Day you will have forgotten about the votes they cast this spring that followed the wishes of big business rather than the interests of working families. We will work to make sure that doesn’t happen. So stay tuned.
STATEWIDE ACTIONS
From Protest to Power April Canvass
From January through the fall elections of 2018, grassroots member-leaders from People’s Action organizations around the entire country will be knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors as we move from Protest to Power. On the fourth Saturday of every month, our people-powered organizations will be talking with voters about the issues they care most about and the candidates who will govern for and with our communities. We will connect with voters about the Protest to Power Platform, the candidates who support that platform, and the most important issues in voters’ lives.
How do we create the world we know we deserve? We have to organize. We are knocking on doors together for progressive candidates  and moving from #ProtestToPower!
APRIL 28 MASS CANVASS -- Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 10:00 AM Ceremony Coffee Roasters - The Warehouse in Annapolis, MD
Anne Arundel Canvass -- Annapolis, MD
Join Take Action Anne Arundel County in canvassing voters in District 30 of Annapolis. We are talking to voters about the issues they care about and about candidates who share our values. S (show all)
Donate Volunteer Find an Event
Sign Up to Phone Bank, Canvass, and More with the Movement Politics Team!
Progressive Maryland's Movement Politics Team has plenty of roles for people who want to volunteer with us!
Sign up below or with our Google Form!
 >>>If you are interested in canvassing:
Please make sure to bring something to drink, supportive walking shoes, and a fully charged smart phone with the MiniVAN application downloaded.
The MiniVAN app can be found at the iTunes store or in the Google Play Android Applications.
>>>Â If you are interested in phone banking:
You will need a charged WiFi-capable laptop and mobile phone, with charging cords as needed.
Please RSVP to receive the auto-dialer URL link to canvass remotely!
 Canvass? What’s that about? Now that I can spell it, what more is there to know? FIND OUT HERE.
Join our Movement Politics Team by clicking here!
Do you want to join the Mass Liberation (a campaign to end mass incarceration) team?
Contact:Â Seanniece - [email protected]Â
Mama' Day Bailout Fundraiser
We're bailing out Moms for Mother's Day!
Saturday, April 14Â Mental Health and the School to Prison Pipeline Listening Session
Hear from the student panel and craft community solutions that we can work on together!
Event co-hosted by School Board member Raaheela Ahmed 9AM-12 PM Bowie High School
Â
Monday, April 16Â Protesting the Concrete Batching Plant in Bladensburg
Port Towns Environmental Action is asking Prince Georgians show up at the hearing and wear red in opposition of the concrete batching plant and its environmental impact.Â
1:30 PM County Admin Building 14741 Gov. Oden Bowie Drive, First Floor, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Â
Thursday, May 3Â Sheriff's Candidate ForumÂ
6PM Reid Temple RSVP here
Thank you to everyone that came to our March From Power to Protest canvass! Stay engaged with PMD Montgomery by signing up for upcoming canvasses in April.Â
New blog posts:
- Pipeline Under the Potomac, by Susan Nerlinger
-
Pileated Woodpecker and the Value of Green Spaces, by Susan Nerlinger
Take Action Anne Arundel County
 Tuesday April 10 - Stand with Take Action Anne Arundel County and show your support for clean energy alternatives in Anne Arundel County. Sign on-line petition supporting community solar pilot projects here.Â
·        The state law permitting community solar pilot project is a ticking clock. An eight month moratorium means community solar projects won't happen at all in our county.
·        Wouldn't you rather the county and the community work through the issues in real time rather than just under an arbitrary 8 month delay?
·        Sign by April 10 for your voice to be heard at the April 19 Agritourism Commission meeting where county decisions will be made about community solar.Â
Thursday April 19 at 7 p.m. - Legislation & Elections: The Political Tango at Edgewater Community Library
Join Take Action Anne Arundel County in a discussion of the dance between seeking legislative change and having the right legislators in power to make change happen.
Discussion topics will include
Recap of state legislative session and campaign by SEIU Local 500 to end the choke hold that the Senate President has on bringing legislation to vote in committee
Electoral Politics - the endorsement process and canvassing for candidates who share our values and priorities
School Board Elections - what issues do you care about as a parent or resident? Take Action Anne Arundel County is putting together a candidate survey for Anne Arundel School Board
Saturday April 28 at 10am - From Protest to Power Canvass in Annapolis
Do you care about strong public education, affordable healthcare, a living wage, clean water and clean air? Do you want to see candidates who share these values win in the primary? Then you are invited to canvass with us!
Meet at Ceremony Coffee Roastery at 90Â Russell Ave. in Annapolis. RSVP here. We'll have a brief training over coffee and then head out to knock doors in the neighborhood. We are focused on talking about issues that voters care about and supporting candidates endorsed by Progressive Maryland, including Ben Jealous for Governor.
We will be canvassing in Columbia, MD to register voters. You can sign up for this date, and other dates, here:
Sunday, April 22 Candidate Forum  1 p.m. C. Burr Artz Public Library - Downtown
Frederick County Progressives will be hosting a candidate forum with State and County candidates who will be running in 2018 primary elections. More information, including candidates, will be posted soon. RSVP
SAT April 21 Talbot Rising GENERAL MEETING -- Spring Into Action is the focus of our General Meeting on Saturday,  April 21 from 10 am to 12 pm, location TBD. Come get plugged in to help progressive candidates’ primary campaigns, both our endorsed candidates – Ben Jealous for Governor and Mike Pullen for Congress – and Talbot County Council.  We will also discuss continuing voter registration efforts and preparing to get out the vote during early voting from Thursday, June 14 through Thursday, June 21.
Â
Lower Shore Progressive Caucus
Â
EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES
Â
WED April 11 Rally for Criminal Justice Reform – Ben Jealous with guest Sen. Corey Booker (NJ) 7 PM Busboys and Poets Hyattsville 5331 Baltimore Ave Hyattsville, Maryland 20781 more info at RSVP
SUN, April 15, 2:30-5:00 pm – Discussion of "Building Synergy between Anti-war and Climate Change". With lead speaker Alexis Baden Mayer -- Greenbelt Community Church, 1 Hillside Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20770. RSVP and info MUPJ, PGP&JC, GCAN are co-sponsors.
MON April 16 Reel and Meal at the New Deal, free movie at 7 preceded by vegan meal ($14) at 6:30. New Deal Café, Roosevelt Center, Old Greenbelt. Film program is in formation; check updates at https://www.newdealcafe.com/events/reel-and-meal/
SUNDAY Apr 15 Coalition For Community Empowerment and Police Accountability (CEPA), “Know Your Rights” training- 3- 5 pm at the Davies UU church in Camp Springs.   ACLU-MD is a co-sponsor. All are welcome to come learn about protecting ourselves individually in police encounters, plus actions we can take to increase community control of police behavior. Event details Weather caused rescheduling from original March 21 date.
MON, April 16, 1:30-3:30pm - hearing about Concrete Batching in Bladensburg at the County Admin Bldg in Upper Marlboro. https://www.facebook.com/JoinPTEA/Â
WED April 18 Open public meeting on MWCOG Transportation Planning Board's long-range plan at 7 p.m., College Park Airport Operations Building. For more info see here.
TUES April 17 and 24 INFO SESSIONS: Beltway Toll Lanes discussing Gov. Hogan’s announced plan to add 4 express toll lanes to the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Maryland, I-270 between the Beltway and Frederick, and to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Two meetings in Prince George’s are - Tuesday, April 17, 6:30-8:30 pm, Dr. Henry Wise, Jr., High School, 12650 Brook Lane, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 and
- Tuesday, April 24, 6:30-8:30 pm, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, 7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt, MD 20770Â Â More information: [email protected].
Â
Baltimore comrades, Check in on Max Obuszewski’s highly useful calendar and tip sheet at http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
To keep up with progressive events in and around DC consult the invaluable calendar at the Washington Peace Center, http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/alerts
It all happens for free… right? Not exactly. Organizing for change in our society and our high-maintenance politics requires both people and money. Keep change moving with a quick, secure impulse-buy contribution here. You know you meant to do it last week and now here you are again...
Reading the Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: our blogs for the previous week are shown below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blogspace and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at [email protected]
We recently published these blog posts:
April 06, 2018 Assembly's Black Caucus joins fight against harsh crime bill
The Assembly's Legislative Black Caucus has strongly opposed SB 122, a supposed crime reform bill that brings us back to the days of harsh penalties, mandatory minimum sentences and hyper-empowered prosecutors. Tell your delegates that it shouldn't get passed in the House.
April 05, 2018 Tell Prince George's Council "no concrete batch plant" April 16
Monday April 16, tell the Prince George’s County Council: Our Community deserves clean air, clean water and safe streets! We oppose building a CONCRETE BATCHING PLANT across from the Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Bladensburg, MD.
April 03, 2018 SB122, Senate crime bill, should not get out of the House
Progressive Maryland continues to oppose the provisions of Senate Bill 122, a so-called omnibus crime bill that wraps some funding sweeteners together with Draconian sentencing requirements making Maryland’s already oppressive system of mandatory minimum sentences even worse. It needs to be opposed on the floor of Maryland’s House of Delegates, and by voters throughout the state.
April 02, 2018 Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday, April 2 to Monday, April 9
The PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND WEEKLY MEMO FOR APRIL 2-9 with canvassing, movement politics, statewide chapter action, allies calendar, links to this week's blog posts and more. This is the full version; the emailed Weekly Memo is trim and easy to scan with links to full accounts. BTW you can sign up for that here.
REMEMBER – these blog posts are expressions of political opinion from our wide-ranging membership and circle of allies. They are not expressions of opinion by Progressive Maryland. Don’t be surprised if they sometimes vary in their political content. You might even disagree with them – a good reason to contribute a blog of your own. Send it to the moderator, Woody Woodruff, at [email protected].
Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace from June 2015 through December 2016 are all available with descriptions and links here. You can follow blogs for 2017-18 starting from here
Â
Do you like this page?