In the Weekly Memo: some victories in Annapolis as the Assembly hits the home stretch; chapter meetings on the horizon and links to the most recent blog posts.

PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND WEEKLY MEMO MARCH 20-26

Some victories last week: Paid sick leave made the crossover, still needs reconciliation between House and Senate versions. The bill for a health care commission helping the state monitor the effects of the Trump/GOP healthcare bill passed the Senate Friday; it has had a committee hearing in the House but awaits floor action.

Fight for 15: Workers and advocates were in Annapolis last Wednesday in support of the Fight for $15 legislation before the Senate Finance Committee. Over 500 people took action by meeting with, calling, or sending messages to their legislators. Help us keep the momentum growing by signing the petition for a statewide $15 minimum wage: http://www.mdfor15.org/petition

A FAIR ELECTIONS TWOFER:

Fully Fund Montgomery County's Fair Elections Program -- Montgomery County was the first county in the state to establish a program to get big money out of local elections and empower small donors. Now, candidates are starting to use the program so we need to ensure it is properly funded for the upcoming elections. County Exec Leggett’s FY18 budget shorts the fund by $1 million, so he and the Council need to hear from energized voters that they want candidates who aren’t beholden to big corporate money. We're almost there in the fight against big money! Sign here to tell the Montgomery County Council to fully fund Montgomery County's fair elections program.

Not only that, but -- Finalize Fair Elections in Howard County  In November, Howard County residents voted to establish the Citizens’ Election Fund  to curb the influence of large and corporate donors. We’re calling on the County Council to move quickly to pass a final program that will: Only be available to candidates who reject large donations and donations from corporations, unions, and PACs; encourage candidates to fundraise from Howard County residents by providing limited matching funds for small donations from County residents; and establish an independent commission to make funding and policy recommendations to the Council. Tell the Howard County Council to finalize the Citizens’ Election Fund program this spring and bring Fair Elections home to Howard. Sign here.

 ON THE PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND CALENDAR

Tuesday, March 21 – The Senate Appropriations Committee hears a house bill, HB 418, improving the childcare subsidy. Progressive Maryland will submit testimony.

Saturday, March 25 Anne Arundel County Chapter Kickoff Party, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Walden Country Club 1500 Riedel Rd, Crofton, Maryland 21114. Learn more and RSVP

Sunday, March 26 Howard County Canvass Join progressives in Howard County as we go door to door to engage voters in Howard County about local and national issues. 1 to 3 p.m., location TBD. RSVP here.

Thursday, March 30 – The Senate hears a House bill, HB398, keeping salary history private, enabling more equal pay for equal work. Progressive Maryland will submit testimony.

 And Save These Dates:

 Thursday, March 28 – Montgomery County Chapter Meeting; info TBA

 Friday, March 30 – Prince George’s County Chapter Steering Committee meets, date and time TBA. Want to be involved? Email Jennifer Dwyer at [email protected]

 Saturday, April 1 Candidate information and training. Thinking about running for office? How to engage progressives in your cause AND navigate the process. At the Progressive MD Headquarters, 35 University Blvd E, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Contact Larry Stafford at [email protected]

FROM OUR ALLIES

Saturday, March 25 noon to 3 p.m. Our Revolution statewide chapter in Maryland’s first general regional meeting, Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (Remsen Hall Building, Room 139). Doors open 11:30 for potluck. RSVP at this link: https://go.ourrevolution.com/page/event/detail/gpgxsx

Thursday, April 6 – Progressive Cheverly Dist. 4 legislative briefing: Rep. Anthony Brown will speak about the political and legislative issues facing Congress and the nation. Please note that Congress will still be in session and Rep. Brown's appearance will be subject to the House schedule (more details to follow). 7:00 pm Hoyer Education Center (cafeteria) 2300 Belleview Ave. (Parking Available) Cheverly

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:

March 17, 2017   Oppose special Maryland tax exemptions for Boy, Girl Scouts

A bill allowing sales tax exemptions for Boy Scouts -- but not other nonprofit youth groups -- discriminates in favor of theists over non-theists, violating the constitutional separation of Church and State, argues Mathew Goldstein of SecularMaryland.org

March 16, 2017   Rascovar: Hogan's Trump Trouble

Veteran state political commentator Barry Rascovar observes "Should 2018 turn into a 'message' election, Larry Hogan’s 'good guy' image and Marylanders’ lack of animus toward him may prove all but worthless. He could well become, for state voters, Donald Trump’s surrogate on the ballot."

March 15, 2017   Progressive Discontent in Maryland

Are Democrats slip-sliding back in the centrist, old-boy direction that has brought us Larry Hogan? Hal Ginsberg suspects that the choice of Kathleen Matthews as state party chair, clearly at the behest of top elected power brokers like Hoyer, Cardin and Van Hollen, indicates just that problem for the party. Where will progressives go instead?

March 14, 2017   Maryland response to GOP attack on health care is in Assembly bill

Bills in the General Assembly would mobilize Maryland's response to the dangers to the state's health systems that are posed by the "repeal and replace" catastrophe in Congress. Progressive Maryland testified on the bills recently.

March 13, 2017   Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for March 13-19

In the Weekly Memo this week: movement in Annapolis on both the earned sick leave bill (almost to the finish line!) and the state $15 minimum wage. Also calendar musts for this week and links to our most recent blog posts.

Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace since June 2015 are all available with descriptions and links here.