Here’s what’s in today’s memo:

• • Legislative Updates

  • PM Task Forces & Issue Campaigns Updates
  • Local Chapter Updates
  • State & National News

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES:

Click here to view the suggested dates of interest provided by the General Assembly. 

TRACKER: Click here to keep track of all active Maryland bills, their action status, top sponsors, and top committees. You can also view the bills from the previous legislative session. For more detailed updates on this year’s Legislative Session and to search specific bills click here.

Update on some of our priority bills we’re supporting:

Healthcare

Last Friday, HB1337 successfully passed the Senate Finance Committee. We're eagerly awaiting its progression to a floor vote, bringing us one step closer to delivering crucial healthcare reforms to the governor's desk.

Environmental

The EMPOWER Act made progress in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, albeit with amendments. We're optimistic about its eventual passage and hopeful for a prompt floor vote to advance this significant environmental legislation.

Housing

The Tenant Safety Act and Just Cause Eviction Bill are scheduled for their first hearings tomorrow at 1 pm in front of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. The Tenant Safety Act aims to ensure rental properties meet basic human habitation standards while providing remedies for any breaches. Meanwhile, the Just Cause Eviction Act empowers counties to prevent unjust lease terminations without valid cause.

Reentry

HB1037, a pivotal bill aiming to establish a task force for creating a Division of Returning Citizens and Expanded Reentry Service in Maryland, passed the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee with amendments. This initiative is essential for streamlining services and support for individuals reentering society post-incarceration.

Additionally, HB37, designed to establish a Commission overseeing reentry programs and services for women, had its first Senate hearing last Tuesday. Although a second hearing is yet to be scheduled, the bill represents a critical step toward ensuring equitable access to reintegration services for women leaving prison.

PM Task Forces & Issue Campaigns Updates

Healthcare Justice: One more week to pass our priority bills! Plus,sign our petition on Medicare Advantage

Our health insurance reform bill, HB 1337, passed out of the  Senate Finance Committee last Friday! Thanks to all of you who contacted the Committee members to urge a YES vote. When we were in Annapolis on Tuesday Senate staffers commented on the impressive number of emails they had received.

Thanks again to Del. Woods and all twenty three members of the HGO Committee for sponsoring the legislation which will require more reporting from the industry about claim appeals and outcomes and can lay the groundwork for more accountability and transparency from health insurance carriers. Now it’s time to call Senate President Bill Ferguson: 410 841-3600. Tell him to support the bill and schedule a vote in the full Senate this week! 

Another one of our priority bills, HB 328, which will remove some barriers to low cost and free hospital care for income eligible Marylanders had a hearing  in the Senate Finance Committee last week.Unfortunately, an amendment that weakens the measure has been introduced so Progressive Maryland and our partners at the End Medical Debt Coalition campaign are asking the  the Committee to vote yes with NO amendment. The bill passed in the full House last month. 

On the federal level, we’re working with our national affiliate People’s Action and progressive champions in Congress to crack down on the rampant price gouging in Medicare Advantage plans.  Rep. Jayapal and former Cigna Executive  Wendell Potter published this oped in Newsweek titled, “The Truth Behind Medicare (Dis)Advantage's Disinformation Campaign | Opinion.”

Help us build more power- join our healthcare issues campaign! contact Patty

Local Chapter Updates: 

South Prince George’s County 

The people of Oxon Hill and surrounding South County decided that we have had enough dealing with greedy corporations skyrocketing our bills and disinvesting from our schools, and committed to building power. We are having a power mapping meeting to decide the next steps for our campaign and map out the power players that could make it happen. This meeting is this Saturday, April 6 at 2pm. RSVP here. Questions? Email Anton.

Key Bridge disaster putting much other news in the shade

For Maryland, even with federal help promised, getting through the loss of both the Port of Baltimore and a major piece of our traffic availability is a heavy, heavy lift. News You Can Use has, well, overloaded on that topic, trying to build context with both local and more distant sources. But as always there is more – the home stretch for the General Assembly session complicated by Topic A, what is going down in other states, and the report on federal activity, brought to you by our strong-stomached experts so the rest of us can, well, look away. For better or worse, it’s News You Can Use.

Progressive Maryland BlogSpace:

We value creating space for our members to express their thoughts on any issues related to our campaigns. Have an idea for a blog post? You can submit writing, film, graphic design, etc. to be published on our website to the blog moderator Woody.

• NEW TODAY – Key Bridge disaster putting much other news in the shade

• Assembly scuffles to scrape up money to match dreams

• News You Can Use: as pandemic boost winds down, states hustle to avoid cliff for low-income households

• Shutdowns, showdowns, good ideas and bad -- it's News You Can Use

>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org

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Progressive Maryland
P.O. Box 6988
Largo, MD 20792