Progressive Maryland continues to celebrate and advocate for the LGBTQ+ Community, this month and always. We are proud to honor the progress flag in our new PM Pride Logo which you may notice across our website and social media.
Also, as our scope and capacity are amplified by the (too-slow) gains in health and safety in Maryland, we will increasingly find our fulfillment in high-impact organizing for progressive change. THAT’s the new, better normal. This and much more in the memo.
A Long, High-Impact Summer: PM Weekly Memo for Monday, June 7, 2021
Progressive Maryland continues to celebrate and advocate for the LGBTQ+ Community, this month and always. We are proud to honor the progress flag in our new PM Pride Logo which you may notice across our website and social media.
Also, as our scope and capacity are amplified by the (too-slow) gains in health and safety in Maryland, we will increasingly find our fulfillment in high-impact organizing for progressive change. THAT’s the new, better normal. This and much more in the memo,
Thank you for being part of this movement.
In Solidarity,
The PM Team
Quick Actions:
- Support our campaigns and our statewide organizing! Become a full member of Progressive Maryland
- Support our political program: the New Era PAC
- Volunteer with us (we are starting some physically distanced door to door canvassing!)
- Join us on Slack to continue the conversation
Statewide Updates:
Economic Justice Campaign
Governor Hogan’s decision to walk away from millions of dollars in Federal aid to fund our state’s pandemic unemployment program will leave tens of thousands of Marylanders and their families at risk during a time when the economy is still far from fully recovering. The Governor is using his executive authority to end the $300 weekly payments subsidized with pandemic federal aid money at the end of June, pulling a page from the anti-worker Reublican playbook. According to experts working with the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, Census information shows that 200,000 Maryland workers received unemployment benefits in a recent one week period. Of those folks: 65% are people of color, 53% of adult recipients are caring for kids, 39% are behind on mortgage or rent payments, and many are struggling with paying for basic necessities like food. Read more here: https://www.mdeconomy.org/unemployment-april-2021/ Call Gov. Hogan today 410 974-3901 and tell him to reverse his decision.
The New Era Project
We’re a year away from the June 2022 Primary! Help us field a team of progressive candidates and a powerful voter contact program for the critical 2022 elections. Support our New Era Political Action 
Committee (PAC)! Your dollars fund a political fellows program this summer; organizing training; and the development of more diverse candidates and campaign staff getting involved in campaigns for city, county and state legislative offices. Support the PAC.
Healthcare Justice Campaign
End Medical Debt:
With your help, the Medical Debt Protection Act of 2021 (HB 565/SB 514) is becoming law in the state of Maryland. We will continue to monitor and fight predatory medical debt collection practices. Do you have a story to share? Interested in getting involved? Sign on here to get updates or contact Lindsey: [email protected]
Global Vaccine Equity:
Thanks to all our volunteers who helped us at community events on Sunday! At tabling events in Baltimore and in Montgomery County we collected dozens of signed postcards to President Biden. We talked with lots of folks about the importance of getting the U.S. and other wealthy nations to push the World Trade Organization to remove the barriers to vaccine production and distribution, especially in the global south. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to help with our outreach. In the meantime, contact Josh or Patty for more details and watch a short video about the issue: https://freethevaccine.org/im-just-a-vaccine/
Medicare For All:
Town Hall Live Stream with Rep. Anthony Brown sponsored by the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition, PM and other local progressive allies. June 9 at 6:00 p.m. https://bit.ly/MDPHC-M4A-Webinar-Jun9. Progressive Maryland’s next Medicare For All Teach-In is coming up on June 24 at 6:30.
Local Chapter Updates:
Help us get our County Council to pass a Medicare For All local resolution. Please sign the petition and share. Want to help with outreach to Councilmembers and to other residents to build support for the campaign? Please contact Josh this week!
State and National News:
What is the Thrive Act and why do we need it? We have Biden’s infrastructure and family-support bills, and we know they will be a heavy lift in this retrograde Senate. But the Thrive Act, which was introduced two weeks ago by legislators we know and trust, adds critical elements directly from the Green New Deal and focuses on the frontline peoples otherwise downplayed in the Biden plan. Bringing these elements into the mix is just not something we can ignore as we move forward on the whole (incomplete) program. Read the fact sheet on the Thrive Act here.
This week: we'll focus on the Homes Guarantee National Tenants Bill of Rights -- there will be a Launch Call this Thurs 6/10: But what is it? This explainer from the social media kit for our NTBOR campaign has the scoop: “We as tenants don't have the power we need, especially compared to the people who own our homes. That’s why we’re launching a campaign for a National Tenants’ Bill of Rights, a critical stepping stone on the path to our North Star vision, a Homes Guarantee. 🏡
"We are stronger together than we are apart. Our campaign for a National Tenants’ Bill of Rights will: build the power of the tenant movement, establish tenants as a political class of citizens, and ultimately transform the conditions for tenant organizing.” Join us here: https://ppls.ac/NTBORCall. on Thursday, June 10th at 6pm CT. (RSVP Link). [Questions? Ask Grace: [email protected]]
What’s next? Prepare for the Democracy Throw Down: June 14th through 21st. Link for sign up is here: ppls.ac/ForThePeople . We will make voting simpler, safer and fairer, get big money out of politics and hold public officials accountable. Sounds like it might take some work? Agreed. Pitch in. And a continuing effort, Deadline for Democracy, goes on into July
For a high-impact summer of progressive organizing, let’s wrap our heads around the June/July national calendar for action composed by our allies at People’s Action:
June - National Vaccine Month of Action: https://madetosave.org/month-of-action/ We Can Do This!
June 10th - (Internal) Launch Call for the National Tenants Bill of Rights (NTBOR) Summer of Imagination [Social Media Toolkit to promote] [Questions? Ask Grace: [email protected] ]
Weeks of June 14th & 21st - People's Action Democracy Throw Down [Questions? Ask Sondra: [email protected] ]
June 18th - 50th Anniversary War on Drugs [Social Media Week of June 14th] [Questions? Ask Ellen: [email protected]]
June 19th - Juneteenth
Last Week of June (WeCantWait!) push to pass Recovery / Build Back Better in the House focus on --
June 24th - We Can't Wait DC Day of Action (Build Back Better) [Questions? Ask Sondra: [email protected]]
Pride Month Events 🌈:
Parades, marches, and community events are taking place around the state in June (virtual and in-person). Show your pride and solidarity at one of these events.
Events from our allies:
Wednesday, June 9 | 7 - 9 pm
Greenbelt Climate Action Network Focus On National Climate Legislation
Interested in learning more about the American Jobs Plan and the Clean Energy Standard, which are two current national legislative proposals? Please join us June 9 . (Zoom link at www.chears.org/gcan)
Wednesday, June 16 | 7pm
Prince George’s DSA monthly branch meeting -- Email for access
Saturday, June 19 -- Juneteenth!
The Greenbelt Black History and Culture Committee has planned activities for the 156th Anniversary of Juneteenth — the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned that they had been emancipated. The District of Columbia has celebrated Juneteenth for many years. For details about the Greenbelt activities, contact Lois Rosado at [email protected] or Greg Varda at [email protected].
Monday, June 21
7 – 9pm | Reel & Meal Film Screening: Third Harmony
This month’s Reel & Meal film program features Third Harmony, a 2020 documentary that draws on interviews with veteran political and civil rights activists, scientists, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and others to help portray what nonviolent protest is and how it works. Sponsors this month: Prince George’s County Peace and Justice Coalition. Registration at link
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, at [email protected].
June 04, 2021 Housing advocates urge Hogan to fund legal aid for tenants in eviction
A new law gives tenants threatened with eviction a right to a lawyer -- but the companion bill funding the law failed to pass in the 2021 Session.
Lawmakers and tenant advocates urge the governor to fund the law, leveling a playing field in which landlords generally, but tenants seldom, have representation. Maryland Matters has the coverage.
June 03, 2021 Hogan UI cancellation spurs Dems' focus on his vetoes, too
Though he was late to the game, Gov. Hogan's attempt to drive workers back to possibly unsafe jobs has galvanized the state's Dems. They were looking the other way from his outrageous late vetoes of progressive measures, but may have to focus on them after all. Lawmakers are reportedly asking about a special session.
Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Tuesday, June 1, 2021
It's the first day of "Meteorological Summer" and a great one to launch purposeful organizing. Oh, right, you were already doing that...
Happy Pride Month! 🌈 Progressive Maryland continues to celebrate and advocate for the LGBTQ+ Community, this month and always. We are especially lifting up Queer and Trans people of color. We are proud to honor the progress flag in our new PM Pride Logo which you may notice across our website and social media.
Thank you for being part of this movement.
May 31, 2021 Gauntlet thrown as Senate GOP says "what insurrection?" on Jan. 6
The Senate GOP late last week bowed to the bidding of Mitch McConnell (and Trump) and blocked a bipartisan panel to seek the full story of the infamous insurrection at the US Capitol. That outrageous refusal to face facts fits into the larger right-wing plan to gain and hold power at the expense of democracy -- a plan outlined in the PM BlogSpace last week by analyst Sean Dobson. Here's a recap of that deep-diving, four-part series on "The Once and Future Takeover, published last week (see below).
May 29, 2021 The Once and Future Takeover IV -- Democracy advocates must take working class issues to heart
May 28, 2021 The Once and Future Takeover III -- plugging gaps in our institutions
May 27, 2021 The Once and Future Takeover II -- vulnerabilities and vengeance
May 24, 2021 The Once and Future Takeover
Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday, May 24, 2021
-May 20, 2021 Maryland has many workers who cannot join a union. This must change.
-May 05, 2021 Looming eviction crisis as emergency ebbs brings multiple calls for official relief
-May 04, 2021 Progressive Maryland launches PAC to back progressive candidates with the mother's milk of politics
>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org.
Click here to view this memo in your web browser.
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