Today is a significant day in the state's legislative calendar! It's Crossover Day in the General Assembly, which means that any bills that haven't passed out of their original chamber by the time lawmakers adjourn this evening, no longer have a chance of becoming state law this session. We've been tracking committee and floor votes closely to see which bills will still have a path forward when voting wraps up. We expect some success on a number of healthcare bills we’re supporting along with some disappointments when it comes to other priority bills including drug reform and renewable energy policies. Read on for updates and actions you can take today to support progressive legislation and build a more just future for our state and communities!

In solidarity, 

The Progressive Maryland Team

Here’s what’s in today’s memo:

• Legislative updates: priority bill updates 
• PM task forces & issue campaigns: HCTF, EJTF, & RCTF updates
• Local chapter updates: Harford County, Prince George’s County & LSPC

• Events from Allies: Reel & Meal Program, People's Action Movie Premiere

• State & National news

Legislative Updates:

Click here to visit the MGA website and keep track of all active Maryland bills, their action status, top sponsors, and top committees. 

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

Take action on important healthcare legislation! Send an email now asking your lawmakers to support a group of bills that will require hospitals to reimburse wrongfully billed patients, advance trans equity in health, lower Rx prices and remove immigration status as a barrier to the Maryland Health exchange. Click here to send your email. 

We’ll be watching closely to see if the De Minimis Quantity Bill and the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard will make it through one of the chambers tonight. As for the Cannabis Reform bill, we’re still pushing for an amendment to the bill that will add Labor Peace Agreements to ensure equitable implementation of cannabis legalization. 

The House held two sessions on Saturday and passed legislation that includes the Trans Health Equity Act.

Updates: PM Task Forces & Issue Campaigns 

Environmental Justice Task Force

Environmentalists and advocates are "on the edge of their seats" as they await the fate of the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act as it is hanging in the balance in Annapolis. Since 2004, ratepayers have paid millions in energy credits  to maintain the wealth of utilities that utilize trash incineration, Woody Biomass, and factory farm waste. Shockingly, the majority of ratepayers money is going out-of-state to utility companies. 

The RREA would remove these "greenwashed" forms of energy and ratepayers would no longer pay into millions of dollars of annual subsidies. 

Be on the look for details on the next community meeting, in South Baltimore, in early April. Check out the latest Environmental Justice Task Force meeting 

Healthcare For All:

Last week, we co-hosted a Speakout and Healthcare Justice Rally with our labor, patient, and community allies in Annapolis! Thanks to the 45 folks who came in person and to all the supporters who participated on the livestream. You can watch the event here to listen to the stories people shared and to learn about our demands. 

Several lawmakers stopped by the rally and we got local coverage from a few media outlets, including WBAL.

Stay tuned for an update here and on social media on the status of all of our priority bills. And be sure to email your legislators now.To learn more and to get involved in this growing grassroots campaign, please contact Patty. 

Returning Citizens Taskforce

Progressive Maryland’s Returning Citizens Task Force’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. We will hear a report on and discuss the third Annual National Returning Citizens Conference (see flyer). We will also begin planning for a Town Hall on housing issues later this month and hear a legislative update. Please contact Kurt for the zoom link or for further information.

Local Chapter Updates:

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus (LSPC)

Shout out and thanks to LSPC leaders for testifying last Thursday, March 16th in support of Del. Ruth’s bill (HB0329) to create a Commission to Study a Universal Healthcare Single Payer system in Maryland. The Commission would explore how we get to a truly universal system by moving away from the shortcomings and affordability issues that exist in the private health insurance system. Jared Schlablein, Chair of LSPC, and Councilwoman Megan Outten who represents District 3 on the Salisbury City Council urged the Health and Government Operations Committee (HGO) to vote yes.

Progressive Harford County 

Join Progressive Harford County tonight, March 20th, for its monthly meeting. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. We'll review the chapter's platform, and the latest events and initiatives to get involved. Register here. 

Today, March 20th, is the application deadline to fill the vacancy for District F on the Harford County Council. Interested candidates should submit the application materials to the HCDCC by email as a single PDF to [email protected]. Learn more in the HCDCC's newsletter.

Progressive Harford County is teaming up with the Harford County Democratic Club and the Harford County Democratic Central Committee to host a mixer! The mixer will be on April 23 from 1-4 p.m. at TB3 Bar & Grill. Come out and meet Democrats of all stripes in Harford County. This mixer is about Democrats coming together and getting to know each other. Anyone who wants to get active with Democratic politics in Harford is welcome to attend. The host organizations will give a short presentation at 2 p.m. on specific ways to get involved. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Click here to attend.

Progressive Prince George's

 AROS-PG CALLS TO ACTION: 

• Please SIGN and share this petition to urge the County Executive, Angela D Alsobrooks, to undertake an open, transparent and community involved process for the recruitment and hiring of the new PGCPS CEO.
• CALL the County Executive’s Office @ 301-952-4131 to let her and her staff know how you feel about the community being shut out of the recruitment and hiring process for the new PGCPS CEO and how unfair and unsustainable that is for the growth and strength of our public school system in Prince George’s County. Make your voice heard! 
• JOIN US at our Progressive Prince George’s: AROS Community Meeting on the PGCPS CEO issue, tentatively scheduled for April 22nd via Zoom, from 4-6 p.m. Please REGISTER to receive the Zoom link and share the registration link with neighbors, family, coworkers and friends.
• Do you work in or have kids that go to High Point High School in Beltsville or know someone that does? Are you a community member that has concerns about the conditions at High Point? Please reach out to Dev the PGC organizer saying so with "High Point High School" in the subject line to find out about our special AROS project at that school. 

EVENTS FROM ALLIES:

The documentary Even Our Dreams, about managing lives despite disability issues in Zimbabwe, is the Reel and Meal program Monday, March 20. It starts at 7pm at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt. Registration for virtual attendance is required, click here. The cafe will serve dinners from 4 pm, and the Co-op Supermarket will offer pick-up dinners for at-home Zoom viewers. The director/producer, Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, will be on hand at the event to moderate discussion after the showing.

On Wednesday, March 29th, join leading health care reform advocates for the D.C. premiere of a provocative look at the profit-driven practices that are hurting patients, providers and communities: AMERICAN HOSPITALS - HEALING A BROKEN SYSTEM. Click here for more information! 

State and National News:

It's Crossover Day -- today -- in the Maryland General Assembly. Just like many Assembly events and practices, it is totally made up to make legislating for the benefit of working people look more complicated than it really is, and to give lobbyists and the legislators that they have a piece of more chances to cripple good bills. It is the way of the world, and keeps corporate power IN power unless everyday folks take a hand. We'll keep trying.

Meanwhile see what hard-working reporters are doing to make sense out of this. 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 –  Crossroads encounter for progressive bills. Who loses? News You Can Use
• Bill logjam demands opening -- citizens need to prod Assembly members
• Moore's minions, Assembly crossover day sharpen the timeline
• School roofs provide baseline for solar energy solutions
• Calling for the passage of the 2023 Reclaim Renewable Energy Act

>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org

Don't forget to follow us on social media!

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