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As we step into March, we also step into Women’s History Month—a time to honor the generations of women, femmes, and non-binary people whose contributions have shaped history, movements, and everyday life. Their leadership, resilience, and impact deserve recognition not just this month, but always. Check out our Women’s History Month section later in this memo, where we’ll be highlighting powerful stories and change-makers.

 

Meanwhile, we’re hitting a major stretch in the legislative session with several critical bill hearings happening this week. Check out our Legislative Updates section for important updates on all of our legislative priorities.

 

And in exciting news, Progressive Maryland has once again been ranked in the Top 100 Liberal Political Blogs across the country by FeedSpot! We’re joined by other popular blogs like Daily Kos, ACLU, HuffPost Politics, The New Yorker, and Democratic National Committee. Plus, there are only 3 other statewide blogs to make this list so we are thrilled and grateful for this cool recognition. Click here to see the full list.

 

Read on for updates on our issue campaigns and news you can use!

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

 

 

 

 
 

Here’s what’s in today’s memo:

  • Women's History
  • Legislative Updates
  • Issue Campaign Updates
  • State & National News
  • PM Job Openings
 

Women Who Won’t Back Down: Celebrating Changemakers This Women’s History Month

 

This Women’s History Month, we’re launching “Women Who Won’t Back Down”—a weekly spotlight on women who are pushing the boundaries of progressive activism and making history in real time.

 

As we near the one-year anniversary of a remarkable act of community-driven resistance to gentrification, we honor Sally Hamann and Anne Scheetz, two lifelong housing justice advocates from Chicago’s Logan Square. Last March, they donated their homes—valued at over $1.5 million—to a community land trust to ensure working-class families could stay in their neighborhood. In a city where displacement runs deep, their decision was a bold stand for affordable housing and collective power. Thanks to their gift, multiple families will soon move into these homes, proving that community over profit is not just a slogan—it’s a movement.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
 

2025 Legislative Session: 

 

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

The House and Senate will reconvene today at 8pm and will post live updates on their website. 

 

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. 

 

🚨 Take Action: Protect Renters! 🚨

 

The Good Cause Eviction bill is under threat. A harmful amendment could gut its protections, leaving renters vulnerable to unfair evictions and skyrocketing costs.

 

We need to act NOW. Use our tool to send the Senate a quick email and demand a CLEAN Good Cause Eviction Bill—no harmful amendments!

We have bill hearings this week and next week for some of our priority bills. Here's the schedule:

 

🔹 Healthcare
We’re continuing the fight to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. Several key bills are moving forward:

Health Insurance - Appeals (HB1341): Set for a House hearing this Thursday, 3/06 at 1:00 p.m.

Safe Staffing (Hospitals) Act of 2025 (SB720): Will be heard in the Senate this Tuesday, 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.

Prescription Drug Affordability Board Expansion (HB424/SB357): The House passed HB424, and now the Senate version (SB357) is up for a hearing this Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Public Health - Commission on Universal Health Care (HB417): Also has a hearing this Thursday at 1:00 p.m. in the House.

 

🔹 Environmental Justice

Cumulative Harm to Environmental Restoration for Improved Shared Health (CHERISH) Act (HB1484): This bill, which would allow Maryland permitting agencies to reject or alter environmental permits based on an environmental justice (EJ) score, has a House hearing next Tuesday, 3/11.

 

🔹 Economic Justice

Fair Share for Maryland Act (SB859): Another Senate hearing is scheduled for this Wednesday, 3/05 at 1:00 p.m. This bill ensures that the ultra-wealthy contribute their fair share to Maryland’s economy.
 

Task Forces & Issue Campaigns Updates: 

Healthcare Task Force: Annapolis Hearing This Week! Actions in DC Last Week!

 

HB1341 has a hearing in the House Government and Operations Committee (HGO) Thursday, March 6 at 1:00 pm. 

 

We’ll be there to testify and share why we need to pass this legislation! 

 

Did you know that when people carry though on appealing care and claim denials there’s a better than 50% chance that they win a reversal?? The problem is the carriers make it so hard to appeal - it’s time consuming and confusing so 90% of folks don’t use the process. Carriers  need to make it easier! That’s what HB1341 will do: require longer customer service hours with people who are knowledgeable, put notifications of denials in plain language, and require insurance carriers to survey policyholders about their experience with the appeals process. You’ll get an email this week that gives you a link to click to email key legislators.

Contact Patty if you have any questions.

 

We had a tremendous day of action on the streets of Washington D.C. last Wednesday with our national affiliate People’s Action. We protested at the sites of three corporations and trade associations who represent some of the most corrupt and greedy business interests who are harming us and our communities every day. Here’s a clip of our awesome action at UnitedHealth Group
 

News You Can Use: Pushback at state level takes more shape, gets organized

 

 

It’s been six rather amazing and disheartening weeks since the Orange Menace was inaugurated president, and the AP has a big take on that, Trump’s moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy. Watch to see if AP mentions the Gulf of Mexico. As we see below, the reverberations in Maryland are many and varied, showing how intimately the state’s workforce (and budget) is related to federal agencies – and not just in D.C. And a consolidated pushback has begun at the level of many Blue states as the Dem AGs continue their sustained court battles with TrumpWorld. In Red states, GOP legislators wallow in the violation of constitutional and human rights under the cover of the (so far) overbearing MAGA hegemony.
 
 

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.

>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org

 

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

About

M.A. and Ph.d. from University of Maryland Merrill College of Journalism, would-be radical, sci-fi fan... retired to a life of keyboard radicalism...