Here’s what’s in today’s memo:

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

Election Updates:

Get Involved: Be a Poll Volunteer in PG County for the Primary Election!

This election matters

School Boards across America are being taken over by small conservative minorities seeking to peel back gains made by progressives. We need to ensure that the Prince George’s Board of Education remains open to equity, diversity and inclusion and in support of working families. 

The best way to make this happen is to put educators on the board who understand the realities of public school classrooms and are committed to accountability and transparency. 

Here are our PM endorsed candidates who we believe will do just that.These candidates need your help at the polls this week and on election day!  Sign up below to help them through working a poll or phone banking! 

District 1- Tiffini Andorful 

Website/ Volunteer Link

District 5- Iyamide House

Website/ Volunteer LInk

District 7 Phelton Moss

Website/ Volunteer LInk

District 8- Zakyia Goins-Mccants

Website/ Volunteer LInk

Important Information:

Early voting has begun and will continue until this Thursday, May 9! Early voting centers will be open from 7 am to 8 pm. The list of early voting centers can be found here(PDF).

If you are:

• Voting by mail, your voted ballot must be received by your local board of elections by 10 am on May 24, 2024.
• Taking your ballot to a ballot drop box, you can view the list of drop box locations here.
• Hand delivering your ballot, you must deliver it to your local board of elections by 8 pm on election day.

On election day, Tuesday, May 14, you must vote at your assigned polling place. All election day polling places are open continuously from 7 am until 8 pm on. Anyone in line at 8 pm will be allowed to vote.

PM Task Forces & Issue Campaigns Updates

Healthcare Justice: Share your Prescription Drug Story! Check out our impact on last week’s Senate Finance Hearing with UnitedHealth Group’s CEO!

Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board has announced its first eight drugs for cost review. The Board needs to hear from everyday Marylanders like us in the next week! Take a minute to fill out a short survey and tell us if one of the drugs on the list is one that you’re struggling to pay for. Here is the list of eight. Feel free to share the other medicines you or a loved one find too expensive.

Our Care Over Cost campaign team and allies showed up in force for the US Senate Finance Committee hearing on May Day last week! Catch us here at the end of the hearing: Recount Video.

The Committee grilled UnitedHealth Group’s CEO Andrew Witty about the February  cybersecurity attack on its subsidiary Change Healthcare and the ways in which the corporation has not fully addressed the crisis, leaving patients and providers without the dollars they need to get and give care. Major news outlets like the Washington Post covered the proceedings throughout the day.

Now it’s your turn to send a message to the Senators: sign and share our petition! 

Like what you’re seeing about the momentum we’re building? Come volunteer with us, it’s fun and it makes a difference. On Saturday May 18th and Sunday May 19th we’ll be knocking doors in Baltimore and Silver Spring.  Contact Patty  for details or if you want to let us know about a community event you think we should attend or organize about our healthcare work.

Housing Justice

This Friday, May 10, the Enclave Tenant Association is providing tote bags filled with beauty and self-care products donated by national and local brands like Sephora, Beauty Within DC, and others to tenants in need at the apartment complex in honor of Mother’s Day. Reach out to Vice President, Pascale, if you would like to help or for more information.

Local Chapter Updates: 

South Prince George’s County 

Change in Our Schools and Homes Barbecue

This Saturday, May 11th from 3-7 we will be having a BBQ at a member's house to build community! We will have a meeting to discuss our campaign at 4-5, feel free to bring food as we look forward to how we can bring change to South County and Prince George's as a whole! RSVP here!

Early Voting under way in state primary; life otherwise normal barring glaring exceptions we note below

Early Voting is under way throughout Maryland this week, ending Thursday, May 9 in  advance of the Tuesday, May 14 Primary Election Day -- so you have lots of chances to cast your ballot in what is turning out to be a high-tension primary. Other news includes serious problems in the state's child care system, which is hampered by its private status, as well as a deep-dive roundup of the number of agencies charged with taking a hard look at how the Key Bridge fell and what to do about it. Plus news from other states that have similar problems to Maryland's and what they are doing about them, for better or worse, and perspectives on what's happening in the branches of the federal government (get your popcorn ready). It's all 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 – Early Voting under way in state primary; life otherwise normal barring glaring exceptions we note below
• Bills keep hitting the Gov.'s desk. How many will he sign? The watch party is scheduled
• News You Can Use: Health worries in the ER and elsewhere
• Not everyone is happy with General Assembly performance, but knives are not out
  

>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org

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