As we near the end of Native American Heritage Month, we pause to honor and appreciate the profound contributions of Indigenous communities that have shaped our state. Much like our ongoing work in the pursuit of a more equitable Maryland, the contributions of Indigenous people are woven into the very fabric of our history. In line with our commitment to Land Back, earlier this year we initiated a monthly contribution to support Indigenous communities in Maryland. Operating on stolen land, we voluntarily pay a monthly land tax to the Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians, aiding efforts to revitalize Native land and communities while empowering Indigenous people to regain control of their ancestral territory.

Speaking of gratitude, we’re also grateful for the South Baltimore Residents and our Allies (CASA, CoalFreeCurtisBay, Healthy Homes Initiative, Baltimore Compost Collective, DC IPL & Equity Fund) for supporting our Environmental Justice Task Force's public forum last Thursday. We addressed the urgent issue of toxic smoke from the Baltimore Incinerator to Senate President Ferguson's office. For those who missed it, you can watch the livestream of the event on our Facebook page. Read more about the event in the EJTF updates later in the memo. 

Please note that Progressive Maryland offices will be closed from November 22nd to November 26th.

In Solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

Here’s what’s in today’s memo:

• • PM task forces & issue campaigns: RCTF, HCTF & EJTF 
  • Events from Allies
  • State & National news

PM Task Forces & Issue Campaigns Updates

Returning Citizens Task Force: 

RCTF’s meeting on November 13 resolved to organize an event early next year that would serve as a platform simultaneously as a job fair, an expungement clinic and a health fair.  It can also serve as a jumping off point for legislation – a subject discussed at the meeting with State Delegate Jamila Woods.  More details will follow. As part of the process of this, we have new names and a new initiative to revive our FACE initiative bringing together church-based resources to respond to the needs of individuals when released from prison.

On November 15, we held another session with the direct service providers that are part of RCTF’s regrant program. Speakers from Employ Prince George’s Pathways to Success and from the Reentry Division of Maryland’s Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services provided information about services and resources available for returning citizens.

RCTF’s next meeting will be held next Monday, November 27 at 6:30 pm via zoom.  Please contact Kurt for more information.

Healthcare Justice: Extending Our Gratitude

A Message from the Healthcare Task Force Team:

We’re very grateful to all the many people across the state who support our healthcare justice campaigns and our grassroots organizing. You are so important to us and to building the power we need to pass our agenda! We’ll be taking a holiday break starting this Wednesday and we hope that all of you get a chance to relax and spend time with family and friends over Thanksgiving. If you have a little time during the week, please check out these recent posts about the problems with private health insurers and the interview with People’s Action’s Healthcare For All Campaign Director, Aija Nemer-Aanerud.

Aija was interviewed about the Care Over Cost campaign on the podcast Medicare for All explained, managed by Joe Sparks, a volunteer with the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition.

ProPublica has been doing excellent reporting on the crisis in private health insurance. Here are two recent articles:

Priority Health Denied His Last Hope, CAR-T Cancer Treatment — ProPublica

Health Insurers Have Been Breaking State Laws for Years

Next Monday, we’ll share news about actions and events in December and some information about our plans in Annapolis in 2024. If we haven’t connected with you recently feel free to contact Patty to learn more, to take action or to join our Task Force team. And don’t forget to take our short survey about an insurance experience that you or a family member has had: NEW SURVEY LINK 

Listen Lead Share Community Conversations

• Environmental Justice: TONIGHT, November 20th: Sign up here!

Environmental Justice Task Force: A revolution of People Power has Sparked in South Baltimore

Notwithstanding the distractions of a Raven’s football game last Thursday, Progressive Maryland’s Environmental Justice Task Force witnessed a packed house of over 50 South Baltimore community members in attendance at the EJTF public forum.

With the support of our ally CASA, the event was bilingual. As time went on, the room became tight as attendees from 10 Baltimore-based organizations joined the forum at Enoch Pratt Library Brooklyn Branch: Greater Baybrook Alliance, Baltimore Compost Collective, Filbert St Garden, CoalFreeCurisBay, Citizen Science students, Locust Point Community Garden,CASA, Sierra Club Greater Baltimore, DMV IPL, and Green and Healthy Homes Initiative.

This was a dream come true for SirJames and the EJTF. As community members shared their vivifying truth about the monstrosity of living near a toxic incinerator, a sense of freedom was felt in the room. Meanwhile, Senay Emmanuel, Progressive Maryland’s Climate Policy Analyst, gave a jaw-dropping presentation on the Baltimore Incinerator that included other polluting industries, ranking Baltimore City as having some of the highest asthma rates in the country. Senator Ferguson’s District Director, Tyler McCurdy, was also in attendance to listen to the concerns of community members.

A revolution of people-power has invigorated South Baltimore and has set the tone for policy reform in the upcoming 2024 Maryland Legislative Session. To watch the EJTF forum, click here. A special thanks goes out to Progressive Maryland's Communications team, staff, Senay Emmanuel, EJTF members, Gabriela Roque, CASA's Climate Training Manager, and Marvin Hayes with Baltimore Compost Collective. Give yourself a round of applause for making it happen for our community members in South Baltimore. The EJTF wishes everyone a safe and jubilant Thanksgiving holiday—gobble, gobble!

If you live in Cherry Hill and would like your food scraps collected, reach out to Marvin Hayes here.

EVENTS FROM ALLIES:

Tonight, November 20th from 6-7 pm, the Food in Jails Should Heal Not Harm Coalition is hosting a Virtual Community Conversation centered around persons currently or formerly affected by the justice system to learn from their experiences inside the carceral system and build grassroots power to campaign for policies that advance food justice in Prince George's County, MD and beyond. Click here to sign up for the meeting. 

State and National News:

This week you can read about stronger labor protections in state-funded projects, safety for workers fixing our highways, the replanting of streetside trees in Baltimore County (hope the impulse catches on) and more enviro news including a big boost for Sparrow's Point, which will build offshore wind capacity, a thumbs down on gas-powered leaf blowers (very well timed) and a decision to send reading help to elementary schools to help all grades catch up on that skill (aren't you reading this on a screen? Of course you are). Plus good and bad ideas and proposals from around the states, and People's Action chimes in with the D.C. report, which is still dismal even though most of our, um, courageous legislators are home for the holidays. It's all News You Can Use.

Have a good holiday yourselves, eat well, feed others. 

Get all the News You Can Use right here.

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 -- Road workers' safety, stronger state project labor rules, replacing lost streetside trees and other enviro news -- News You Can Use
• Progressive Maryland Stands With CASA

• The FBI is coming to Greenbelt; schools are grappling with Blueprint futures; CASA caught up in Israel/Gaza controversy, and more: News You Can Use

•  Not In Our Name: Open Letter

• Environment and elections (outside Maryland) get most of the eyeballs. News You Can Use

• A few leftovers in Maryland's fridge, plus tropical fish in the Bay and House finally found a guy without enough enemies
  

>>Read more on the homepage of progressivemaryland.org

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