What a year it has been! The president was impeached in 2020 and that may end up  way down the list of things we remember from this year. Progressive Maryland is very excited to leave 2020 behind and start looking toward next year. We have a new administration coming into the White House, a new legislative session in Annapolis, and ongoing campaigns across the state on which to focus.

The action is just starting -- catch it all in the Memo.

Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday, November 23, 2020

STATEWIDE ALERTS >>> NEXT STEPS POST-ELECTION

What a year it has been! The president was impeached in 2020 and that may end up  way down the list of things we remember from this year. Progressive Maryland is very excited to leave 2020 behind and start looking toward next year. We have a new administration coming into the White House, a new legislative session in Annapolis, and ongoing campaigns across the state on which to focus.

Progressive Maryland has grown and changed in many ways this year. We brought on 6 new organizers across the state which has helped us increase our outreach, to power our COVID response work,  and to build our electoral campaigns.  We can’t be effective without supporters and members like you. We  want to thank all of the new members who have joined this year and express our gratitude to all our engaged activists. It’s your support and passion on issues ranging from healthcare to criminal justice reform that makes a difference.

Click here to RSVP and receive the Zoom link

As we prepare for the new year  Progressive Maryland will bring its members, old and new, together on the evening of December 8 from 6:30 to 7:30.  Please join us for a Member Welcome Meeting. We’ll share critical information for EVERY Progressive Maryland member, whether you have been fighting alongside us for just 3 months or for the past several  years. At the welcome meeting we will:

• Get to know other members and some of our staff

• Hear about key parts of our organization including our  issue task forces  and ways to participate in them
• Discuss upcoming events and a variety of opportunities for members 
• Review PM’s structure, including our local chapters and leadership structure
• Talk about the upcoming annual membership meeting in January

Please note that this is a gathering only for our current members.  Not a member? Sign  up to become a member of PM by following this link. Member Welcome Meeting  December 8th 6:30pm-7:30pm

Enjoy the holiday this week. Please stay safe and well.  We look forward to seeing you in December!

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And as the 2021 General Assembly session approaches, drug policy will be a hot topic -- issues of incarceration and criminal justice as well as decriminalization and harm reduction. Join us for a Drug Policy Town Hall next Wednesday, 12/2, at 7pm. Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkcu2gqzouHN32HVn_9OU0UQbmyr70Be2V

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

COVID-19

In Maryland we have been recording new record numbers of virus cases each day in the past several days.  The hospitalization rate has tripled since early October. Almost 4,300 Marylanders have now died. Experts predict that the pandemic will get worse in the next few months. That’s why a number of states have issued stay-at-home orders. Here at home, County Executives like Marc Elrich, are considering a return to Phase 1 style measures to help stop the community spread. There is promising news about the vaccine but we cannot let down our guard. We hope everyone will follow the recommendations of the CDC,and the advice of our public health officials and leaders when it comes to travel this week and during this COVID surge. Please double down on masking, social distancing, washing hands frequently, and limiting or eliminating any non-essential outings.  Please look out for the health and well being of other community members and follow all the COVID safety guidelines. Donate if you can to organizations doing COVID relief work and express your support for our public health officials and their efforts at this crucial time. 

Stay tuned to Progrssive Maryland’s emails and social media posts for an invitation to our upcoming statewide COVID-19 Forum on Dec. 17th.

As the pandemic worsens Governor Hogan must scale up the state’s response on several fronts. Schools, teachers, students, and state employees (especially front line workers) need more support and recognition. More resources are needed to meet the emergency housing, healthcare and financial needs of residents.  We know, for example, that loopholes in families’ protections against eviction are turning up fast. From Maryland Matters via the statewide news dashboard Maryland Reporter:
EVICTION HALT DOESN'T AID ALL: Months after the Centers for Disease Control issued a nationwide halt on certain evictions, advocates and lawyers say the order isn’t helping all Maryland tenants. Interpretation of the CDC order can vary from judge to judge, said Matt Hill, an attorney with the Public Justice Center. Hill, who represents tenants in eviction cases, said he’s seen a rise in landlords simply terminating or not-renewing leases instead of going through the normal failure-to-pay rent eviction cases.

Please take a moment to sign and share this petition to the Governor:

https://secure.everyaction.com/5mMTRVuXCUShC163JPVy7A2

NATIONAL PRIORITIES

”We will be monitoring the actions of our lame duck POTUS and his administration cabinet members because as the unemployment rates skyrocket, and our people struggle to receive their unemployment benefits, the Department of Labor has several unfilled “civic servant” - permanent positions that the DOL secretary can fill before President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris are sworn into office. Why is this important? These positions could be filled by individuals who limit the flexibility the new administration will have in implementing effective policies and actions to revamp systems that would protect the everyday person (aka the members we all represent and serve).  

...AND ACTIONS

From our allies at People’s Action, our national affiliate 

“[W]ith news of a COVID vaccine on the way, we have to be diligent in efforts to make sure it is free to all of us, regardless of status in this country. Our Health Care for All and Make Medicines Work campaigns team will be monitoring this and keeping all us abreast as things progress in the coming weeks and months.” As grateful as we are for this news, we have to be vigilant against profiteering by Big Pharma -- they have a track record, we know. 

OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE

Baltimore County -- Supporters and community leaders are applauding the passage of Question A, a Baltimore County Charter Amendment to establish the Citizens’ Election Fund and Commission. This is a monumental step forward towards more inclusive, fair, and representative campaigns in Baltimore County and aims to democratize the county’s increasingly expensive elections and get big money out of politics in Baltimore County. 

 Progressive Prince George’s

 PMD Montgomery

Last week’s introduction of a MoCo bill to curb the use of School Resource Officers (SROs) is just the latest activity on this controversial practice. Here is coverage of that introduction and other outcrops of the discussion in other Maryland counties.

 Frederick County Progressives 

Take Action Anne Arundel County

PMD Baltimore

Talbot Rising

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES

 Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13 -- 4th Maryland Legislative Coalition Summit 

Virtual conference with participation from many state activist organizations on Legislative Priorities For the 2021 General Assembly Session, with themed sessions Saturday 10:30am on Social Justice, Immigration, Police Reform; 2pm Consumer Rights, Elections and Sunday 10:30am Economic Justice and 2pm Education and Health. Read more here, including participating organizations. https://www.facebook.com/MarylandLegislativeCoalition/?ref=page_internal 

Reading the Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: our recent blog posts are shown below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blogspace and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at [email protected]

November 17, 2020 Votes all counted, Progressive Maryland celebrates big electoral wins

As the final results of the Nov. 3 General Election have come in, Progressive Maryland endorsed candidates see wins across the state. We are proud to be leaders in the strategies that empower working families by electing their champions and showing that big-money campaign contributors can be beaten. Read about all of our winning candidates here.

November 10, 2020 Progressive Maryland celebrates wins of endorsed candidates, ballot measures statewide

Progressive Maryland volunteers campaigned for progressive candidates across the state leading up to Election Day 2020, including urging smart mail-in voting during the pandemic. In Baltimore City and in the second-largest county, Prince George's city council and school board candidates endorsed by Progressive Maryland were swept to victory. Read all about it here.

REMEMBER – these blog posts are frequently expressions of political opinion from our wide-ranging membership and circle of allies. They are not expressions of opinion by Progressive Maryland. Don’t be surprised if they sometimes vary in their political content. You might even disagree with them – a good reason to contribute a blog of your own. Send it to the moderator, Woody Woodruff, at [email protected]. 

>>Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace from June 2015 through December 2016 are all available with descriptions and links here. You can follow blogs for 2017-18 starting from here