Our members power our work!

 

Progressive Maryland is organizing at the grassroots level for economic, social and political justice. We have a chance for our message and our policy priorities to break through now and in the coming months in Washington and Annapolis. Help us gain more ground by becoming a member of Progressive Maryland.
Our members do a variety of things to help us expand our reach and increase our impact. They canvass, text bank, lobby, help our communications team, lead task forces and donate $5-$15 a month. Members help decide our electoral and issue priorities. There’s a lot at stake in Congress right now and that will be coming up during the MGA session in Annapolis so we need more members in the fight.

Quick Actions:

• Join our Weekly Textbanks! 

   

• Sign the Petition to State Leaders: Stop Evictions, Fund the Recovery

   

• Contact Congress: tell them to Support the Build Back Better Act  

Statewide Updates:

 

Throwdown Thursdays 

Phonebank and textbank with our team every Thursday at 6 p.m. Every week we'll be calling or texting voters across the state about  a number of important issues. Soon we'll be transitioning to throwing down for progressive candidates that need our help to win! Click this link to let us know you’re coming!

 

This Thursday, Oct. 14,  we’re making phone calls to demand that Cannabis be legalized! To this day in Maryland, we still have about 15,000 arrests per year that are related to Cannabis-- this puts far too many people at risk, needlessly clogs our justice system, and perpetuates the racist policies of the so called war on drugs It’s long past time to join 18 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing marajuana. That’s why this Thursday we will be making calls to constituents in Speaker Jones’ district to ask them to contact her and urge her work to make cannabis legalization a reality next year in Maryland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Era PAC Friend & Fundraiser

Dateline Howard County-- Jake Burdett hosted twenty one folks for a New Era Project party in Howard County yesterday. Participants heard from  DelegateJen Terrasa of District 13 and former Circuit Court Candidate Stephen Musselman and discussed  key issues facing Howard County especially around zoning and land use. Thanks to all who helped with this successful event. 

 

In case you missed it, find out more here:  

Donate to The New Era PAC here

Volunteer  to help The New Era PAC here

Drug Policy Campaign

Our Drug Policy Taskforce is working to demand that Congress pass the MAT Act (Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment) which will allow folks suffering from substance use disorder easier access to lifesaving treatment like Buprenorphine. Email Jesse if you want to get involved. [email protected] 

Healthcare Justice Campaign

Fight to Expand Healthcare, Medicare and Childcare:

Congress must hold the line on the Build Back Better Act, a bold budget deal that requires wealthy corporations and the super rich to pay their fair share in taxes. BBB will invest in health care, child care, better schools, environmental protection, climate action and support citizenship for immigrants who call the United States home. It will expand Medicare and lower Rx prices. We can’t let Big PhRMA and other corporate interests derail this plan that the public and elected Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly support. Contact your Member of Congress today. Use this phone 2 action tool to urge your Representative to hold the line.

 

Join a special evening of textbanking for #BuildBackBetter this Thursday, October 14, at 6:00 p.m. This event is hosted by the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Campaign, LSPC and other PM allies.

 

If you have questions or want to volunteer with our healthcare campaign please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

 

Fighting COVID:

We remain in a challenging place with the pandemic and can’t let up on COVID measures.Sign here and Tell our state leaders that. 

Vaccination rates are too low in many rural areas and in some urban neighborhoods. Thousands of residents and workers still require support to help them recover their health and their financial footing. Schools need better ventilation systems, technology upgrades, more teachers, counselors and staff. Too many Marylanders are at risk of eviction. We stand with them and all the advocates who are fighting to prevent evictions and to  extend the moratorium. The state just announced that there’s  a $2.5 billion budget surplus. Let’s target that money (much of which came from federal relief funds) to help people and not park all or most of it in the rainy day fund. 

Local Chapter Updates:

Progressive Baltimore County 

Contact Zach for updates and how to get involved in local campaigns. 

 

Progressive Harford County 

The website for Progressive Harford County is done! Check out progressiveharco.org today.

 

Progressive Harford County is starting a series of town halls with local and statewide candidates. Our first town hall will be with Ashwani Jain, a gubernatorial Democratic candidate, on Oct. 27 from 6:30-8 p.m. Jain will be asked about his background, policies and vision for Maryland. Attendees can also submit questions to be asked during the town hall. Register for the event today.

 

Progressive Montgomery:

Interested in joining our environmental justice or election work groups? We’re seeking MoCo folks who want to get involved. Contact [email protected] if you’re interested. 

State and National News:

 

Maryland Focus: 

Here's the Capital News Service roundup of new laws that went into effect starting Oct. 1st, including Anton's Law!

 

Hogan appears to think Maryland has few immediate needs. Really??
The roundup in Maryland Reporter: “Hogan suggested saving most of the $2.5 billion budget surplus for a “rainy day,” in the five-point plan for what he would like to do with the extra money, Rachel Baye reports for WYPR.

Hogan said one of his top priorities will be reducing taxes for seniors, but the plan does not offer details, Ovetta Wiggins reports for the Post. [frequent voters who lean GOP, we at PM would observe]. The Democratic-led legislature will likely reshape the governor’s spending plan in the budget, Bryan Sears writes for The Daily Record [paywalled alas]. With supermajorities in both chambers, Democrats have shown a willingness to override Hogan’s vetoes.

 

Barron First Black Person To Be Md’s U.S. Attorney: Erek L. Barron has officially been sworn in as the 49th United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, William Carter reports for WBAL NewsRadio. Barron, a former state delegate [from Prince George’s County], is the first Black person to hold the title and first Democrat in 20 years.

 

More Marylanders Identify As Indigenous: The number of Marylanders identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native has more than doubled in the past decade – from 58,600 to 128,650, according to U.S. census records, a spike that some local leaders attribute to a grassroots effort among Indigenous communities to better document themselves in government records, Lillian Reed reports in the Sun.

Around the USA:

A revoltin’ development: A Year After ‘Defund,’ Police Departments Get Their Money Back – from the NYT

 

Parsing the Parsimony Landscape: The Build Back Better bill, is still under attack from conservatives and corporations.  And the neoliberal narrative  and austerity speak is starting to dominate some of the coverage. As evidenced here:“Democrats have two choices: They can either cut out major planks of the [reconciliation]  bill or they can winnow each program down, making them skimpier and temporary to fit into the budget. [for example} If you only extend the child tax credit for five years and bet that in 2026 the government of the day will extend it again, that brings down the price tag substantially. But if you bet wrong, the tax credit ends.” That’s from a Buzzfeed deepish-dive piece by Paul McLeod on what options everybody will be mulling while lawmakers spend this week in districts. 

 

From People’s Action, this  DC update: If there is a scaling back: “Most recent reporting indicates that most Senators favor the haircut approach [see above] which could mean that programs sunset after a certain number of years and would need to be reauthorized and/or refunded within a few years rather than being fully funded over the 10 year time frame that was covered in the $3.5 trillion proposal the House put together. 

 

“The haircut approach,” continues PA’s Megan Essaheb, “would seem to satisfy more Members of Congress and stakeholders but could also be complicated for some programs (such as those that take longer to ramp up) and, we still face the challenge of Senator Manchin’s (terrible) idea to only fund means-tested programs, his opposition to parts of the climate deal and his and other Senators and moderate House members’ desire to weaken the plan to lower prescription drug prices. Other conflicts are likely to surface as Democrats move forward with negotiating with the 4% of their party [members] that don’t support the $3.5 trillion plan. We should continue to publicly call for all of the important (and popular) investments (see 5 progressive priorities) that we want to see in the bill and not engage in the public debate around arbitrary numbers.”

 

Here’s the  latest timeline, definitely subject to change, from the Progressive Caucus Center for the Build Back Better Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill (to meet October 31 deadline to pass both BBB & the bipartisan infrastructure bill):

-Before October 19: Reach consensus framework on bill.

-Week of October 19: Finish legislative text of revised Build Back Better Act, report out of the Rules Committee, and bring to the House floor

-Week of October 25: After House passage, consider the Build Back Better Act in the Senate (includes amendment vote-a-rama).

-Before October 31: Following Senate passage, send the bill back to the House to pass with Senate changes before it goes to the President. Also pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill and send it to the President with the Build Back Better Act.

Events From Our Allies:  

 

Thursday October 14 at  5:00pm | Rally for Montgomery County Housing Rights | 13900 Robey Rd, Silver Spring MD

 

Sunday October 17 2-5 pm 

Jews United for Justice:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, Oct. 18 | 7pm

Reel & Meal presents "PFAS Diaries" – A series of documentary shorts details the effects of PFAS contamination. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used at military installations throughout the country for decades as a constituent chemical for firefighting foam; they leach into our soil and water and are released into the air through incineration.   

Register here for remote access –  Intro 6:30pm; films begin at 7pm

Friday, October 22 at 10am: