Welcome to the Weekly Memo.

STATEWIDE ACTION

Fight for $15 hearing in Annapolis,

Progressive Maryland needs you to show up. If you want to speak and tell your legislators why Maryland workers deserve at least $15/hr, arrive by 12 noon on Thursday, March 8th, The hearing will be held in State Senate building in Annapolis.

It will take each and every one of us involved and engaged to get the things we need and deserve to live and thrive in our state!

Progressive Maryland will be hosting a remote phone bank to recruit canvassers to the March Monthly Canvass! Join us at our office (35 University Blvd East, Silver Spring, MD 20901) or remotely on Thursday, March 8th from 5 pm-8 pm. Sign up here to make calls to others to be canvassers!

From Protest to Power Canvass

Meet your neighbors. Explore your community. Win elections. Make positive social change. 

We will connect with voters about the Protest to Power Platform, working to elect Ben Jealous & Susan Turnbull Governor/Lt. Governor of Maryland, and the most important issues in voters’ lives. Join us March 31, 2018, at 10 am and April 01, 2018 at 10 am

Sign up to HOST your own canvass, so others in your area can sign up to go door-to-door with you or RSVP for an event happening near you here:  http://www.progressivemaryland.org/march2018canvasses

Member Leaders:

Come Out To Movement Politics Interest Meeting

If taking back our democracy by winning elections is where you want to build your organizing home, complete the Movement Politics Team Survey! I will be holding an in-person meeting on Wednesday, March 7th from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm to talk about volunteer strategy around the 2018 Primary. RSVP here!

Progressive Caucus Candidate Slate Interest Meeting

Progressive Maryland has set electing progressives into positions to govern as our top objective this year. We have recruited and endorsed a number of candidates that match our values for governing and we must put every effort possible into making sure that they run viable campaigns. Our candidate pipeline and endorsed candidates need to be one accord with the organization. I will be holding an in-person meeting on Wednesday, March 7th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm to talk about strategy. RSVP here!

If questions contact:
Alexiss Kurtz · [email protected] 

If you aren't able to join us this week, Sign up for our Movement Politics Team and stay informed about the upcoming events by clicking here!  


OUR CHAPTERS AROUND THE STATE

BALTIMORE

(The previous memo, announced the non rescheduled date for this event)

Baltimore Chapter Office Opening and Community Meeting, RSVP here

On March 15th, 2018 at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, the Progressive Maryland Baltimore Chapter will be having its official Office opening.

CONTACT: Brittany Oliver · [email protected]/
Mass Incarceration Listening Session

We want to hear from you! On Thursday, March 22nd at 7 p.m. we'll be focusing on the problems and crafting community solutions to solve the problems in PG County. RSVP  here

Take Action Anne Arundel County 

Four of the 6 bills that the chapter is prioritizing have public hearings this week. 
 
Tuesday, March 6 at 1 pm In the Senate - Hearing for SB732 - Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2018
  • Is an issue of environmental justice, as low-income communities and non-white communities are often disproportionately exposed to air pollution from nearby fossil fuel-burning (usually coal) power plants
  • Bill contains job training for workers and support for minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned clean energy companies
Wednesday, March 7 at 1 pm -  In the Senate - Hearing for SB1002 - Healthy Maryland Act of 2018  
  • Many Marylanders are either still uninsured or are struggling to pay forever rising medical bills
  • Benefits will be non-discriminatory without regard to pre-existing conditions & include dental, vision and prescription drugs
In the Senate - Hearing for SB1028 - Youth Mental Health Protection Act of 2018  
  • This bill requires a ban of conversion therapy for minors
  • LGBTQ youth suffer from depression and low self-esteem due to the message society sends them that they are wrong for being who they are. This practice reinforces that damaging message.  
Thursday, March 8 at 1 pm -  In the Senate - Hearing for SB543 - Fight for $15 Minimum Wage  
  • A $15 minimum wage would benefit hundreds of thousands of kids. Over 300,000 children have at least one parent that would be affected by a $15 minimum wage in Maryland.
Take Action Anne Arundel County Monthly Chapter Meeting:
Thursday, March 15 at 7 pm, Personal Storytelling for Legislative Change at Edgewater Community Library  
  • Do you have a personal story that you are willing to share to help make change happen? We need your voice!
  • Join Take Action Anne Arundel County in a discussion about stories that matter. Our chapter is supporting 6 bills that will impact people's lives in this county including a $15 minimum wage, healthcare for all Marylanders, keeping immigrants safe in Maryland, clean energy jobs in Maryland, expanded legal definition of hate crime against groups, and a conversion therapy ban for minors. 
  • Learn key talking points about these bills and add your personal story to persuade your legislator to vote yes! 
  • RSVP here
 
Other Anne Arundel County Events
On Friday, March 9 at 7 pm, Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis will view and discuss the film An Inconvenient Sequel.  An announcement is on the CSGA website and on Facebook.  

Talbot Rising

Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

PMD Montgomery

 

EVENTS FROM OUR ALLIES

Thursday, April 5 -- County Council candidates forum. Details to be announced. 7:00 -- 9:00 p.m. Hoyer Education Center

Protect Our Community Against ICE Agents
The 2017 Maryland Trust Act bill that passed in the House last year but not in the Senate. It is being re-introduced in 2018 as the SAFE (Supporting All Families Everywhere) Act. It intends to create protections against ICE Agents. 
Greenbelt People Power would like you to take four actions:
  1. We need a crowd of supporters at the SAFE Act press conference in Annapolis on March 8th at 2 p.m in Room 145 of the House Office Building.  If you can attend, kindly RSVP here. Bring your friends and colleagues, too.
  2. Attend the SAFE ACT press conference on March 8 at 2 PM. RSVP here
  3. Attend the hearing SAFE Act hearing on March 13th at 1 PM or email a written testimony in .doc or PDF format to Delegate Gutierrez's office at [email protected] 
  4.  Contact Jeff Harrison, Greenbelt People Power, 240-604-4475, with questions or to discuss other possible actions.  

Reading the Progressive Maryland Blog Space: our blogs for the previous week 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 blog space 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]

 

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

Ada Gabriela

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#IslandMermaid Living Life/ Boricua aunque naciera en la luna/ Project Manger & Producer