As the House of Representatives takes out the knife for public health care -- mostly Medicaid -- Maryland and other states brace for a major struggle. Maryland needs Medicaid, for sure, but some Red states in the South REALLY, REALLY need Medicaid, and that could split the already fractious GOP House majority further. How to fight back? Stories. Yep, stories; lots of folks have stories about how Medicaid helped them stave off financial and family collapse. See how you can help And there's lots more -- child care support freeze and big federal cuts, including at UM, here in Maryland; AI bills by (just barely) the thousands in 50 state legislatures this year, the fired chief of the Library of Congress is replaced by one of Trump's criminal lawyers, and more. It's News You Can Use.

Often misunderstood, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. Today, it has become a broader celebration of Mexican culture, history, and the deep contributions of Mexican-American communities to the U.S. But this holiday is often culturally exploited, reduced to stereotypes and stripped of its deeper meaning. Let’s commit to honoring its heritage the right way by uplifting the voices, history, and dignity of the communities it represents.

It’s especially important right now to name and honor those contributions. As our government continues to threaten, erase, and criminalize the communities that built this country, we remain committed to fighting back. We will always stand with our Latinx neighbors in the face of injustice.

Last week, we joined hundreds of allies and partner organizations from across the state for a May Day rally in D.C., standing strong for workers and working families. We showed up to push back against the injustice this administration continues to inflict on labor and immigrant communities. It was powerful, and we’re bringing that energy into everything we do this month. Make sure you check out our social media to see the action.

We’ve got important updates ahead from our issue campaigns, opportunities to take action, and key state and national news. Read on.

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

Because we survived TrumpWorld's first 100 days doesn't mean we should let our defense slack off. This battle continues, but there are heartening signs that the courts are holding the Constitutional line and that other institutions (universities, law firms, maybe even the Dem opposition) are beginning to stand with the courts. Nevertheless, as we see from Megan E's meticulous roundup, Congressional GOP majorities are lining up to do TrumpWorld's dirty work. Some -- just a few -- are wavering and even showing shreds of decency in the face of overwhelming lawlessness. There are tools, as we see below, for reminding the GOP legislators they were elected to help, not hurt their constituents and bucking up the Dems who are showing some spine, too. Here in Maryland we might have to reach out to our friends and relatives in other states to help pressure the critical House and Senate members there, but you had been meaning to call them anyway, right?

It's News You Can Use

As Maryland wrestles with the complexity and, yes, the expense of the Blueprint for school improvement, one of the fragile elements of that plan has been community schools. They require extra resources because they are aimed at enriching the lives and learning of not only the students but their families and the community that hosts them. As national educational report and analyst Jeff Bryant shows, they also require patience as they enhance the learning, wellness and well-being of the entire community. Schools cannot fully succeed unless their community does.

Last Tuesday was Earth Day, a moment to reflect on the importance of protecting our planet and fighting climate change. Climate change is real, and it’s impacting communities across Maryland and the globe. That’s why Earth Month matters; it calls us to action, to organize, and to push for policies that address the crisis head-on. We’re proud of the victories we’ve achieved, like ending subsidies for trash incineration in Maryland after years of persistent advocacy. But our work is far from over. Our state’s transition to clean energy must be a just transition—one that centers communities that have been burdened for far too long. That’s the future we’re fighting for.

This past Saturday, we took to the streets with Progressive Harford County for a Speak Out to Save Medicaid Rally in front of Rep. Andy Harris’ office. We are urging him to vote NO to Medicaid cuts! If you haven’t yet, email Rep. Harris. It was great to see our community out there, chanting about saving Medicaid, taxing billionaires, and standing united. 

Tomorrow, April 29th, our Executive Director, Larry Stafford, Jr., will be speaking at a press conference to reintroduce the Medicare for All Act. Join us in Upper Senate Park, opposite Russell Senate Office Building Delaware Door, at 11:00am. The press conference will also be livestreamed on Senator Bernie Sanders’ social media.

As we prepare to step into May with more organizing, more planning, and more people power, we are looking forward to starting off the next month strong with May Day! More on that below.

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

Nothing like being cooped up in the same visible, public space as "the usual gang of idiots" (stole that from MAD comix) to make you look good by comparison. State governments are not always examples of smarts or compassion, but Maryland and other states are sharpening up their push-back skills to combat the lunacy that emerges daily from TrumpWorld. Definitely improves their brand. Along with the states, universities (led by Harvard [!?]), law firms, nonprofits and other institutions are rummaging through the Constitution for (lots of) available evidence that many of Trump's "executive orders" sound good but don't have the kind of legal standing that will get them past a federal district judge, let alone appeals courts or SCOTUS. Add that to the discomfort of the business sector, whose long-range plans for a profitable holiday season are already threatened by the tariff catastrophe and no patch-up with Chinese authorities. In all, the political combat is starting to look somewhat closer to the usual level playing field.  Still falling a lot short, though. It's News You Can Use.

Courts in Maryland, Richmond and the capital continue to struggle with the outlandish stances of Trump and his minions -- on immigration/deportation and ICE's increasingly gestapo-ish role;on funding cutoffs used for bullying behavior modification, on slashing the federal workforce and erecting tariff-barriers that will never in our lifetimes bring offshored factories back to US soil, on deliberate efforts to add ever more carbon to the planet's air. And more. And Pope Francis, an anchor of decency regardless of faith or its absence, made it to Easter but not beyond. Feeling left behind? Solidarity is required, more than ever, as we look at a worse-than-usual week of News You Can Use.

This week, Marylanders' eyes shuttle back and forth between weighing the work (and failures) of the just-completed General Assembly session and the outrages of the latest Trump follies and lawlessness. The Orange Menace has bypassed Congress's role in setting tariffs, recklessly setting and unsetting tariff rates to the great disadvantage of US economic standing as well as perceptions here and overseas about the sanity and stability of national leadership. Trump and others' behavior during the wild gyrations of tariff-setting has raised questions about market manipulation and insider trading. Even more lawlessly, having kidnapped a legal Maryland resident and dumped him in a notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador, Trump and his minions claim they have no duty to seek his return.

The General Assembly appears to have preserved the Blueprint plan for the state's education system more or less intact and delivered a balanced budget despite a revenue deficit, but there were many failures of nerve and succumbing to the blandishments of lobbyists as well. Next year the Assembly members face election or re-election (many were appointed to vacancies but have not yet faced the voters) and they are dodging any appearance of the burning of bridges with potential donors.

It's News You Can Use.

As the General Assembly tries to wrap up its work today, known as Sine Die, news comes that a federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that the Salvadoran Maryland resident was wrongly deported to a notorious mass-incarceration facility in El Salvador and must be returned tonight. Definitely a stay-tuned day as worldwide stock markets crash for a third day, more DOGE firings loom and the prez plays golf (while charging the Secret Service for their lodging at... Mar-a-Lago) and many thousands rallied Saturday all over the US in what was called a "THE RESISTANCE ARRIVES" moment.

The Memo will be posted here after the email version has been sent.

Tough times are upon us, as Maryland and other DMV areas lose federal civil service  jobs by the hundreds, daily. For (and from) those who spend some time on history, the rest of us have learned how Trump-style oligarchy is built – by dividing the ordinary working folks who are most affected. Solidarity among billionaires is welcomed and encouraged, including with invitations to the stately pleasure dome at Mar-a-Lago. But not solidarity for working folks, for whom the oligarchs’ goal is isolation and that alone, must-be-my-fault feeling. When we let that isolated feeling overtake us, Trump and his domestic terrorists win – the result, as has always been true of post-industrial capitalism, is blaming yourself for what is actually the greed-riddled economy’s failure to sustain community. Under these conditions it is harder than usual for folks to push themselves to solidarity and resistance. But we must. Here and there, as we see in this week’s News You Can Use, patches of solidarity are emerging and pushing back. We need many more.

Maryland and its Assembly is struggling to preserve its nationally-praised Blueprint for school excellence even as the federal Department of Education appears in danger of being dismembered by the DOGE fanatics and their enabler-president. 

Our and other states may find themselves having to struggle with services and coordinated planning that the DoE has, for better or worse, provided. And, with some justice, conservatives argue that student performance nationwide, especially since the Pandemic, could scarcely be worse, DoE or no. 

Some suggest this will open the door to more states providing taxpayer money for private schools. , a struggle that the Assembly waged with Larry Hogan for nearly every year of his two terms. Public money for private schools seems inevitably to morph into a subsidy for parents who would already be placing their young-uns in the nonpublic sector.

Nevertheless, keeping good teachers and good teaching – and good learning – in the public system  is a critical need for every state, and Kal Hettleman, one of those who fashioned Maryland’s groundbreaking Blueprint, argues in this commentary that more than just an improved teacher pipeline is among the necessaries for reversing the trend – across this and all the states. It recently appeared in Maryland Matters.

Hope you’re not missing that lost hour too much after Daylight Savings Time! While time moved forward this weekend, we’re laser-focused on the countdown to Crossover Day—now just one week away. This is a crucial deadline in the legislative session when bills must pass one chamber to stay in play. The pressure is on, and we’re working around the clock to get our priority bills over the finish line.

We’ve made big strides this session, but some legislators are stalling key bills or trying to weaken them with harmful amendments. We’re doing everything possible to push back but we need you in this fight, too. Check out our legislative updates for the latest bill statuses and ways you can take action.

In other news, we’re celebrating big wins in Prince George’s County! Congratulations are in order for these two powerhouse women leaders—Aisha Braveboy for County Executive and Shayla Adams-Stafford for County Council (District 5)! We could not be more proud of these victories, which mark a huge step forward for progressive leadership in the county. These women are ready to fight for policies that make a real difference in people’s lives, and we’re excited to see their wins made official in the general election in June!

Read on for updates on our issue campaigns, events from allies and news you can use!

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

Struggle on two fronts goes on here in Maryland. We have one of the biggest populations of federal workers, per capita, as many states, so we get hit hardest by the Trump/Musk purge. At the same time, these struggles are worsening our already-imposing state budget deficit, giving the General Assembly desperate problems as the legislative session draws to a close (and as the GOP-led Congress aims to stick working families with the downside of a new spending and tax plan that would make the rich richer).

That's a lot on the peoples' plate. As we see, the Democratic state attorneys general are in the forefront of taking Trump, Musk and the rest of the MAGA gangsters to court, where they have to come up with better answers than "I just felt like it." Meanwhile the lower prices, lower inflation and other benefits promised by Trump before the election are turning out to be their opposites. We've seen Trump's movie before and are not surprised, alas.

So the struggle goes on. News You Can Use tries to keep you up on significant stuff happening here, in other states and at the national level. Usually, the news requires action on our part to keep the bad people from gaining. No excuses, lets get to work and keep on working.

As we step into March, we also step into Women’s History Month—a time to honor the generations of women, femmes, and non-binary people whose contributions have shaped history, movements, and everyday life. Their leadership, resilience, and impact deserve recognition not just this month, but always. Check out our Women’s History Month section later in this memo, where we’ll be highlighting powerful stories and change-makers.

Meanwhile, we’re hitting a major stretch in the legislative session with several critical bill hearings happening this week. Check out our Legislative Updates section for important updates on all of our legislative priorities.

And in exciting news, Progressive Maryland has once again been ranked in the Top 100 Liberal Political Blogs across the country by FeedSpot! We’re joined by other popular blogs like Daily Kos, ACLU, HuffPost Politics, The New Yorker, and Democratic National Committee. Plus, there are only 3 other statewide blogs to make this list so we are thrilled and grateful for this cool recognition. Click here to see the full list.

Read on for updates on our issue campaigns and news you can use!

In solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team

It’s been six rather amazing and disheartening weeks since the Orange Menace was inaugurated president, and the AP has a big take on that, Trump’s moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy. Watch to see if AP mentions the Gulf of Mexico.

As we see below, the reverberations in Maryland are many and varied, showing how intimately the state’s workforce (and budget) is related to federal agencies – and not just in D.C.

And a consolidated pushback has begun at the level of many Blue states as the Dem AGs continue their sustained court battles with TrumpWorld. In Red states, GOP legislators wallow in the violation of constitutional and human rights under the cover of the (so far) overbearing MAGA hegemony.