Dear Friend, Happy Monday—and happy Victory Monday to all Ravens and Commanders fans!
As we celebrate those wins on the field, much of the political chatter this week is focused on the challenges and transitions shaping Maryland and D.C. In Maryland, Governor Moore’s administration is grappling with the effects of the state’s budget shortfall and local municipalities are preparing for special elections. Meanwhile, in D.C., discussions center around President Biden’s final days in office and the transition to a Trump administration, set to begin in exactly one week.
As progressives, our priorities have always been rooted in supporting working families and advancing social equity. While the incoming Trump administration will undoubtedly attempt to undermine our progress and future agendas, our work does not stop. We are more committed than ever to securing bold, progressive policies at the state level.
Last Wednesday marked the start of Maryland’s 2025 legislative session, and both the Senate and House reconvene today. We’re already hard at work advocating for our priority bills, and we’d love for you to join us at our Rally for the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act on Thursday, January 23rd in Annapolis. Click here to RSVP and join us!
You’ll also find details from the first meetings related to our legislative efforts in our Legislative Updates section.
Read on for more updates from our issue campaigns and task forces, as well as key local and state news and opportunities to get involved. In solidarity, The Progressive Maryland Team |
|
|
Here’s what’s in today’s memo: - Legislative Updates
- PM Events
-
Issue Campaign Updates
- Local Chapter Updates
- State & National News
-
PM Job Openings
|
2025 Legislative Session:
Click here to view the suggested dates of interest provided by the General Assembly. The House and Senate will reconvene tonight and will post live updates on their website.
TRACKER: Click here to keep track of all active Maryland bills, their action status, top sponsors, and top committees. You can also view the bills from the previous legislative session. For more detailed updates on this year’s Legislative Session and to search specific bills click here.
As expected, the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2025 had its first reading in the Maryland General Assembly last week and is set for its first hearing next week. Our Environmental Justice Task Force is hard at work preparing for this critical moment in the fight to remove trash incineration from Maryland's “green energy” list.
For details on the hearing and how you can support this effort, check out the EJTF section in this memo. Let’s make this the year we secure this long-overdue win for environmental justice! |
PM EVENTS: Make Your Voice Heard at Lobby Night
Join us on Monday, February 24th for Lobby Night in Annapolis, our first big advocacy event of 2025. This is your opportunity to connect directly with lawmakers, share your experiences, and push for the progressive changes Maryland families need. |
Task Forces & Issue Campaigns Updates: |
Healthcare Task Force: Show up now for healthcare justice! Attend the National Cover Our Care Organizing Call This Thursday night!
Our community conversation about the national fight against insurance company power and our state campaign to advance a pro-people healthcare agenda in Annapolis. Click here to sign up.
Become a Volunteer
We can win but more folks have to take part! Our volunteers give us a few hours a week or a month to do things like make phone calls, contact elected officials, send emails, or attend community events. Take a minute to sign up
March with us at the MLK Parade in Baltimore
Baltimore will pay tribute to the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a parade on Monday, Jan. 20th. The Parade kicks off at noon at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and North Eutaw Street. Join the Progressive Maryland team to march with many other activists and organizations who believe wholeheartedly in Dr. King’s message that healthcare is a Universal human right. Look for our signs and banners.
|
Environmental Justice: Reclaim Renewable Energy Act: House Hearing Announced
Last Thursday, the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act house hearing (HB220) was announced and will take place next Thursday, January 23, starting at 1p. With Senate President Bill Ferguson now being the lead sponsor of the RREA, the probability of the bill passing, this legislative session, will be immensely high.
However, victory will only be secured once the bill is voted on and is passed in both legislative chambers. Prior to the house hearing, to raise the voices of frontline community members to members of the Economic Matters Committee, Progressive Maryland and its allies will hold a rally at Lawyers Mall from 11a-12p. This is a colossal opportunity for anyone that has been following our fight to pass the RREA to get involved and help amplify the call to pass the RREA in the house of delegates. If you would like to join us please register here.
For anyone that would like to testify in writing or in person, you will need to create an account on the Maryland General Assembly site. Once doing so, you will need to register to testify verbally, written, and/or both. Please note: If you decide to only submit written testimony, the submission portal will open up two days before the hearing date, so you should make sure you are tracking the HB220.
If you have any further questions or want to get involved with the EJTF in its mission to pass the RREA, please reach out to SirJames here. |
|
|
Harford County
Progressive Harford is having a committee kickoff meeting tonight, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This meeting is open to anyone who wants to help get the committees off the ground. During this meeting, members will meet and start organizing together towards their committee's goal.
Click here to register. Oxon Hill / South Prince George’s County:
Our endorsed candidate Zakyia Goins-McCants has officially taken her oath for District 8 Board of Education! We congratulate her on the work that she has done for our Power Our Schools Campaign, our community, and for her election campaign!
Because of our fight for better schools, we are taking the opportunity to fight for Prince George’s County Schools and Oxon Hill Schools in the State Legislative Session. We will be supporting the Fair Share Coalition to hold wealthy billionaires and businesses accountable for hoarding money from our schools and communities! Join the fight against the wealthy millionaires who have manipulated the tax code and unjustly influenced everything from our school buildings to our Presidential elections. Join the fight by signing this form!
Landover / Central Prince George’s County:
We are joining the Oxon Hill Neighborhood Union in fighting against wealthy millionaires and businesses. Join us in the fight by signing this form! |
Assembly gets under way hoping for fewer bills, lighter load. Good luck.
The Maryland General Assembly kicked off its 2025 session this past Wednesday and the bill hopper is filling up despite hopes that the workload can be reduced (endless committee hearings) and the end of the regular session can see the passage of bills that will keep the state afloat despite a formidable current revenue deficit. Read on below about how this is being handled by the Governor and the top officers in House and Senate.
There's much more about Maryland, the other 49 states' good or bad examples, and the imminent change of administrations (brrr). Read all about it in News You Can Use. |
Don't forget to follow us on social media! |
Progressive Maryland
P.O. Box 6988
Largo, MD 20792
United States
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive emails from us, please unsubscribe or update your preferences in your supporter portal. |
|
|
|
