Dear Friend,
With just one week left of the Legislative Session, we are eagerly anticipating Governor Hogan's decision on multiple important bills. The good news is that some of our priority issues are moving forward - the Time To Care Act, Climate Solutions Now Act, Healthy Babies Equity Act, Stay of Eviction Proceeding for Rental Assistance Determination bill, and Cannabis Reform all passed the General Assembly and are now in Hogan’s hands. We are urging him to sign off on the bills (or not take any action) so these bills can go into law. If Hogan does veto any of them, we will be pushing the General Assembly to override the veto before the session ends. See below for ways you can take action and stay tuned for more legislative updates!
This morning, we met with activists from across the country in DC to call on President Biden to cancel student debt through executive order before the pause on federal student loan repayments expires on May 1.
Whether you love showing up for rallies or prefer to participate virtually, there are opportunities for everyone to get involved in the fight for a better future. Check out this week’s Memo for plenty of updates, events, actions to take, and news you can use! In Solidarity, The Progressive Maryland Team
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2022 Maryland Elections: There’s a new date for the Maryland primary: The Court of Appeals has rescheduled the Gubernatorial Primary Election for Tuesday, July 19. Mark your calendars today with the key dates in the new election timeline:
It’s springtime! It’s a beautiful time of year for getting outdoors and meeting people in their neighborhoods (while masked and keeping a safe distance). We are door knocking as well as phone banking to reach voters about the critical races on the ballot in the Primary. People power makes the difference for progressive candidates! Visit pgmd.us/electionvolunteer to sign up to volunteer with us and the candidates who are campaigning on our issues and core progressive values. We’ll provide the training and support you need so any experience level is welcome. If you have experience we need you to help lead our canvasses and phone banks.
And of course.. don’t forget to check out our Throwdown Thursday phonebank, happening again this week from 6–8 PM. Click this link to let us know you’ll join! You’ll meet some great folks, and we’ll provide training and support. Note to Candidates: If you’re running for office, have already filed for candidacy, and are interested in being considered for our endorsement, you may complete a candidate questionnaire here. 🗳 Candidate Corner Events This Week:
The Natali Fani-Gonzalez campaign has a special event on Wednesday, April 6th. Come out to phonebank, meet others, pick up yard signs, and enjoy pizza & salad! Location: Stained Glass Pub in Glenmont, anytime between 5PM - 7PM.
The Laurie-Anne Sayles holds its weekly virtual phonebank this Wednesday, April 6th, from 6PM - 8PM. RSVP here.
Learn more about all of our endorsed candidates for 2022 on the Progressive Maryland website! Go to pgmd.us/2022endorsements for candidate bios and links to support their campaigns. |
Statewide & Federal Updates: 🩺 Medicare for All: Tomorrow!
The powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee of the U.S. House Of Representatives held a hearing last Tuesday March 29
to explore "Pathways to Universal Healthcare." The Medicare for All legislation (H.R. 1976), which featured testimony from strong supporters as well as positive, persuasive statements from several members of the Committee, was a main focus We appreciate Rep. Cori Bush’s (D-MO) efforts in getting the hearing organized and the support that Rep. Raskin (D8) and Rep. Sarbanes (D3) expressed at the proceedings for Medicare For All. They and all 121 sponsors in the House see M4A as the best way to meet the healthcare needs of every person in our country.
Progressive Maryland joined with fellow activists and advocates from the Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition to rally in support of Rep. Jayapal’s bill and this historic hearing. It’s expected that Sen. Sanders will soon introduce his bill in the Senate and hold a hearing in May. Please contact Malcolm or Patty to get involved in our spring and summer campaign to organize for Medicare For All–we need you if we are going to step up our public outreach and grassroots organizing to win more support in Congress.
💜 Paid Family & Medical Leave
The Time to Care Act of 2022 (SB275) has passed the Maryland General Assembly! This critical bill would establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program. Our Member and Healthcare Task Force leader, Shayne D., was quoted in The Washington Informer about why this bill matters. But our work isn’t over yet! The bill is on the Governor’s desk for him to sign, and we’re calling on supporters to take 2 easy steps today to secure paid leave for working Marylanders:
- Take a minute to email Governor Hogan asking him to sign off on the Time to Care Act (SB275) in support of 2.5 million Maryland workers!
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Share your story about why we need Time to Care. Our stories are powerful! Share why you support paid family & medical leave at pgmd.us/mycarestory. Not quite sure what to say? Fill out the form and one of our organizers will reach out!
🏥 Medical Debt
HB 694, an important bill that will set up a process for reimbursing low income hospital patients to receive the money they were overcharged for care, has passed in the House of Delegates (although it was modified, it starts to set up ways to address how low income patients were wrongly overcharged by hospitals when they weren’t given the free care for which they were qualified.) It’s up to the Senate now to take a vote and pass this measure. You can take action now: Contact Senate President Bill Ferguson at (410) 841-3600 and urge him to bring the bill to a vote.
📣 Student Debt
Progressive Maryland helped turn Marylanders out for today’s Day of Action to Cancel Student Debt! The purpose is to call on President Biden to cancel student debt through executive order before the emergency moratorium on federal student loan repayments expires on May 1. Look for posts and pictures on our social media channels and stay tuned for updates from us on this critical issue. 🌱 Environmental Justice
Check out the great coverage we received on our Environmental Justice Press Conference from the Washington Informer and the Intersection Magazine! Ready to get involved with our environmental justice work? Contact Yves to join our Environmental Justice Task Force!
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Become a Progressive Maryland Member
If you care about the issues and priorities shared in this memo, please support our work by becoming a Progressive Maryland member today! We have flexible membership categories — members can choose to waive dues or sign up to give a monthly donation. You can find more details about the benefits of membership and how to join at pgmd.us/join.
PS. Just in case you needed another reason to join — members have the opportunity to participate in a Progressive Maryland fantasy baseball league this year! Fill out this form if you’d like to participate! |
State and National News:
Governor Hogan has a pretty big batch of important bills on his desk that he has until Friday at 5PM to act on (sign, veto, or ignore), giving the Assembly until the end of session on Monday to override any vetoes on bills that were presented to him in advance of the Presentment deadline last Friday. See above, Progressive Maryland has some tools in the Memo that can help those high-profile bills across the finish line and past a veto threat. Get the details in our News you can Use roundup here, where you can also see what Joe Biden’s $8 trillion federal budget looks like before it launches into the legislative process in the US Congress, which is sometimes called the sausage making machine.
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Events From Progressive Maryland & Our Allies: Wednesday, April 6 | 9:30 AM (Washington, DC) — ACTION: Rally @ USPS!
This Wednesday we’re gathering in front of USPS headquarters (475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, DC) to demand the USPS Board of Governors fix the Oshkosh contract and invest in an electric fleet built with union labor. Join us, NRDC, UAW, Sierra Club, BlueGreen Alliance, Hip Hop Caucus, and others on Wednesday to amplify our message and block this bad deal! Speakers to include Carolyn Maloney, Gerry Connolly, Ed Markey, Ramón Cruz, Jason Walsh, and Reverend Lennox Yearwood.
Tuesday, April 5 | 6 PM (Salisbury) — ACLU MD Action
Please join ACLU MD tomorrow 4/5 at 6 pm at the Wicomico County council meeting in support of strong police accountability. The meeting will be the first hearing on the Police Accountability Board starting at 6 pm at the Wicomico County Government Office Building. The address is 125 N Division St, Salisbury, MD 21801.
Can’t make it to hearing? Send a message to the Wicomico County Council today. Tell them that we don't need more debates, we need real accountability in Wicomico and a strong Police Accountability Board. |
Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: We value creating space for our members to express their thoughts on any issues related to our campaigns. Have an idea for a blog post? You can submit writing, film, graphic design, etc. to be published on our website to the blog moderator Woody at [email protected]. Click here to view this memo in your web browser.
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