Progressive Maryland
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Founded in 2000, Progressive Maryland is the largest grassroots advocacy organization in Maryland. Its mission is to create a state in which elected officials are held accountable to working families, not just special interests. Through research, public education, and direct political action, Progressive Maryland fights to improve the lives of working families at all levels of the state political system - in the General Assembly, in schools, in communities, and at the election booth.
Its political strength comes from over 50,000 individual members and formal partnership with over 60 of Maryland's largest community, faith-based, labor, and civil rights groups. These include: the NAACP, the Union of Reform Judaism, the AFL-CIO, and the Maryland State Teachers Association.
[edit] Issues & Campaigns
* Raising Wages- Progressive Maryland's living wage laws have already lifted thousands of families out of poverty by ensuring contractors pay their workers enough to feed their families. Progressive Maryland has also been instrumental in raising the Maryland minimum wage.
* Election Reform- Public Financing of campaigns provides qualified candidates with enough public funds to run a viable campaign for office. It is already the law in Connecticut, Maine, and Arizona. Progressive Maryland seeks "Clean Money" elections in Maryland as well.
* Health Care- Progressive Maryland works for reforms that guarantee affordable, accessible and universal health care for Americans, and undocumented immigrants alike.
* World-Class Public Schools- Progressive Maryland helped to pass the landmark Bridge to Excellence in Education (Thornton) initiative and continues to advocate for increased revenue for full funding of the Thornton plan, including the Geographic Cost of Education Index. Progressive Maryland also works to increase investment in public school construction and repairs.
* College Opportunity- Maryland's colleges and universities have recently been burdened with over $120 million in budget cuts. As a result, tuition rose drastically and working- and middle-class Marylanders, and non citizens are struggling to afford the high tuition rates. We can fully fund education by promoting tax fairness and recovering revenue lost through loopholes.
* Tax Fairness- Progressive Maryland seeks to close corporate tax loopholes to address the structural budget deficit without additional cuts to programs that children and families count on.
* Voter Registration- Progressive Maryland seeks to increase civic participation. Less than 2/3 of registered voters typically participate in Maryland state elections. Progressive Maryland works with the Maryland Democratic Party to ensure every vote counts, and every vote gets counted.
* Public Transportation- Progressive Maryland supports construction of the Inner Purple Line as a long-overdue part of the solution to Greater Washington's transportation problems. Low cost transportation is a fundamental right of every person no matter their class, creed, or national origin.
Learn more at ProgressiveMaryland.org.
