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At Midnight, April 8th, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned "Sine Die" (with no appointed date to reconvene – this year). The bills have been sent to Governor Wes Moore to be signed, vetoed, or allowed to become law without his signature.
Thank you for your work to support UU Values in Maryland. Together, we have made a difference in the lives of Marylanders, because of your grassroots and faith-based advocacy. Since almost all of our funding comes from you and our congregations, this letter is also an appeal for your financial support so we can continue our effective advocacy in 2025.
There is a lot of essential work ahead to create a Statewide Government in Maryland that honors the dignity of every Marylander AND the web of life, of which we all are part. We need additional funds and more UU advocates to maintain and expand our resources to support our work together.
Please click here to donate to UULM-MD. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for resources for the upcoming election year!
2024 Statistics:
Total Pieces of Testimony Submitted: 95
Top Advocacy Alerts:
Gender Affirming Care: 220 emails sent to lawmakers
Environmental Permits: 138 emails sent to lawmakers
Reform EmPOWER- 124 emails sent to lawmakers
Medical Aid in Dying: 115 emails sent to lawmakers
Gun Industry Accountability: 110 emails to lawmakers
Total Emails Sent to Lawmakers: 2006
Top Email Recipients:
Sen. Mary Washington - 74 emails received
Del. Kim Taylor - 61 emails received
Sen. Ron Watson - 59 emails received
Del. Mark Korman - 58 emails received
Del. David Moon - 50 emails received
Top Email Contributors:
Monica Greene- 103 emails sent to lawmakers
Molly Hauck - 102 emails sent to lawmakers
Conan Payne - 57 emails sent to lawmakers
Tanner Wray- 56 emails sent to lawmakers
Ken Shilling - 53 emails sent to lawmakers
Thank Your Lawmakers:
Climate Change:
Working for Accessible Renewable Maryland Thermal Heat (WARMTH) Act - HB 397 and SB 570 both passed and are going to the Governor.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plans [EmPOWER Reform] - HB 864 passed and is going to the Governor.
Renewable Energy - Net Energy Metering Aggregation, Certified SRECs and Compliance Fees, Labor Requirements, and Taxes on Solar Energy Generating Systems (Brighter Tomorrow Act) - SB 783 passed and is going to the Governor. Companion HB 1435 never came out of committee.
Criminal Justice
Resources and Education for All Prisons (REAP) Act – Both SB 620 and HB 92 passed and are going to the Governor for signature.
Office of the Correctional Ombudsman – SB 134 passed and is going to the Governor. Companion HB 297 passed the House but was not advanced by the Senate.
Gun Violence Prevention:
Active Shooter Safety Drills or Trainings – HB 416 passed and is going to the Governor. Companion bill SB 432 passed the Senate but did not get voted out of the Rules Committee, but was not needed for the bill to become law.
Center for Firearm Violence Prevention – SB 475 and HB 583 both passed and are going to the Governor.
Gun Industry Accountability Act – HB 947 passed and is going to the Governor. Companion SB 488 passed the Senate and was amended in the House, so ran out of time before it could become law.
Healthcare and Trans Rights
Legally Protected Health Care - Gender-Affirming Treatment – SB 119 passed and will go to the Governor.
Immigration
Access to Care Act – SB 705 and HB 728 both passed and are on their way to the Governor for signature. Thank You for Passsing The Access to Care Act
This November, democracy is on the ballot in the Presidential race, and a lot of Maryland UUs want to be involved in Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) efforts in other, more competitive, states. Once again, UU the Vote will be active in organizing this effort around the country.
If that were not enough, Maryland has a competitive race for U.S. Senate, three open House seats to fill, and a referendum to enshrine reproductive rights in the Maryland Declaration of Rights (the State Constitution). Please check out our revised Take Action Page which has resources for the upcoming election. If you would like to be involved further, please email our coordinator, Ashley Egan, at info@uulmmd.org and she will get you patched in.
We will be partnering with the Virginia UU State Action Network, the Reeb Project for Voting Rights of All Souls Church, UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ), and UU the Vote to provide you with resources for the upcoming election. If you haven't registered for Voter Mobilization Organizing School to kick off efforts in the Maryland, DC, Virginia region, please click the button below to register:
Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM at All Souls Church Unitarian, Washington, DC. |