The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is clearly not an unfunded mandate. It is fully funded through 2026 and there is a commitment from the state to fund it for all 10 years.

Commissioner Eric Fiori (Dist. 3), in the January 12th article, Commissioners look to challenges in ’23, said while discussing the Blueprint:

“We don’t have a number yet, but it’ll be a substantial burden on the budget … As a more rural county that funds our schools significantly on the backs of our local taxpayers and state dollars, it’s a large concern and a one-size-fits-all package…”

If you “don’t have a number yet,” how can you possibly claim that it will be a “burden?”

According to the administration, in the current year (FY23), Worcester is already receiving approximately $2.5 million in Blueprint related funding. Included in this total is $936,033 to support the all day pre-k programs, $779,493 in Concentration of Poverty grants and $360,077 to help support costs related to providing services to our Special Education students. We will in all likelihood receive at least that amount for the upcoming budget.

The annual funding requirement for local counties is the same as it always has been: meeting Maintenance of Effort. This is a statute written to ensure that counties don’t balance their budgets or keep taxes low by cutting education spending. MOE is mandated by the state and is part of existing education funding law.

Counties are required to maintain a minimum annual appropriation to the Local Education Agency (school system) budget that is the greater of either

1) the local share of the foundation program or

2) the per pupil amount provided in the previous year.

Most counties including Worcester, have historically contributed funds in excess of their required foundation amount. If we do need additional money to meet maintenance of effort, we could easily raise this money by increasing our local tax rate (the lowest in the state). Local officials set the rates, which range between 2.25% and 3.20% for the current tax year. Wicomico County, a poorer county has a rate of 3.2% while Worcester County’s rate is only 2.25%.

The State’s role in funding education is to make sure that every child in Maryland receives a quality education regardless of their zip code. Since counties use property taxes to fund the local share, they have very different abilities to fund their schools. The wealth of a county should not determine the quality of each child’s education. Therefore, the percentage of state and local funding varies dependent on the amount of property taxes a jurisdiction can raise. Worcester County has one of the highest property values in the state and thus can raise a significantly higher amount of dollars.

We hope our Commissioners will take the time to understand both the promised funding and the goal of The Blueprint before they make broad statements against it. This is clearly not an unfunded mandate but a continued partnership between the state and the counties to create world class schools for every Maryland student.

Joan Roache

Worcester County

Dear Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes and Health and Government Operations Committee Members, 

We, the undersigned organizations, community leaders, and elected officials in your district, The Shore,  and around the state are proud to announce our support for Delegate Sheila Ruth’s HB 0329 Commission on Universal Health Care bill and ask that you also co-sponsor and support this common-sense legislation.  

What is the Commission on Universal Health Care?

HB0329 would establish the Commission on Universal Health Care: a Kirwin Commission-style body whose express purpose is to research and develop a plan for the State to establish a universal health care program that covers all Maryland residents. The plan is non-committal and its implementation would be voted on in a later bill.

Why is it necessary? 

Health inequities based on race, ethnicity, disability, economic status, and place of residence persist throughout the state and the COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened them. The need to address and improve health outcomes in underserved areas of our state is imperative, especially when people with chronic conditions are less able to get the care and treatment they desperately need.

Many Maryland workers and their dependents lost their healthcare in layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current healthcare system does not ease burdens on Marylanders and is not enough to address the increasing health concerns of modern life. All Marylanders should have the right to preventative care and comprehensive health care regardless of assets, employment status, race, ethnicity, zip code, citizenship or immigration status.

What’s wrong with the current approach?

For most Marylanders, the costs of health care are daunting. Emergency room visits and prescription drug prices are costly enough, but when surveying the costs of health care plans it becomes entirely clear that our healthcare system is unaffordable, broken and immoral.

According to a study by the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation in 2022, Insurance premiums in Maryland have an average premium of $439. Due to these costs and other inequalities in our healthcare system, 257,100 or 4.3% of the State’s population are still uninsured with thousands more under insured. With this legislation, we can finally identify a way to create a healthcare system where everyone is insured and nobody is left behind. 

What’s the solution?

We need a Kirwan style commission on Healthcare to determine how we can ensure every Marylander has healthcare. A state single-payer system would resolve the health care and employment barrier, and “produce savings of about 18 percent” according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A state single-payer system would:

• Shrink net health care spending for middle income families between 2.6 – 9.1%.
• Save employers with fewer than 500 employees between 5.7 and 22% in healthcare costs as a share of payroll.
• Benefit small businesses who are already providing healthcare to their workers.
• Meet the needs of low income communities and reduce challenges faced by minorities.

We, the undersigned organizations, community leaders, and elected officials are your constituents, and we ask that you stand with us by supporting this bill and help to get it passed this session. 

Jared Schablein

Chair, Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

Cecilia Plante 

Maryland Legislative Coalition 

Hal Ginsberg

Our Revolution Maryland

Larry Stafford

Executive Director, Progressive Maryland

Kristy Fogel 

Founder, Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition 

Rosie Bean

Chair, FLIP 

Joan Roache

Co-President, Worcester Democratic Club

1. Lee Ruark

Somerset County Community Leader

Gail Jankowski 

Worcester County Activist 

Nicole Hollywood 

Professor, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Lauren Batdorf 

Communications Director, North Baltimore County Democratic Club

Gains Hawkins

President, Democratic Club of Wicomico County

Kelsie Mattox

Wicomico NAACP, member 

(signed as individual)

Vanessa Carrington 

President, North Baltimore County Democratic Club Communications

Keith Henry

Board member, Wicomico Democratic Club 

Toby Perkins and Susan Buyer

Coordinators, Indivisible Worcester Maryland

Sydney Bradner-Jacobs
Vice Chair, Dorchester County Democratic Central Committee; Pride Caucus Chairwoman, Young Democrats of Maryland
(signed as individual)

Lionel Federick 

Princess Anne Town Commissioner - District 2

Sarah Gavian

Chair, Dorchester County Democratic Central Committee (signed as individual)

Susan Delean-Botkin, CRNP, MSN, BSN, BS

FamilyCare of Easton, LLC

Tom Puglisi

Dorchester County voter

Susan Morgan

Dorchester County voter

Jennifer Brohawn

Member of Dorchester County Democratic Central Committee (signed as an individual)

Maris Wicker

Dorchester County voter

Megan Outten 

Salisbury City Council District 3 

Dr. Theresa Stafford 

Dorchester County School Board District 2

In  June of 2022, the Supreme Court issued a dangerous decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, striking down a portion of New York’s concealed carry permitting law that, like a similar provision in the Maryland code, required those seeking to carry concealed guns in public to demonstrate that they had a “proper cause” to do so. As a result, the bar to carrying hidden, loaded guns outside one’s home or place of business have been significantly lowered. States like Maryland that once imposed high standards for permit issuance must now respond by updating their laws to conform them to the court’s ruling. These changes include strengthening the permitting process in order to ensure that the Maryland State Police are able to appropriately exercise its authority to deny permits to those who have demonstrated that they are likely to endanger themselves or others by carrying a handgun in public and designating ‘sensitive places’ across the state, where firearms may not be carried to include places of public accommodation such as hotels, inns, theatres, and food and retail establishments serving alcohol. SB1 would also make it illegal to carry a permitted gun on anyone’s property without the permission of the property owner.

The evidence overwhelmingly suggests allowing almost anyone to carry a concealed gun in public increases violent crime, gun theft, workplace homicide and mass shootings. Designating sensitive places of public accommodation where firearms pose a significant danger to public health and will maximize public safety and this bill does so in such a manner that it withstands constitutional scrutiny and does not infringe on the rights of lawful and responsible gun owners.

Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act

Bill Sponsor: Senators Hester, Feldman, and Brooks

Committee: Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee 

Organization Submitting:   Lower Shore Progressive Caucus

Person Submitting:  Jared Schablein,  LSPC Chair   

Position: FAVORABLE

I am submitting this testimony in favor of SB0781 on behalf of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus. The Caucus is a political and activist organization on the Eastern Shore, unaffiliated with any political party, committed to empowering working people by building a Progressive movement on the Lower Eastern Shore. 

This legislation is an important step forward in promoting clean energy and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. By requiring new offshore wind projects to include a community benefit agreement, and by encouraging the development of new transmission facilities and upgrades, this bill will help to create good-paying jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and strengthen our economy. This will be a major boost for the economy on the Lower Eastern Shore which has struggled to attract good paying jobs and industry for decades.  

Offshore wind energy has the potential to provide a significant source of clean, renewable energy for our state. By harnessing the power of the wind, we can generate electricity without relying on fossil fuels, reducing our carbon footprint and protecting the environment for future generations. This bill recognizes the importance of offshore wind as a key component of our energy mix, and takes important steps to promote its development.

One of the key provisions of this bill is the requirement for a community benefit agreement for any new qualified offshore wind project. This agreement will help to ensure that the benefits of offshore wind are shared fairly among all members of the community. By requiring developers to engage with local stakeholders, this provision will help to build support for new wind projects and ensure that they are compatible with the needs and interests of the communities they serve.

Another important provision of this bill is the requirement for the Public Service Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of transmission system expansion options. By identifying the most effective ways to upgrade and expand our transmission infrastructure, we can ensure that the benefits of offshore wind are maximized and that the energy is delivered to where it is needed most.

Finally, this bill encourages the development of new offshore wind transmission facilities and upgrades by requiring the Commission to issue a certain number of competitive solicitations for proposals. This will help to create new jobs and investment opportunities in our state, while also strengthening our energy infrastructure and reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels.

It is for these reasons the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus supports this bill and recommends a FAVORABLE report in committee. Thank you for your consideration.

I am submitting this testimony in favor of SB0555 on behalf of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus. The Caucus is a political and activist organization on the Eastern Shore, unaffiliated with any political party, committed to empowering working people by building a Progressive movement on the Lower Eastern Shore. 

As we speak our economy faces two significant issues. The first of these issues is that Inflation is the highest it has been in over 40 years, and wages are not increasing fast enough to match the rising cost of living.  This is resulting in low wage earners on the Eastern Shore and around the state having to work two to three jobs just to stay afloat.  

The second issue is that small businesses are struggling to retain employees due to paying lower wages than many large businesses. That means small businesses are at a competitive disadvantage. This is being seen in a big way on the Shore where due to low wages so many Shore businesses are struggling to find workers because of the low salaries they offer. 

The solution to these problems is the passage of this bill because when low wage earners get a raise, they are most likely to immediately spend that money on basic-necessities and goods & services in the local economy.  The increased customer base combined with increased spending in the local community will be  good for businesses.  There is data to back this up the idea that Raising wages will boost the economy as we recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID19. Raising the minimum wage will circulate $2.6 billion in the Maryland economy through increased consumer spending.  It will also lift 152,000 children up the economic ladder, meaning better pay earlier in life.

Also, Indexing the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index is an essential component of The Fair Wage Act. Without indexing, the minimum wage would be subject to the same challenges that have plagued it for years. As the cost of living continues to rise, the minimum wage would become less effective in helping workers maintain a decent standard of living. This would be particularly detrimental to low-wage workers, who are often the most vulnerable members of our society. 

The Eastern Shore needs this committee to stand with Governor Moore and pass this bill.  90% of minimum wage workers are over the age of twenty and half of the workers who will benefit from this raise are women and people of color, helping to narrow the gender and racial pay gap.

It is for these reasons the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus supports this bill and recommends a FAVORABLE report in committee.

Dear Senators Van Hollen and Cardin, 

The following organizations, community leaders, and elected officials are writing to you about the reintroduction of the Medicare For All Act of 2022 by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). 

This common-sense legislation is similar to the Medicare For All Act of 2019 introduced by Senator Sanders and had fourteen of your Senate colleagues. and would guarantee health care as a human right for anyone living in the United States. Just like every other Industrialized nation on earth has already done. As we write to you, drug and insurance companies are using our broken and immoral healthcare system to enrich themselves at the expense of sick Americans and spending millions blocking any meaningful reform to fix the major issues our nation faces in healthcare. 

A Medicare For All system will:

1. Save $450 billion and 68,000 lives every year, according to the Lancet, a world-leading medical journal.
2. Reduce prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate on behalf of the American people and forcing big pharmaceutical corporations to decrease prices.
3. Ensure Americans never lose their coverage, even if they change or lose their job. 
4. Create a system where every doctor or hospital would be in-network for every person – whether a cancer specialist, pediatrician, psychiatrist, or nursing home. 
5. Aid working families due to having no copays and no deductibles for any health services, including all primary care, hospital care, prescription drugs, dental, vision, mental health, and long-term care. 
6. End Medical Bankruptcy and the practice of working people having to choose between healthcare and paying the rent or putting food on the table. 

It is for these reasons and more that the following organizations, community leaders, and elected officials proudly support Medicare for All and strongly urge that you cosponsor the Medicare For All Act of 2022.

In Solidarity,

Jared Schablein

Chair, Lower Shore Progressive Caucus  

Cecilia Plante

Co-chair, Maryland Legislative Coalition

Todd Nock 

Pocomoke City Councilmember & Candidate House of Delegates 38A 

Rosie Bean 

President, Feminists, Liberals, Independents & Progressives (FLIP)

Michele Gregory 

Salisbury City Councilwoman & Candidate State Senate 38 

Chrissy Holt 

President, Our Revolution Maryland 

John King 

Candidate For Governor 

Deborah Nissley

Candidate for Somerset County Commissioner District 4

Kristy Fogle 

Chair, Maryland Progressive Healthcare Coalition 

Larry Stafford 

Executive Director, Progressive Maryland 

Gains Hawkins 

President, Wicomico Democratic Club

“Kavanaugh is a conservative who could upend precedents on matters from abortion to gay rights and to the powers of the executive branch. But former Maryland attorney general Doug Gansler, Democrat and a friend of Kavanaugh's of nearly 35 years, believes Kavanaugh could play a similar role like Kennedy on some issues before the court.  I don't see him, Brett Kavanaugh, as being the far, the Scalia, Thomas, Alito, far, far right. I think he'll probably be a swing vote on many, many issues going forward," Gansler said.  (WBALTV 11 News, Baltimore)

As the Democratic gubernatorial primary for the state of Maryland begins to draw near, every candidate has shown their own, unique perspective and arguments as to why they’d be a good fit to be Maryland's next leader at the top.  However, historically, one Democratic gubernatorial candidate always seems to throw himself into some sort of controversy that comes back to haunt not just this particular candidate, but the Democratic Party as a whole.  

Whether it be Doug Gansler’s reckless behavior as the state's former attorney general. “Gansler once ran four red lights with sirens blaring, a trooper wrote. Another account said he “brags” about driving the vehicle unaccompanied on weekends with the sirens on.  “This extremely irresponsible behavior is non-stop and occurs on a daily basis,” Lt. Charles Ardolini, commander of the state police executive protection section, wrote in a December 2011 memo that said the problem had existed for five years.”  (Washington Post). Better yet, how about the time Mr. Gansler attended a teenage drinking party and made every excuse he could to dig himself out of taking any blame or attempting to stop the underage drinking gathering as the states top law official. “Assume for purposes of discussion that there was widespread drinking at this party," Gansler, who is running for governor in 2014, told the paper. "How is that relevant to me?” (NPR) What about years back when Mr. Gansler was accused of spending campaign funds from his failed gubernatorial attempt in 2014 on lavish dinners and outings... “On January 4, 2016, Doug Gansler's son posted a picture on Facebook of the family at the glitzy Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming.  This year (reference to 2016 at the time), when Gansler filed his campaign finance report this year, it listed a whole series of expensive meals in Jackson Hole. $356 dollars at the Teton Mountain Lodge. $299 at the Four Seasons Handle Bar. $283 at Cafe Genevieve. $242 at the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, Idaho near Sun Valley.  All the expenses are billed as "Political Dinners." All the expenditure dates are reported as of May 6, 2016. And all were reimbursed to Gansler from the tens of thousands in donations that remain in his campaign coffers from his failed 2014 race for governor.  Maryland election law says campaign funds -- even leftover campaign funds -- cannot be used for the candidate's personal expenses.” (WUSA9 News)

I don’t write this opinion piece or bring up past stories to go after Mr. Gansler as a person, but as a potential leader for one of the 50 most powerful, elected leadership positions in our country, we in the Democratic Party cannot, and should not come close to nominating a man, who is not only close friends with but has openly supported a Supreme Court Justice, who is willing to overturn The Roe vs. Wade decision.  We cannot and should not nominate a man who has a list of problem-causing issues for the state's top position.  Doug Gansler doesn’t seem to be a man of his word based on the sources that have covered him in years past.  His arrogance and privilege should not carry him into the political limelight once more... If anything he should never consider a run at the office again.  We as a party, as a state, and as a people should know better than to even come close to nominating a man with so little values and so little care for anyone, but himself and his namesake.  There are eight other candidates in the primary besides Mr. Gansler.  For the sake of all that is good Maryland, let’s make the right decision and nominate someone who has a proven character of grace and a humble attitude this election cycle and not someone who is willing to curb all of that to the side for intolerable behavior.

-Zachary Wallace 

Wicomico Resident 

“As a father with a kid in Maryland public school, and a lifelong educator who has improved the educational opportunities for millions of students across Maryland and our country, John King is the most qualified candidate to address our state’s educational needs and is committed to bettering the lives of all Maryland families. King’s broad coalition and common-sense platform are why he is so well-positioned to win the Democratic primary in the summer and the general election this fall. I have seen the enormous good John King has already done and plans to do for Maryland. I look forward to working with him to ensure he wins the July 19th primary and is elected our next Governor in November.”- Jared Schablein, LSPC Chair. 

Dear John King: The Eastern Shore of Maryland is often used, forgotten, or completely ignored by politicians from both parties. I was born and raised here; it is nothing new.

It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if most Maryland politicians do not know the Eastern Shore is a part of Maryland, let alone be able to name the counties. The Lower Eastern Shore is home to many of the poorest counties in the state and faces a lack of economic growth, opportunity, and political engagement. Yet, it is common for gubernatorial candidates to ignore the Shore and our issues because it is not considered one of the four counties to make or break an election, even though cycle after cycle this is proven false.  

I am happily surprised that, for one of the first times in my life, a candidate is running for governor who cares about the Eastern Shore and has plans and policies that will help us grow and develop. This candidate is you, John King, the former United States Secretary of Education.

Pay attention, Lower Shore. John King seeks to solve the economic, social, racial, and environmental injustices we face on the Eastern Shore and across the entire state of Maryland. John King supports creating a commission on Universal Healthcare that will study how we can make Maryland the first state to provide quality healthcare to all our residents and lead the nation in fixing our broken and immoral healthcare system. He also supports speeding up Maryland’s path to a minimum wage, a living wage, and indexing the minimum wage to inflation. He will support unions by working to ensure every Marylander has the right to collectively bargain in their workplace. Finally, he is committed to fighting the current climate crisis and ensuring that future high-paying green energy jobs come to the Eastern Shore. 

 As our next Governor, John King has the vision and experience needed to bridge the divides in our communities and make us stronger by working together to solve the issues we face on the Eastern Shore and throughout the state. Well, Mr. King, I hope you are reading this because the Lower Eastern Shore is with you, and we will win both the primary and general elections. 

The writer, Jared Schablein, is chair of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus.