I want to address an issue about the special elections constitutional amendment. It doesn’t end the appointment process and it’s a compromised version of special elections.

9 times out of 10 I oppose incrementalism, but in this case I support it. Here is why First,it does solve a real issue: Maryland is one of only 5 states in the country with 4 year lower house terms. In the current system people can have 3-4 year appointments.

That’s longer the 45 states elected terms.This bill will ensure that the longest appointment is 2 years.

In the 45th District, Delegate Cheryl Glenn’s replacement will be chosen by the Democratic Central Committee.

This means our next delegate will need to win 4/7 votes of party insiders, and will not need to face the voters of the district until 2022. 1/ The 7 person central commitee is only elected in the D Primary which means they are not accountable to non dems and are not accountable to dems who don’t vote in the primary.

This is generously assuming that they are known enough to be accountable to Dem super voters 2/

Don’t let people try to sell you on believing the @GBCorg is a benevolent progressive organization looking out for low wage workers because they want a (slow) increase in the minimum wage. They also want legislation that precludes counties from raising the wage higher or faster This is known as preemption, and it is a strategy used by ALEC, a right wing bill mill. The goal is to prevent places like Baltimore city, Montgomery, and Prince George’s county from raising their wage above the state floor.

It’s also a strategy Scott Walker used a lot.

One of the questions I get most often as a @mdgreens leader is something like “I love the greens at the local level but why do you run governor and president candidates? You just help the republicans”

Let me answer from a Maryland perspective. Ballot Access:the ability to be an officially recognized party, run candidates, and have voters affiliate on their registration. In MD this is secured by collecting 10k valid signatures from registered voters.

That status lasts 4 years.

Mayor Pugh reached out to me today to express that she believed her words had been distorted. While it was not clear from the Facebook DM’s she sent me, I gleaned that she felt anger was motivating this “distortion” and that I and others should be more generous and less angry I watched the video of her statement and I stand by the claim I made here last night. She didn’t mean to say she was too busy to follow the #GTTFtrial but SHE DID SAY it.