On Thursday, February 22nd, I had the privilege of meeting six volunteers from Public Campaign who were in Annapolis, Maryland to ask their legislators to support public financing of legislative elections. They were joined by staff and volunteers from several organizations including Progressive Maryland and Common Cause. It was an exciting day and we accomplished a lot.


Several key Senators received information on the issue that day. We were able to speak directly to a handful of Senators. However, as the morning session on the Senate floor extended into the early afternoon, we had to focus primarily on getting information in the hands of legislative aids. The important thing is that the legislators knew we were there and that we were looking for their support on the Clean Elections bill.


After the lobby day, Public Campaign, along with several other organizations including Progressive Maryland and Common Cause held a press conference to discuss the importance of passing Clean Elections in Maryland.

Finally, everyone stayed for the Committee Hearing of the bill, starting at 1PM. Our bill wasn't not heard until late in the afternoon -- no one left before the bill was heard in committee. This is a real testament to everyone's commitment to this fight in Maryland!I want to specifically acknowledge the members from Public Campaign who spent the day in Annapolis: Richard Berman, Elizabeth Boyd, Stan Boyd, Linda Black, Mike Hersh, and Cam Trowbridge. Thanks for coming out and being a part of this effort!


Winning in Annapolis is the ultimate victory. But there are other victories along the way which pave the way and have their own value. One of those is the involvement of new volunteers who are interested in and willing to give a day in Annapolis for the cause of passing Clean Elections.