Baltimore City Council makes moves towards Fair Elections
Last night, the Baltimore City Council voted unanimously to support a charter amendment for the Fair Elelctions Fund and commission. If the charter amendment gets approvedl at their July 9th meeting, it will be up to Mayor Pugh to give final approval for the amendment to be on November's ballot. Read more from the Baltimore Sun.
Last night, the Baltimore City Council voted unanimously to support a charter amendment for the Fair Elelctions Fund and commission. If the charter amendment gets approvedl at their July 9th meeting, it will be up to Mayor Pugh to give final approval for the amendment to be on November’s ballot. Read more from the Baltimore Sun.
The bill was introduced on April 23rd by Councilman Kristerfer Burnett and calls for a charter amendment forming the Fair Elections Fund and commission to study sources of revenue and structure of the program. The bill was passed unanimously out of Committee on June 20th and is supported by the Baltimore Sun editorial board.
Neighboring jurisdictions Montgomery and Howard counties have already passed Fair Election Funds, and similar legislation is currently being considered in Prince George’s County.
Fair Elections Baltimore, a diverse group of local, state and national organizations and activists from good government, faith, environmental, community, and other organizations have joined together to support the Fair Elections Fund. The list of groups supporting the proposal includes: League of Women Voters – Baltimore Chapter, Maryland PIRG, Maryland Clean Water Action, SEIU Local 500, Maryland Working Families, MD NAACP, Jews United for Justice, Rev. Brian Murray, Common Cause Maryland, Represent MD, Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, MD ACLU, Interfaith Power and Light, League of Conservation Voters, Communities United, Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, No Boundaries Coalition, Progressive Maryland, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Demos, and Every Voice.
In Baltimore, the amount of money your family makes – your race, your gender – should not determine the volume of your voice. Together we can stand up to the corporations and mega donors who dominate our elections and put our city government in the hands of Baltimore families.
Join us and call on your City Council and Mayor Pugh to support the Fair Elections Fund and get ready to VOTE YES in November!
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Authors
Emily Scarr
State Director, Maryland PIRG; Director, Stop Toxic PFAS Campaign, PIRG
Emily directs strategy, organizational development, research, communications and legislative advocacy for Maryland PIRG. Emily has helped win small donor public financing in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County. She has played a key role in establishing new state laws to to protect public health by restricting the use of antibiotics on Maryland farms, require testing for lead in school drinking water and restrict the use of toxic flame retardant and PFAS chemicals. Emily also serves on the Executive Committees of the Maryland Fair Elections Coalition and the Maryland Campaign to Keep Antibiotics Working. Emily lives in Baltimore City with her husband, kids, and dog.
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