Weekly Newsletter: March 16, 2026

Owen is on spring break this week, and honestly I could use one too. 2026 has been busy!

I have spent a lot of time in Annapolis during the 90-day legislative session. We filed over 20 written and oral testimonies on everything from debate access to strike rights to the state shark. Most of the bills we've been tracking and testifying on will be dead for the session by the end of this week. While that is not a surprise, it is a problem. On the one hand, the Maryland General Assembly moves too slow and doesn't do the important things that need to be done for the people of Maryland. On the other hand, it often moves too quickly on bad policies that serve the political interest of the Democratic Party leaders.

We talked about our approach to the general assembly on the livestream this week, why it is so exhausting, and how we think it can be better.

This is a lighter week. No press releases, no livestream, no weekend content next weekend. I have one last day in Annapolis where I will be weighing in on an important piece of legislation about the state shark. I have included my written testimony here in this newsletter. Beyond that, a few campaign meetings and some work on our spring fundraising drive.

Our spring fundraising goal is $10,000. We need it to increase hours and pay for Seth, Sarah, and Andrew, book our summer festival schedule, and do a major mailing to Greens across Maryland. If you are in Maryland, your donations can be matched, and if you are not, your donation still helps us hit our goal.

I look forward to the light week and will see you after our much-needed break!

What Happened This Week

The full week in review is available separately.

Monday I testified orally on HB 979, the constitutional convention reform bill, before the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. This is the bill that would fix the broken constitutional convention process. It is a common-sense good-democracy bill, and if it doesn't get out of committee this year we will come back for it next year!

Wednesday was the biggest day. Four hearings in the Government, Labor, and Elections Committee: HB 1382 (end the anti-BDS procurement requirement), HB 1492 (public employee strike rights), HB 1205 (education support professional wages, 20 co-sponsors), and HB 1271 (reparations). Outside the building, there were rallies on data centers and the right to strike. It was a full day in Annapolis.

Thursday we launched our education platform with a press release and a deep dive on the livestream. Eight planks, specific policy mechanisms, grounded in our experience and the conversations we are having with educators. The livestream also covered legislative theory, the week in review, and a fundraising conversation.

Maryland Should Call the Megalodon What It Is: A Historic Shark

Tuesday I'm testifying in person on HB 0097. This bill would designate the megalodon as the state shark. We support it with one amendment: call it the "State Historic Shark." The megalodon has been extinct for 3.6 million years. Calling it the state shark is like calling a dinosaur the state bird.

Maryland has a real claim to the megalodon. Calvert Cliffs is one of the richest fossil sites in the world for megalodon teeth. The Calvert Marine Museum houses more than 1,700 fossilized megalodon teeth, including the only associated dentition of the species ever found in the state. According to the Smithsonian Institution, Maryland was one of a handful of discovered megalodon nursery habitats anywhere in the world. Baby megalodons grew up here.

The testimony connects the megalodon's extinction to the threats facing sharks today: rising ocean temperatures, mercury contamination, PFAS pollution, and the Chesapeake Bay dead zone. The Department of Natural Resources manages 41 species of coastal sharks in Maryland waters. At least 12 visit the Chesapeake Bay. Designating an extinct species as the State Shark closes the door on all 41 of them. One word fixes it. Call it the State Historic Shark.

It is the most fun testimony I have written all session. It is also serious. Read the full testimony.

What's Coming This Spring

The legislative session ends April 13. After that, the campaign shifts from testimony and bill tracking to traveling the state and making the case to voters. Here is what's ahead.

More policy. We have been releasing issue pages one at a time. Next up: AI, data centers, and digital privacy. Then energy. Then environment, climate, and pollution. We have specific proposals on all of them grounded in what we have been doing in Annapolis all session. We also want your ideas. If there is a policy area you care about and you want to see where we stand, tell us.

Volunteer activities. We are building a volunteer program that gives people real things to do. Not just yard signs. Canvassing, event support, research help, community outreach. Andrew is organizing this and will be reaching out to people who have signed up.

Voter contact. Andrew is preparing to start direct outreach to registered Green voters across Maryland in April. We plan to talk to as many as we can before the primary. If you're a registered Green, expect a call. Andrew isn't going to spam anyone. He's going to introduce himself and have a conversation.

Events. We are booking our spring and summer schedule. Events we host, events we attend, events we get invited to. Festivals, community gatherings, candidate forums. If you know of an event in your area where we should be, let us know.

More political education content. The Thursday livestream is coming back after spring break. We are also planning more long-form content: deep dives on policy, interviews with experts, and conversations about what Maryland government could actually look like if it worked differently.

Three Things You Can Do This Week

1. Donate. The case is above. If you can, donate now.

2. Sign up to volunteer. Andrew is building our field operation one conversation at a time. If you want to get involved this spring, sign up here.

3. Share this newsletter. We don't have a marketing budget. The way people find us is because someone they know sent them something. If you think someone in your life would be interested in what we're building, forward this email.

In solidarity,
Andy Ellis
gogreen2026.com