Public Policy Newsletter: January 10th, 2018

It’s the start of a new year, which also means the beginning of the 90-day Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session. From today until April 9th, the Policy Team at Family League of Baltimore will be working hard with our local coalitions and partners, along with legislators from around the state, to ensure passage of legislation that meets the needs of Baltimore City’s children, youth, and families.

Last year, significant gains were made by banning the suspension and expulsion of our youngest students in public schools, taking steps to end the school-to-prison pipeline, increasing access to school meals, and restoring access to safety net services for returning citizens. This year, we’re excited to continue advocating for benefits to the communities we serve, including:

• Lowering infant mortality rates, particularly along disparate racial lines
• Protecting access to quality infant and maternal healthcare
• Increasing access to educational and employment opportunities for disconnected youth
• Investing in long-term, effective strategies to engage and develop youth potential
• Supporting a robust, fully-funded Community Schools strategy
• Securing earned paid sick and safe leave for over 700,000 Marylanders
• Keep an eye out for opportunities to engage with our state elected officials in Annapolis, like tomorrow’s Rally for Earned Sick Leave, hosted by our partners at Working Matters. Family League’s Policy Team is committed to ensuring that the voices of our community members are heard in Annapolis!

Today’s many activities in Annapolis included the Priority Agenda press conference (pictured below) held by the Legislative Black Caucus, that will work on criminal justice, education, and healthcare which includes efforts to reduce racial disparities in infant mortality rates.