Trying Times, Rising in Resistance

Help For Those Facing Hunger

In District 20, 11,924 people are enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and depend on it to put food on the table.  The Trump administration's refusal to release funds that are available for this program means kids go hungry at school, seniors skip meals to pay for medicine, and grocery stores and farmers in our communities lose customers.

I have been working with state agencies and nonprofits to find ways to make sure people in our community don’t go hungry.

Montgomery County has developed a comprehensive Food Resources Page, which details food distributions, meal services, and other food resources.  It also lists places you can donate food or volunteer to help.  Please note that some locations have limited resources available and may require a prescheduled appointment. A Food Assistance Flowchart is also available in English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, and Vietnamese. My team is working on getting this information out, including with door to door canvassing.

Additionally, if you or someone you know is affected by layoffs, furloughs, or work without pay, please share these resources available through the state.  As the Chair of the House Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee, I am particularly well-suited to help people navigate that system.  As always, though, my staff and I stand ready to help in any way we can.

Making Energy More Affordable and Sustainable

I recently spearheaded an effort to get more clean energy projects added quickly to our regional electric grid. This will allow those projects to take advantage of tax credits before they expire.  Over one hundred other state legislators in our region joined me to urge PJM, the operator of our electrical grid, to speed up their approval of these projects to get more clean energy online to meet increased electrical demand. This will help both the planet and ratepayers.

What is driving this increased demand?

One of the drivers is the expected growth of data centers.  While some data suggests that estimates of exponential growth are inflated, I am very concerned that costs will be passed on to residential ratepayers, who are already reeling from higher electrical bills. Read more about this issue and the work my colleagues and I are doing here.

Community Choice Aggregation

My 2021 legislation to allow Montgomery County to develop a community choice aggregation pilot program is one step closer to becoming reality.  Last week, the Montgomery County Council passed a law to begin the development of the program.  It will allow residents and local businesses to join together in a purchasing alliance so the county can negotiate better energy prices with power generators.

Rising Up in Resistance to Trump and His Enablers

→ No Kings Rally

How thrilling to stand up with millions of people on October 18th to voice our outrage over the egregious and illegal actions of the Trump administration.  If we continue to raise our voices, we will change the direction our country is headed for the better.

→ Avelo Airlines:  Support Human Rights!  

Avelo Airlines has been flying deportation flights for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  I support ending the contract the state has with Avelo to operate out of BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport and have engaged with the Maryland Aviation Administration to this end. You can see the WBAL coverage on the rally in this link. I am also working on legislation to address ICE Flights out of BWI. 

Improving Our Transportation Infrastructure

I continue to work on increasing transit options, improving pedestrian safety, advocating for the community through Purple Line construction, and using goats (!?) to remove invasive species near our state roadways.

The Maryland Department of Transportation recently held a hearing on its Draft Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP), which lays out the department’s six-year, $21.5 billion capital budget and priorities. You can watch the Montgomery County hearing on the CTP here (my comments start at 2:00:00).  You can also view the projects using this interactive map. 

Thanksgiving Parade:  November 22nd, 10:00 am–noon

Joy is also a form of resistance.  Marching in the annual Thanksgiving Parade through downtown Silver Spring is one of my favorite joyful events.  Sign up here to march with me.

Need Help on a State Issue?

If you need help with a state issue, please contact my office at Lorig.Charkoudian@house.maryland.gov or leave us a message at (410)-841-3423.

Onward, 

Lorig Charkoudian