The Week Ahead

Yesterday was Veterans Day, when we honor those who served in our nation's military. This weekend was also the start of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. In a country where 67,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, this week serves as a poignant reminder that the best way to honor our veterans is to take better care of them than we currently do. Baltimore City alone has roughly 350 homeless veterans.

MBTPI was in the news several times in the lead-up to last week's election. We also blogged our reflections about the election and its potential effect on Maryland's budget.

Tuesday, November 13th

• Spending Affordability Committee meets for its second briefing from the Department of Legislative Services (DLS). This time DLS will present on transportation, capital, and state debt. 4pm in room 120, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Joint Committee on Workers' Compensation Benefit and Insurance Oversight discusses the annual report by the Worker's Compensation Commission and other worker's compensation issues, including cancer presumption. 11am in room 231, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Joint Subcommittee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Land Preservation receives an update on land conservation policies, funding and programs. 2pm in room 3 East, Senate Office Building, Annapolis.
• Advisory Council for Alternative Response holds its monthly meeting. 1pm in room 1044, Department of Human Resources, 311 West Saratoga Street, Baltimore. 
• U.S. Treasury Department releases federal budget numbers for October, including the national deficit.  
• Center for Community Service and Justice at Loyola University Maryland hosts a screening of The Line, a film about Americans living at or below the poverty line. 7pm in Cohn 133 (room below the chapel), 4501 North Charles Street, Baltimore.
• Maryland Nonprofits offers a Maximize Your Member Benefits webinar. For more information or to register go to their events page.

Wednesday, November 14th

• Special Joint Committee on Pensions meets for an update on the system actuarial valuation report, system funding study, and investment overview. 2pm in room 120, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Task Force on the Establishment of a Statewide Spay/Neuter Fund discusses presentations on the implications of a rabies surcharge and a survey of public attitudes toward establishing a statewide spay/neuter program. 1pm in room 250, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Board of Public Works meets. 10am in the Governor's Reception Room on the second floor of the State House, Annapolis..
• Maryland Campaign for Paid Sick Days kicks off with an event featuring worker's rights activist Ellen Bravo and Delegate John Olszewski, Jr. Everyone gets sick and everyone deserves time to get better without risking their economic stability, yet 800,000 Marylanders are forced to make impossible choices: Go to work sick, send an ill child to school, or stay home and sacrifice much-needed income, possibly risking job loss. Learn how paid sick leave benefits business, improves public health, and protects families. Lunch is provided at this free event, but registration is required. 11:30am to 1pm at Westminster Hall, 519 W. Fayette Street, Baltimore.
• Census Bureau posts data on retail sales in October.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the October Producer Price Index.
• Maryland Nonprofits offers a financial management training on Project-Based Financials. For more information or to register go to their events page.
• Maryland Nonprofits presents the next offering in their ongoing Policy Webinar Series: Developing an Advocacy Policy. For more information or to register go to their events page.

Thursday, November 15th

• Maryland Health Care Commission meets. 1pm in conference room 100, Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• BLS releases the October Consumer Price Index, the primary inflation indicator.
• BLS also releases initial unemployment claims data for the previous week. Analysts expect an uptick due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy. 
• Maryland Nonprofits offers a webinar on Compiling Board Member Bios. For more information or to register go to their events page.

Friday, November 16th

• Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness holds a board meeting. 2pm in the 17th floor conference room at the World Trade Center, 401 East Pratt Street,  Baltimore.