Local Voices: Green Party gubernatorial campaign advocates Self-Employment Assistance amendment to HB0188, the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act

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ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Ellis/Andrews campaign is calling on the House Economic Matters Committee to amend HB0188, the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act of 2026, to include mandatory Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) provisions. The amendment would allow displaced workers to use their existing unemployment benefits to launch businesses instead of being forced into a job search that may not match the modern economy.

The proposal is modeled on Oregon’s SEA program, which has operated continuously since 1995. The results: over 1,500 businesses launched, 77% still operating years later, and nearly half of successful participants went on to hire additional employees — averaging 3.12 new jobs each. The program generated $10.5 million in payroll on an administrative budget of roughly $100,000 per year. Department of Labor research found SEA participants were 19 times more likely to become self-employed and four times more likely to obtain any employment compared to eligible non-participants.

Maryland’s unemployment system was built for an economy where laid-off workers found similar jobs at similar companies. That economy is shrinking. Companies that cut positions still need the work done — they want contractors, consultants, and fractional workers, not full-time employees. But under current rules, early business income reduces UI benefits. Landing a contract cuts support. The system treats every sign of entrepreneurial progress as a reason to pull the rug out.

“Maryland’s unemployment system tells displaced workers to sit down, fill out applications, and wait for someone to hire them. That’s not a safety net — it’s a straitjacket,” said Andy Ellis, Green Party candidate for Governor. “Oregon proved that when you trust workers to build businesses, they don’t just create a job for themselves — they create jobs for their neighbors. Maryland can do the same.”

The proposed amendment would create eligibility for dislocated workers, waive job search requirements for approved participants, exempt business income from benefit reduction, require Small Business Development Center partnerships for feasibility review, and mandate implementation within 180 days. The program is budget neutral by design — no extension of benefit duration, no increase in total benefit amounts.

Maryland enacted SEA provisions in 1995 but never launched the program. The statute has since been abrogated from the code. New legislation is required.

Ellis and running mate Owen Silverman Andrews will discuss Self-Employment Assistance as part of a larger conversation about rethinking the social safety net on their weekly livestream this Thursday, February 12 at 7:00 PM on YouTube.

About the Ellis/Andrews Campaign

Andy Ellis and Owen Silverman Andrews are building a people-powered movement for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Rejecting corporate PAC money, their publicly financed campaign centers grassroots democracy, reparations, and a solidarity economy that works for working families — not wealthy donors. The Green Party offers Maryland voters a genuine alternative to the two-party system that has failed our communities. Join us at gogreen2026.com.

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