As a small, woman owned business, my boutique Pilates Studio has been classified as a gym or fitness center, and alongside cinemas with a 250+ person capacity, my business has been shut down in advance of other non-essential businesses. Unlike fitness centers, boutique fitness studios and micro gyms have a typical capacity of 1-6 people. Clients often attend pre-scheduled sessions limited to this capacity. In addition, this industry is one of the few female-led and powered industries in existence. We estimate 75% of the owners and workers impacted by this crisis are women. I ask that you support the Petition to exclude boutique fitness studios and micro-gyms from the definition of of “Gyms” or “fitness centers,” and create independent directives applicable for the reduced footprint of the unique business models used by boutique fitness studios and micro-gyms. We respectfully request that at Governor Beshear open us along side the hair salons, nail salons, and other non-essential businesses who will reopen May 25th. As a boutique fitness studio and micro-gym operate under strict guidelines, such as: Allowing an operation of 1 client to 1 trainer. This is no different than a single salon operator and client, and it is potentially even more benign in that distance can be more easily maintained by a fitness trainer. Allowing an operation of no more than a 10 client to 1 trainer ratio. This is no different than a small salon with 4 stylists, or a very small boutique, and potentially even more benign in that distance can be more easily maintained by a fitness trainer. All of these would take place under the guidelines of intensive hygiene requirements, radical cleaning measures and would assume that high risk populations would be exceptions to this petition. Our industry has, and always will be committed to the health and wellbeing of all others. We want to reopen responsibly and as quickly as possible."owner, my boutique fitness studio/ microgym employs numerous team members and supports clients to become healthy, a need more important now than ever.

We have frozen all membership billing and laid off all staff. Allowing fitness gyms to open will help keep hundreds of small business owners to stay in business and bring thousands of employees back to work, and at the same time keep Washington healthy.

Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat processing companies in the world, has become the next deadly epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. Meat processing plants have long been one of the most dangerous workplaces in America, but the Coronavirus has made the situation drastically worse. Meat processors work shoulder to shoulder in crowded plants. From Iowa to Georgia, thousands of employees at meat processing plants have gotten sick and several have even died--forcing Tyson to close multiple plants where outbreaks had occurred. Now, Tyson is planning to reopen plants, after President Trump ordered meat processors to stay open. That means that employees will be going back to work in an environment where social distancing is impossible--but since Tyson has no comprehensive paid sick or family leave policies, they’ll be forced to choose between their paycheck and protecting their health and their families. That’s why employees and consumers are speaking out together: Nobody should have to risk their health--or their family’s health--to go to work. Tyson must provide paid leave to all employees before they reopen a single plant. Will you add your name?

Because housing affects us all, we need a solution to the housing crisis that works for every New Yorker. State Senator Julia Salazar has introduced bill S8190, a comprehensive and a closed-loop commonsense rent relief bill for residential and small commercial tenants, small homeowners, not-for-profit affordable housing providers, and residential housing cooperatives. Residential and small commercial tenants who can demonstrate any loss of income due to the crisis would be entitled to a 100% abatement of rent during the- disaster period. Small homeowners, not-for-profit affordable housing providers, or residential housing cooperatives that have lost 10% of their income due to coronavirus would be entitled to financial assistance to cover losses resulting from the pandemic. With Senator Salazar’s bill, we can preserve affordable housing, and ensure a comprehensive Relief for All that will keep families in their homes and small businesses afloat.

Physical activity increases physical and mental health. Did you know working out strengthens your immune system, allowing you to fight diseases? This makes it extremely important to keep our bodies healthy and fit to help fight the coronavirus. Fitness is a hugely essential part of many people's lifestyles. A large number of clients who do personal training have been advised by their doctors or physicians to receive physical activity daily to help with weight loss and mental health issues, making personal training a vital part of the average persons day. The spread of the coronavirus has changed our lives entirely. Many privately owned gyms have had to shut their doors, putting thousands of personal trainers out of work. Unfortunately for many trainers, this is their main or only form of income. We are extremely aware of the dangers of COVID19 and promise to make the practice of social distance our top priority by only working with 1-2 client's at a time, wiping everything down after every use, staying at least 6 ft away from each other, and constantly making sure to stay up-to-date with new ways of fighting COVID19.

The majority of eighth-grade students in the United States rely on the internet at home to get their homework done. Roughly six-in-ten students (58%) say they use the internet at their home to do homework every day or almost every day, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of data from the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Just 6% of students say they never use the internet at home for this purpose. There are differences in these patterns by community type and parents’ education level. Roughly two-thirds of students attending suburban schools (65%) say they use the internet for homework every day or almost every day, compared with 58% who attend schools in cities, 50% of those who attend in rural areas and 44% of those attending schools in towns. Students whose parents graduated from college are more likely to use the internet for homework at home. Some 62% of these students use the internet at home for homework, compared with smaller shares of students whose parents have some post-high school education (53%), have only a high school education (52%) or have no high school education (48%). The “homework gap” – which refers to school-age children lacking the connectivity they need to complete schoolwork at home – is more pronounced for black, Hispanic and lower-income households. Some 15% of U.S. households with school-age children do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, according to a previously published Pew Research Center analysis of 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data. School-age children in lower-income households are especially likely to lack broadband access. Roughly one-third (35%) of households with children ages 6 to 17 and an annual income below $30,000 a year do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, compared with just 6% of such households earning $75,000 or more a year. These broadband gaps are particularly pronounced in black and Hispanic households with school-age children – especially those with low incomes. Some lower-income teens say they lack resources to complete schoolwork at home. In a 2018 Center survey, about one-in-five teens ages 13 to 17 (17%) said they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection. Black teens and those living in lower-income households were more likely to say they cannot complete homework assignments for this reason. For example, one-quarter of black teens said they often or sometimes cannot do homework assignments due to lack of reliable access to a computer or internet connectivity, compared with 13% of white teens and 17% of Hispanic teens. Teens with an annual family income below $30,000 were also more likely to say this than teens with a family income of at least $75,000 a year (24% vs. 9%). In the same survey, around one-in-ten teens (12%) said they often or sometimes use public Wi-Fi to do schoolwork because they lack a home internet connection. Again, black and lower-income teens were more likely to do this. Roughly one-in-five black teens (21%) said they use public Wi-Fi to do schoolwork due to a lack of home internet connection, compared with 11% of white teens and 9% of Hispanic teens. And around a fifth (21%) of teens with an annual family income under $30,000 reported having to use public Wi-Fi to do homework, compared with 11% of teens in families with a household income of $30,000-$74,999 and just 7% of those living in households earning at least $75,000. A quarter of lower-income teens do not have access to a home computer. One-in-four teens in households with an annual income under $30,000 lack access to a computer at home, compared with just 4% of those in households earning over $75,000, according to the 2018 survey. There are also differences by race and ethnicity. Hispanic teens were especially likely to say they do not have access to a home computer: 18% said this, compared with 9% of white teens and 11% of black teens. State Representative La Shawn K. Ford has drafted legislative language to provide broadband services at no cost to all residents of the state, with priority given to areas with high levels of poverty and lacking the infrastructure to receive high-speed internet access. Amends the Broadband Advisory Council Act. Directs the Council to develop a plan to provide access to broadband services at no cost to all residents of this State. Provides that the Office of Broadband within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall support and assist the Council in the development of the plan. Requires that priority be given to zip codes identified as having high levels of poverty and areas lacking the infrastructure necessary to meet requirements for high-speed access to the Internet. Requires the Council to identify existing and new streams of State revenue necessary to implement the plan. Provides that the Council shall report the plan and recommendations for legislation necessary to implement the plan to the General Assembly by March 31, 2021. Effective immediately.

Because just as those who have been out of work are at risk and need help, so are the people who still have to go to work every day...

The Convention of States (COS) -- a shady special interest group funded by right-wing billionaires like the Mercers -- wants us to believe that the “reopen” protests popping up in states are led entirely by everyday Americans. But the truth is: they’re not. Behind the scenes, COS is helping to pull the strings. Its members are targeting people on social media and throwing serious funding behind these protests -- to create an illusion of mass discontent against the social distancing guidelines that keep us safe during the COVID-19 crisis. Polling shows widespread support for following social distancing guidelines. [1] But these secretly-funded protests are meant to muddy the waters -- and make states roll back life-saving measures before experts say it’s safe. Make no mistake: these protests are dangerous. Public gatherings give the disease more opportunity to spread… they can incite distrust of public health officials... and reporters covering the event in Lansing, Michigan even noted that the rally blocked ambulances from accessing a hospital. This isn't the first time that COS has pushed for Big Money interests over the needs of the American people. In fact, the group was founded to urge Republican legislators to call for an Article V constitutional convention -- where unelected, unaccountable delegates could write their far-right agenda directly into our Constitution. This is just another ploy by the Convention of States to sow distrust of public health experts and other government officials... so that when the time comes, overhauling our system and rewriting the Constitution seems like the only option. We can’t let this billionaire-backed, far-right special interest group and its allies endanger our friends, families, and communities. We must spread the word about who’s REALLY behind these protests -- as well as continue to listen to health professionals and follow CDC guidelines. 1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html

The current PPP program is of no use to businesses that have already temporarily shut down, which, along with laying off employees, also entailed cancelling or reducing coverage for vehicle and other insurance policies, etc. It makes no sense to keep employees on payroll if there is no way to gain income. However, businesses will need funds to pay employees, renew insurance policies, catch up on rent, purchase materials or goods, and more upon reopening or adding back staff and taking on more work. Loan forgiveness is key. Small businesses typically operate with some level of debt, and business owners will be going into more debt on a personal level just to survive until able to reopen or otherwise get back to operating at full capacity.

For me and many of these businesses, this is our livelihood. We have absolutely NO money coming in but still have to pay our state and federal taxes along with utilities, insurance, etc. Please reconsider this.

The American economy has taking a huge hit with unemployment skyrocketing over March and April 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the numbers will continue to rise. We are witnessing a domino effect of massive job loss. Businesses close, then the taxpayers have no income to report to the IRS and no taxes to be paid. Of course no income means a steep decline in the agriculture industry, food processing, banking, and mortgage industries just to name a few. Our tax dollars are what makes this economy rise or fall. It is the government's spending of this money which determines what programs are funded or not, and what is considered valuable. Well, now it is time for our government to show its appreciation to loyal American taxpayers by helping us through one of the most financial difficulties in current times. Way too often, large companies such as banks receive MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER MONEY so they will not collapse even though CEO's receive million dollar bonuses and the company makes millions in profits. The government is EAGER to provide them with tax breaks and trillion dollar relief funds at American taxpayer expense. Millions of American taxpayers are working making under $30,000 a year, many more are working 2 jobs, such as teachers, just to somewhat survive. The cost of rent, utilities, food, gas, etc., continues to grow except incomes. A basic income of $2000 a month for American taxpayers age 18 and older and $500 a month for children would give a great start in boosting the economy. Once this financial difficulty has lifted, the economy won't take as long to recover.

The corrosive combination of coronavirus and capitalism is tearing through our communities to underscore the deepest divide between us, that of the haves and the have-nots. The most egregious assault lands where it always does, in the most marginalized communities among us: the poor, with multi-generational (often multiple) families living together; black and brown communities, who were discarded by society long before coronavirus; single mothers, who are forced into the impossible choice between rent and food for their children; immigrants, who are deprived of any safety nets and devoid of rights; the unhoused, for whom the phrase “stay at home” is cruel and absurd; the out-of-work breadwinners who can no longer provide for their families; domestic abuse victims who are pressed to “shelter” in place with their abusers; the newly unemployed masses now frequenting foodbanks; the imprisoned, detained, or institutionalized; and the anti-stay-at-home protesters, who assert “my job is essential too.” The middle and impoverished classes lack the privilege of escaping to the Hamptons, to their personal island, or to their well-stocked yachts. In many cases, they lack the “luxuries” of running water, the room to socially distance, paid leave when they or their family members are sick, and personal protective gear for their jobs, which – in an act of cruel irony – have now been heralded as “essential.” A contagion of greed infected our society long before the arrival of coronavirus. Lulled into complacency by sleek models, shiny gadgets, and digitized entertainment, we became prime targets for hungry overlords, who amassed their spoils off our labor and consumption. Nursing at the teat of consumption, we became “unpaid data laborers,” while gaping maws scrambled to exploit our data for profit. These titans of industry filled their own pockets on the backs of their workers – fellow humans who markets invisibilized and rendered disposable. This colossal corporate greed is what informs our “Democracy.” Those who usurp our power leave us begging for scraps or working in unsafe conditions, and these immoral deficits have never been more evident than with four rounds of coronavirus stimulus packages. Profiteers advance on the imperiled masses with glee, hoarding the lion’s share of the stimulus and pillaging the coffers designated for the poor. Our representatives listen to the lobbyists in DC, where they’re plied with sweet deals and lavish funds for special interests. The lobbyists work to promote the corporate agendas of those who have money and those who will do anything to protect that money. Whether Democrat or Republican, our representatives evidently and appallingly need greater incentives to look out for the common good and essential needs of the citizens. It is up to us to demand that they do. In a world cracked open by COVID-19, it’s time for the masses to assert their own power – they and we matter. We are not dispensable. We are not disposable. We are not invisible. It is time NOW for the PEOPLE to use the powers that they still have – the powers of their vote, their voice, their pen, their labor, and their consumption. VOTE, WRITE, STRIKE, BOYCOTT together while apart like your life – and the lives of all those you love – depends on it. Because it does. At the nexus of coronavirus and runaway capitalism, it is imperative that we untangle the essential rights of citizens from profit. This is a moral choice. We must IMAGINE a better world where all are deserving of conditions that will enable us to not only survive, but thrive. The time is now for Medicare for All, for a guaranteed basic income, for housing standards that ensure shelter for all, for green jobs with livable wages, with paid sick leave, healthcare that’s not tied to our paychecks, and where workers own the rights of production. While our citizens suffer a devastating mix of uncertainty, isolation, grief, and economic despair, the richest people on the planet are poised to determine our fate. We shelter on this globe together, and the time is ripe for demanding fundamental and lasting improvements to our social safety net. Our top-heavy society is fragile in ways that leave us increasingly vulnerable to coronavirus and future pandemics. We must build resiliency from the bottom up, collaborating with our communities, and honoring the diversity therein to protect us all. We’re riding a slow train of uncertainty amidst an amorphous viral threat. If quarantine teaches us anything, it brings home the truth that the health and wellbeing of ONE is intimately connected to the health and wellbeing of ALL.