This petition seeks to extend the statute of limitations in regards to criminal and civil offenses against children. In addition, this petition seeks to amend Illinois child abuse and abandonment definitions to better protect children from institutional abuse. As a survivor of institutional abuse and child advocate, I believe these changes are necessary to better protect children from abuse in Illinois. Illinois should include kidnapping and sexual assault/abuse of children in list of offenses with no statute of limitations. Illinois legislators should amend Illinois Code 720 ILCS 5/3-5; 5/3-7 to include sexual assault/rape/abuse of children and kidnapping in the list of offenses having no Statute of Limitations. Alaska provides one example of a State that includes kidnapping, rape, and sexual abuse in the list of offenses that have no Statute of Limitations for prosecution. (Source: ALASKA STAT. § 12.10.010) Illinois legislators should amend Illinois code (735 ILCS 5/13-202.2) to extend the Statute of Limitations for child victims to file suit upon reaching age of majority. Child victims should be given 20 years from time of serious psychological and/or physical injury (in addition to sexual abuse which already has a 20 year statute of limitations for filing civil suit in IL) or 15 years upon reaching age of majority to file a tort claim against the tortfeasor. Alternatives to the above extension of time to file a claim for injured minors include judicial system providing accessible and competent attorneys required to represent minors on a contingency basis with no fees due unless case is won and amount to be paid to attorney may not exceed 50% of the damages and 50% total must include all attorney fees and expenses. In addition, Illinois legislators should revise its child abuse statutory definitions to include the following: Emotional Abuse Citation: Ann. Stat. § 9:6-8.21 (New Jersey Statutory Definition) Abused child or abused or neglected child means a child under age 18 years who is in an institution, and: · Has been placed there inappropriately for a continued period of time with the knowledge that the placement has resulted or may continue to result in harm to the child's mental or physical well-being · Who has been willfully isolated from ordinary social contact under circumstances that indicate emotional or social deprivation The definitions and laws pertaining to child abuse and/or endangering the welfare of a child in Illinois are found in Illinois Code 325 ILCS 5/. Please amend Illinois' laws to include the above definitions as applied under our Child Endangerment, Child Welfare, and Child Abuse laws. In addition, Illinois legislators should amend to include the following definition of Abandonment to Illinois' Child Endangerment Laws at 325 ILCS 5/ defined as in the following Kansas Statute: Kansas § 38-2202. Definitions.  “As used in the revised Kansas code for care of children, unless the context otherwise indicates: "Abandon" or "abandonment" means to forsake, desert or, (a) without making appropriate provision for substitute care, cease providing care for the child.” Illinois legislators should be sure to specify that “appropriate provision for substitute care” be limited to the least restrictive environment within the child’s community of residence and/or within the State of Illinois if institutionalization is required.

It’s as if Republicans haven’t learned one thing. Last year Rep. David Valadao voted with his party to deport DREAMers. He kept saying he supported immigration reform and even cosponsored H.R. 15, the House immigration bill, but that was his only vote. Last week, Valadao doubled down. He voted again to gut deferred action programs for DREAMers and military families. This so-called ENFORCE Act would do away with the programs that protect immigrants from deportation and would block President Obama from using his executive authority to fill the vacuum left by Republicans' own inaction. House Republicans like David Valadao had a real chance to build on the immigration principles they introduced just a few weeks ago. It was a step in the right direction. But instead, they claim they can't move forward on reform because they don't trust the President to enforce the law. This is the same president who has deported nearly 2 million immigrants. So instead of advancing reform for DREAMers and their loved ones, Rep. Valadao and House Republicans have chosen to double-down and blame their inaction on Obama. We're tired of the double-talk. Tell David Valadao he can’t have it both ways – either he supports immigration reform or he wants to deport DREAMers. Which one is it?

Due to the cabotage laws, the goods and materials imported to Puerto Rico in USA vessels are much higher in price than those transported in foreign vessels. All the residents of Puerto Rico are greatly affected by these higher prices which do not help the economy to develop, specially in a economic crisis such as the one being suffered by Puerto Rico. Moreover the common citizen in Puerto Rico is suffering from this situation on a daily basis since they can't pay these higher prices to feed themselves. The legislature of Puerto Rico has requested the USA government to end this discriminatory treatment. Please sign this petition to make justice to all of the residents of Puerto Rico.

This law would disable the huge salary increases that congress has voted themselves over the years. They would be more interested in serving their constituents and not lobbyists if the constituents had the power to appraise and give salary increases by merit. This would go along with the system of checks and balances in our government.

"The New York State Committee To Legalize Marijuana” was organized to get Marijuana legalized and regulated in New York State. Our members are registered voters of New York State who want marijuana legalized. Every polls supports that fact. This petition is another way to tell New York State Politicians to give the people what they want.

The reason for this petition is the fact that if the members of congress had a financial interest in the well being and continuance of Social Security, they would be more willing to work hard on keeping it going and keeping it successful. They would be less likely to dip into the funds for other uses and less likely to terminate it or cause it to fail. The strength and continuance of Social Security is good for all Americans - young and old.

Because we've had enough with church being mixed into state.

As a civil rights organization, we see first hand the impact the foreclosure crisis has and continues to have in Illinois' working class communities and especially communities of color. It is important that we not kick people when they are down. Currently, an eviction cannot take place if the temperatures are 13 degrees or below and must be done by the sheriff. Now, the greedy banks have convinced State Reps. Monique D. Davis, Daniel V. Beiser, Robert Rita, Anthony DeLuca, William Davis, Derrick Smith, Charles E. Jefferson, Lawrence M. Walsh, Jr., Jerry F. Costello, II, Katherine Cloonen, Brandon W. Phelps, Patrick J. Verschoore to remove that restriction and allow evictions to take place regardless the temperature by their cousins, friends, or anyone off the street that can handle or even steal personal property without being licensed, bonded or insured! LET'S STOP HB 5395 today!

Save tax dollars and improve aviation safety

We the residents of Newark are seeking relief and assistance from the United States Department of Justice, the Office of United States Attorney General, Eric Holder and the Office of State of New Jersey Attorney General, John Hoffman to oversee the critical Mayoral election in the City of Newark, NJ on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. We seek this relief because of all the voter fraud and other illegal activity that have been proven in the past from the Essex County Office of Superintendent of Elections. We ask that your agencies help protect voters rights to a fair process so we will not be disenfranchised. Therefore, we are requesting immediate relief on this matter.

VICTORY! Governor Brown has now signed SB 27, the bill to force Dark Money non-profits to reveal their secret funders in California elections! Senator Vidak ended up voting for the final version of SB 27, one of three Republican Senators to do so. His vote was crucial to its passage. Thank you, Senator Vidak! And thanks also to all of you who asked him to vote "Yes". As California Clean Money Campaign President Trent Lange said afterwards in the Sacramento Bee: “Governor Brown’s signature of SB 27 marks a turning point in the fight to reveal secret funders of political campaigns. It starts to shed light on dark money in California and serves as an example for the entire nation." Your petitions and calls worked! SB 27 became law after more than 40,000 people like you signed petitions. More than a thousand people applied extra pressure by calling their legislator. SB 27 was a great coalition effort in which the California Clean Money Action Fund worked with not only the bill author Senator Lou Correa, the sponsor FPPC, and our CA campaign finance friends at California Common Cause, California Forward, and the League of Women Voters of California; but also with national organizations like Public Citizen, CREDO Mobile, Courage Campaign, Progressives United, Represent.Us, causes.com, MoveOn.org, Money Out Voters In Coalition, MapLight, Label GMOs: California's Grassroots, Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California, Moms Across America, and others. Thanks to everybody who signed and helped us achieve this historic victory! PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION and we'll tell you how you can help pass other crucial bills to end the dominance of Big Money in politics, like SB 52, the California DISCLOSE Act and SB 1272, the Overturn Citizens United Act. -- Your friends at the California Clean Money Campaign (www.CAdisclose.org)

All Americans are unjustly and unfairly impacted by any form of legislation passed by elected officials who hold themselves exempt from those laws. What happened to "equality under the law"? Let's fix this issue once and for all and let's fix it without controversial riders or other attachments to the bill. Is it not true that, in America, "no one is above the law"? Let's mean it.