VICTORY! Governor Brown has now signed SB 27, the bill to force Dark Money non-profits to reveal their secret funders in California elections! To their credit, after bill author Senator Lou Correa made a reasonable amendment to ensure that people who made donations before SB 27 goes into effect on July 1st aren't surprised by being disclosed, three Senate Republicans voted Yes, adding to the 25 Democrats who voted Yes and giving it the margin of victory it needed to get to Governor Brown's desk. The three Republican Senators who deserve praise for voting Yes on SB 27 are Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar), and Andy Vidak (R-Hanford). Other Republicans voted No or didn't vote. 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)

I reside in the community that is serviced by Harlem's Hellgate station post office. For years, this post office has been allowed to operate in a manner of gross disregard for acceptable customer service to the overall community at large. The post office staff creates an established culture of hostility, unprofessional behavior, disrespectful communication and a blatant attitude of refusal to perform their duties. There is no managerial level personnel that cares to correct this. They believe there is nothing the community can do to bring about change and so we are expected to endure. Let's put an end to the way this station has operated for years and demand a complete overhaul of Hellgate post office by bringing this to the attention of Mr. Richard P. Uluski, Vice President, Area Operations, North East Area for immediate action.

Because of FATCA (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), many American citizens who reside abroad have been denied bank accounts (or had them closed) by banks which don't want the hassle of responding to this U.S. law. This makes it very hard to conduct normal life. Americans who are also citizens of another country may also naturally retain bank accounts in their former home country, because they might vacation there, have a business there, etc. FATCA should be closely targeted on tax evaders (and terrorism supporters), not on middle class citizens living normal lives. Besides signing the petition, you can also help by submitting stories and especially documentation of problems (e.g., letters from banks denying new accounts or closing old ones) to Stanley Grossman at THANKS!!!

No family should be awakened in the dead of night to the sound of police firing a gun at their family dog. Police visited the property of Kevin and Brittany Chambers at midnight to ask them why their car was parked a few blocks away. Before police could speak with the residents of the house, they let themselves in to the couples yard and fired 3 shots at their dog, Winter. The officer who fired a gun at a dog that was in its own yard should be suspended immediately. No crime was taking place, no criminals apprehended, no emergency situation, no one even called the police to the property. They came, they shot, they left. Make sure Winter's shooter is reprimanded! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Justice-for-Winter/265370923644818

City of Chicago Municipal Code Zoning ordinance requires Salons/ Spas to be at least 1,000 feet away from each other. Currently, SEVEN beauty salons operate between 4700-4950 N. Damen. An appeal has been filed with the city by Saturn Spa, LLC. to open yet another salon/spa at 4845 N. Damen Avenue. They do not meet the 1,000 feet restriction and neighbors in the area want more business diversity to patron, NOT another salon. Please join other local businesses and Lincoln Square/ Ravenswood neighbors to tell Alderman Ameya Pawar that another spa on Damen is not in the best interest of the community.

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.