The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in 'Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission' struck down some laws restricting corporate and union spending in elections. The ruling enabled an explosion of election spending, often from secret sources. Americans of all political stripes were outraged. Iowa saw more than $13.5 million in new super PAC election spending in the 2012 Republican presidential primary alone — most of it spent on negative ads. Such influxes of election cash stand to have the greatest effect on state and local elections, where huge spending increases can dwarf local resources. With our democracy in crisis, the time to act is now. Americans across the political spectrum are concerned about the impact of 'Citizens United' on our democracy and our way of life. Together, we have an opportunity to reach out — across the aisle or across town — to undo the ruling with a constitutional amendment. It’s time for Iowa’s city and county governments to join some 500 municipalities nationwide that have called for a constitutional amendment to limit outside spending and keep local elections local. And it’s time for the General Assembly to make Iowa the 17th state to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn 'Citizens United' and related cases.

This petition is going revoke 85% of the businesses within the State of Arkansas state's current permits and license to sell tobacco, and consider the distance from one tobacco store to another as to the terms of their "statutes" to handing out a license. In this fashion, I feel that the Arkansas Tobacco Control Board and many others are not doing their elected duty properly by just handing out a license to whoever wants one. I feel that some of these businesses are being highly inconsiderate to where they open their shop. Count how many are in your town. Now pretend you're strung out on cigarettes, and you're trying to quit. You probably will yield, until death or horrible heart attacks. I think there should be 1) no public access for children (as I see children picking out cigarettes from ashtrays at libraries and stores) and 2) not very many tobacco stores in one town at all. Not just because this is the Bible belt, but because they are, quite literally, too readily available in convenience stores, concessions, and grocery providers.

Stand Up For New Mexico's Children! In recent weeks, several cases of CYFD neglect have come to light including the death of Omaree Varela, a nine-year old boy that was allegedly beaten to death by his mother after reports to CYFD about abuse. We’ve seen too many cases where CYFD has failed New Mexico’s children in the Martinez administration. All we've seen from Governor Martinez is a pattern of excuses and shifting blame rather than action. It's time she showed more concern for protecting our children and less for covering for her political appointees. Our legislators must also demand accountability.

Big money in politics is a big problem. In fact, MoPIRG and Demos found that in 2012 the top 32 donors to Super PACs spent as much money as every single small donation to Obama and Romney combined, equaling the gifts of over 3.7 million Americans. The Government By the People Act would change the way our elections are financed through a combination of matching funds for small donations, and a “My Voice” tax credit. Instead of relying on Wall Street executives or lobbyists, participating candidates would rely on the ones the founding fathers intended them to represent: we the people. Thank Rep. Lacy Clay for cosponsoring this legislation and ask him to see it pass the finish line.

Anne Hoskins, Senior Vice President for Public Service Energy Group (a publicly traded New Jersey -based energy company), was a utility executive for six years and served in all three of its subsidiaries before becoming Governor O'Malley's newest appointee to the Public Service Commission of Maryland. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have identified PSEG as the 48th-largest corporate producer of air pollution in the United States, with roughly five million pounds of toxic chemicals released annually into the air. Major pollutants indicated by the study include manganese, chromium and nickel compounds; sulfuric and hydrochloric acid. (Political Economy Research Institute Toxic 100 (Study released May 11, 2006)). The nuclear division of the Public Service Enterprise Group, operates two nuclear reactors and a building on a small farm in Lower Alloways Creek Township, N.J., in rural Salem County at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant. (Wikipedia) One of the highest known radioactive tritium readings ever, was discovered in 2002 at the Salem facility. Tritium leaks from the reactors spent fuel pool contaminated groundwater under the facility (located on an island in Delaware Bay) at a concentration of 15 million picocuries per liter. That's 750 times the EPA drinking water limit. According to NRC records, the tritium readings in 2003 still exceeded EPA drinking-water standards. Highly elevated tritium levels have continued for years. Tritium found separately in an onsite storm drain system measured 1 million picocuries per liter in April 2010. (Yahoo.com. AP IMPACT: Tritium leaks found at many nuke sites By Jeff Donn - AP National Writer | AP – Tue, Jun 21, 2011.) Also during 2010, PSEG Nuclear, discovered 680 feet of corroded, buried pipe that is supposed to carry cooling water to Salem Unit 1 in an accident, according to an NRC report. Portions of the corroded pipe had worn down to a quarter of its minimum required thickness, though no leaks were found. The piping was dug up and replaced. The operator had not visually inspected the piping - the surest way to find corrosion - since the reactor went on line in 1977, according to the NRC. PSEG Nuclear was found to be in violation of NRC rules because it hadn't even tested the piping since 1988. (Tritium leaks found at many nuclear sites, The Associated Press , Published: 6/21/2011 7:28 AM | Last update: 6/22/2011 7:29 AM). According to the "Maryland Manual On-Line" it is the function of the Public Service Commission of Maryland to inspect facilities and check them for safety and efficiency. Anne Hoskins' company violated NRC regulations by failing to perform the basic task of testing a pipe. How can we rely on her to oversee the all of the electric and gas utilities operating in the state of Maryland? Do NOT confirm Ms. Hoskins to the Maryland Public Service Commission.

(New Braunfels, TX) -- New Braunfels City Council met last night and not only approved a $5 park access fee for summertime tourists, but they tacked on a $2 fee for residents. It’s not a done deal yet, with a 2nd reading to come at their next meeting, but Council made it clear that they want both visitors and residents to help pay for trash pick-up and law enforcement. As requested by Council, and in an effort to make the upkeep of river activities more cost-neutral, City staff has been looking at a number of ways to have those who use the parks and rivers pay part of the bills. The River Stakeholders Group (made up of local tourism experts) did recommend that Council approve a park entrance fee for visitors, but they also recommended that they make it free for residents. City Council had a different idea last night, tacking on a $2 fee for local residents to enter the park on summer weekends and holidays, an idea that was ultimately approved on first reading. For much more on their decisions last night, including adding a fee for parking at Prince Solms Park, just listen to the Audio Clip below. http://radionb.com/news/local-news/article14996/city-council-approves-5-park-access-fee-visitors-adds-2-fee-residents

Sen. Claire McCaskill is doing the unthinkable—caving to pressure from military brass and siding with Republicans like John McCain and Lindsey Graham to filibuster a bill that offer new protections to victims of sexual assault in the military. There’s an epidemic of sexual assaults in the military, with over 26,000 cases reported in 2012 alone. Worse still, one in five women in the military has been the victim of unwanted sexual contact, but the majority of cases have gone unreported to the chain of command—a system that has repeatedly failed to stand up for victims. A coalition of nearly 60 senators from across the political spectrum—from Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren to Rand Paul and Ted Cruz—have come together to tackle this crisis head-on. They support taking the power to prosecute sexual assaults out of the hands of military commanders and giving it to impartial and independent prosecutors, a system most of America’s allies already use. But the powerful military lobby opposes major reform—and Claire McCaskill is siding with them.

U.S. trade negotiators, acting in the interests of corporations serving as "advisers" are trying to use free trade agreements to bring in through the "back door" policies SO AWFUL they couldn't get them passed in Congress. In 2013, the leaked “Intellectual Property” chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement confirmed our worst fears: film and media companies were pushing extreme copyright provisions in secret that would threaten individual privacy and impose severe restrictions on the Internet. While Hollywood has had a ringside seat at negotiations, with access to the negotiating text so they could give input, Congress—whose job it is to oversee trade—wasn't even invited to the party. Now, the president expects them to grant him "Fast Track" authority, so he can slide through the TPP, and TTIP, a companion agreement in Europe, quickly, before anybody notices. Both deals threaten everything Americans hold dear – from our jobs to our sovereignty. One of the biggest threats is language that brings back provisions from SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. SOPA was defeated two years ago amid a huge, bipartisan public outcry. It would impose severe limits and harsh penalties on internet users for what many of us consider harmless everyday sharing. We could face fines or lose internet access FOREVER for such things as non-commercial, small-scale copying (from the buffer copy made when you view a legit video to sending your buddy an image or song) to “breaking” a digital lock so you can use software you have purchased on a Linux platform. Even worse, the methods by which ISPs would need to monitor for "copyright infringement" threaten online privacy in a way that we can never reverse. Service providers would become online police-or be held responsible for any copyrighted content they allowed to be transmitted. Besides monitoring websites and social networks, they would have to scan individual email, clouds, and secure communications for potentially offending links. In some instances, government agencies could gain unauthorized access to user data that would normally require a warrant. That 4th amendment threat, once established as routine, would be virtually impossible to roll back. (So much for eliminating NSA spying.) And because these provisions would be part of an international trade agreement, users in member countries would have no legal recourse to fight this warrantless surveillance. (We couldn't even pass a law to fix the problem, because trade agreements trump domestic laws.) That's why we MUST stop Congress from granting the president "Fast Track" authority. (The official name is The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act and the bill was introduced January 9 in the House and Senate.) And we must stop these undemocratic "free trade" agreements that have nothing to do with trade and are destroying our economy and eroding our civil liberties - all to further fatten the wallets of a handful of Hollywood crony capitalists who managed to buy themselves seats at the president's table.

I am starting this petition because we need all hands on deck to help us win back the House and retain control of the Senate in 2014. Priorities USA made the decision not to help candidates in 2014 and to wait until 2016 elections. This is wrong and if we lose the Senate and don't try to retake the House in 2014 it will further erode the ability of President Obama to get anything done for the people.

We have already seen the in-action of the 112th and the 113th Congress lead by speaker John Boehner. John Boehner and the 113th Congress has become the Least Productive Ever! Time for the 113th Congress to no longer receive tax payer salaries through 2014. Please sign the petition.

People who are abusing animals are getting off to easy

The organic food industry is expected to grow by 12% between 2010-2014, according to the US Organic Food Market Analysis. And the part that Oregon plays, including its unique organic vegetable seed industry, is vital to the industry. That's why organic farmers are alarmed about genetic drift from GMO seed crops such as sugar beets, and the inevitable increase in herbicides, blights, diseases and degradation of the soil that GMO farming brings. In the “Grand Bargain” last October, Oregon's Governor Kitzhaber forced lawmakers to rescind an earlier vote, which rejected the Oregon Monsanto Protection Act. As a consolation, he promised he'd select a task force to study the problem of GMO's vs. the organic food/seed industry. We want at least one member of this task force to be an organic farmer. Frank Morton is the people's choice. Frank Morton, organic farmer (Shoulder to Shoulder Farm), organic seed producer (wildgardenseed.com), and board member of the Organic Seed Alliance (seedalliance.org), has authored dozens of articles on the subjects of seed propagation, GMO's, seed patents, canola and other subjects pertaining to Oregon's diverse agricultural landscape. Oregon Department of Agriculture director Katy Coba has stated that the state doesn't have the expertise to address GMO's. You need an expert on your panel who recognizes the organic food industry. Please include Frank Morton on your panel.