Our Constitution prohibits excessive bail and yet over 412,000 innocent people sit in jail every day, most, because they can’t afford to pay their bail. Excessive bail can cost the incarcerated their livelihood, homes, and children plus costs America $15.26 billion a year. The money bail system serves only bail bondsman. D.C. has proven that a system that uses public safety and likelihood to return to court as a measurement for release work and that the cash bail system is NOT NECESSARY. This change will: 1. Prevent individuals from remaining in jail due to lack of funds. 2. Stop wealthy/well-connected individuals from being able to get out of jail despite their danger to society and prevent. 3. Bring equity to a system that disfavors those who are not wealthy.

Cincinnati has increasingly become known as a destination for its variety of restaurants and bars, but the pandemic has caused dozens of incredible local establishments to close their doors permanently. Those that have been able to weather the storm have done so at significant cost: reducing capacity, focusing on curbside pickup and delivery as well as the mandated curfews have resulted in significant revenue losses for our city’s establishments. The reduced capacity has hit hourly waged workers the hardest since we are dependent on tips, as we are paid well below the federal minimum wage. In addition, exposure to the virus among staff forces many businesses to close for weeks at a time, further hurting workers by preventing them from making any income in the interim. Ohio and Cincinnati leadership must step up now and act in the best interests of the working class service industry by allowing us to protect ourselves. A safer service industry is a safer Cincinnati.

With Michael Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, showing up at the White House in January with written notes to give to Donald Trump that were instructions to overturn the election by way of martial law. I no longer think a great company like Costco should allow MyPillow a place to set up and sell their products. MyPillow should be banned from ALL Costco facilities, as Mr Lindell has engaged in treasonous behavior.

Those who attacked the Capitol, democracy, and the rule of law—resulting in at least 5 deaths — had help and even encouragement from some members of law enforcement. Intelligence experts have warned for years about a major, growing problem with white supremacists and other far-right extremists in law enforcement. But police unions have fought and undermined attempts to investigate the problem and fire violent, racist, anti-government, and white supremacist extremists. Several prominent police union leaders have associated with white supremacists, and police unions often perpetuate a culture of violence and impunity. They do everything possible to shield officers from accountability, including officers who are compromised by bias, racism, and connections to white supremacists groups. Police unions have successfully defended officers who used racial slurs, who made posts calling for racist violence, and who have white supremacist tattoos. They have kept these officers in their jobs, on the streets with a badge and gun, and in a position to carry out violence against groups they hate (or to simply fail to protect them). This must change. The consequences of failing to address white supremacist infiltration of the police are clearer than ever. It puts all of us in danger and threatens the basic functioning of our government and democracy. Join us in calling on law enforcement leaders—police chiefs, sheriffs, and others—to root out white supremacists and extremists in the agencies they lead, and directly confront any attempts by police unions to undermine the process or protect dangerous police officers.

The leaders who fueled last year's attack enabled acts of domestic terrorism and bolstered white nationalist groups who brought symbols of hate into our Capitol, inflicted violence on others, and threatened the lives of our elected leaders and others. Despite this violence, those who sieged the Capitol were undeniably treated with higher regard than so many Black Lives Matter protesters and people of color in their daily interactions with police. They have continued to put the lives of others and our democracy at risk. Americans have put up with this type of behavior for the last four years. Do we really need this for another two years? Congress must take action towards their behavior and make it clear that this will not be tolerated. Boebert and Greene should be expelled from Congress and charged with a crime. And most recently, Boebert and Greene continually heckled President Biden throughout his 2022 State of the Union address. This sort of behavior is absolutely unacceptable for a sitting Congressperson, and just provides another reason why these two must be expelled from Congress.

For more than four years, Mike Lee has not only lacked the courage and the moral compass to denounce con man Trump’s reprehensible behavior, he’s aided and abetted Trump’s deception and domestic abuse of the American public by standing by instead of standing up.

Though President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Trump and several of his allies claimed that the election was fraudulent and pledged to fight when Congress met on Jan. 6 to formally count the votes of the Electoral College. The attempt to invalidate the votes of the electoral college, much less the popular vote of the People of the United States, is a threat to our very democracy. Nebraskans in particular should note, and remember, Smith’s collaboration in such immoral, indecent behavior. Both before and after the seditious riot at our nation’s Capitol building on January 6th, Smith made quite clear that he supports Trump's high crimes and misdemeanors in inciting his followers to fight and move on the Capitol. With ample time between the attack and the resumption of debate on the floor that day, Smith certainly had an opportunity to examine his conscience and choose Country over party. He did not. If there is anything sacred in American political life, the Nation's Capitol itself is surely that. The insurrection on January 6th violated that sanctity. By continuing to promote the vicious falsehoods that prompted the rioters' actions, Smith demonstrated an extreme lack of integrity. He showed no respect for American democracy or the tenets of its constitution, and his representation is an embarrassment to Nebraska and especially the 3rd District that he purports to represent. Smith essentially voted to disenfranchise millions of voters for the sole purpose of handing the election to our disgraced presidential election loser. Not liking the outcome of an election does not give anyone the right to flip the results.

Our first priority should be keeping everyone as safe as possible, from Covid and from expected violence. Secondly, most Americans believe that expending our human and monetary resources for this event is inappropriate and distasteful in light of what we have been through. We did it beautifully for the convention, why not now? Holding a traditional ceremony is not what the American people want or need.

I am a Vietnam Combat Veteran and retired from the United States Army. Can you imagine how hard it was for me to help defend our constitution like many other African American soldiers knowing the double standards our society permeated for us? Slavery in the US was atrocious and inhuman. Slaves died on the journey from Western Africa to America. They were regularly beaten and lynched at the discretion of the slave owner. Families were torn apart, babies separated from their mothers and the ramifications are forever instilled the minds of African Americans. To the people of the US who support reparation for the descendents of slaves sign this petition. .

Trump's crimes against the United States, inciting sedition, insurrection and violence against federal elected officials is so anathema to our Republic that the only response is full repudiation by conviction of impeachment as well as precluding Trump from ever running for President again.

Allowing businesses to discriminate against people on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation creates a bad reputation for the city of Winston Salem. As a member of the LGBTQ community I wonder where we draw the line with discrimination. Will I be turned away from healthcare? Or will I be turned away from a bank next? Discrimination in our city, is a threat to equality across our nation. We must do better to protect those from discrimination and do everything we can to prohibit the disruption of commerce. The Constitution grants us all “life” and “liberty” and warns against depravation of the two. I’m calling on you to protect “life” and “liberty” by enacting an ordinance that protects LGBTQ members from discrimination in business and in employment.

White nationalists and conspiracy theorists already attempted a failed coup on our government because they believe the election was stolen from Trump. After they overwhelmed law enforcement, they went back into our communities to stay at rental properties after some hotels closed ahead of their arrival. Now they are coming back. Vrbo should provide incentives for people to not rent out their properties in the DC metro area from Jan. 16th-Jan. 21st in order to keep our communities safe. Vrbo should follow the lead of Airbnb and provide funding to help those who are struggling and not rely on individual Vrbo hosts to cancel or block out reservations. Many Vrbo hosts rely on renting their space in order to make monthly rent or obtain another source of income as a result of the unemployment or underemployment during the pandemic. Also, many local DC Vrbo guests are don't have stable housing or are unhoused. Let's hold corporations accountable in actively fighting against white supremacy. Words are empty with action!