Have you felt the shift within the Democratic Party? Not long ago, in fact as recently as 2013, many Democrats including President Obama indicated a willingness to cut Social Security benefits. But things are changing quickly in Washington. Just before Congress left on their holiday recess, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined forces with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to introduce a budget amendment to expand Social Security benefits for millions of Americans. And guess what? Expansion received support from 42 Senate Democrats. That’s over 90% of the Democratic caucus! Expanding and protecting Social Security is quickly becoming one of the hottest issues in the country and a mainstream Democratic plank. But what happens if the Democratic nominee for President doesn’t embrace expansion? With Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton having announced her candidacy, and other Democrats potentially jumping into the race this month, it is time to get all Democratic presidential candidates on the record supporting expansion. Call on all Democratic presidential candidates to make Social Security expansion a cornerstone of their campaign platforms. We already know where Republican presidential candidates stand. Thanks to their votes opposing the Warren/Manchin amendment Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) are all firmly opposed to expanding earned benefits and even favor cuts for millions of future retirees as well as children, veterans and disabled workers. If Democrats want to win the White House in 2016 and take back Congress they must inspire the American people. They must demonstrate a sharp contrast to the right-wing ideology being offered by the Republican Party. And with 79% of likely voters – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – supporting Social Security expansion, Democrats have THE ISSUE to run on. We are in position to make Social Security expansion a driving issue in the next presidential election. Stand with us today!

I am a resident of Baltimore City and I am very concerned about the health impact water shut-offs will have on my 75,000 neighbors who will be unable to wash their hands, shower, or drink from the tap. These families have been labeled "delinquent" despite the fact that they simply can't afford to pay the rising price of water in one of the nation's most impoverished cities. These shut-offs must be stopped to protect these families from harm and to avoid a city-wide public health crisis in Baltimore.

While at the Joint Finance Committee hearings, I heard heart-breaking testimony by IRIS clients and their families, pleading to spare IRIS funds from the chopping block. As a Wisconsin Registered Nurse for 34 years, and a patient advocate for longer, I feel an obligation to amplify their plea for IRIS funding to be preserved.

Boston's North and South Stations represent a serious gap in rail service in the northeast corridor and also do a disservice to commuters in the communities of eastern Massachusetts. Although just over one mile apart, North and South Stations are not directly connected, making commuting between communities above and below Boston extremely cumbersome. Passengers taking commuter train into either station must then use additional public transportation to move between stations. The North/South Rail Link project has been talked about for decades but remains incomplete. Undertaking this project to its completion is long overdue.

The current Irony. Water is more scarce than oil. California's dire condition will affect the entire country's access to food. Turn the keystone pipeline into a water pipeline taking excess water (snow melt) from the North and East to the West.

Besides West Courtyard Drive, the Bridgehead neighborhood includes businesses on Bridge Point Parkway and housing units on Shepherd Mountain Cove and beyond. For those who live or work in this area, Courtyard at Capital of Texas (Loop 360) is one of only two possible exit points. The existing two outbound lanes are so inflicted by traffic congestion during the rush hour peak that it typically takes several long light cycles to reach the highway. The other exit requires traveling through a residential area one to two miles in the opposite direction, to Ranch Road 2222. Besides an incredible inconvenience to employees and residents alike, it's a safety issue with regard to emergency vehicle access. Ideally the roadway would be expanded from the stop sign at Bridge Point Parkway to include a right-turn-only lane stretching toward the highway, which would also allow more vehicles to turn left while the traffic light is green. This might require removing the median on West Courtyard Drive for half of its length, or shifting part of the median to reduce inbound traffic to one wide lane, or carving back the rockface behind the southern wall. Officials should work with the community to determine which solution is most desirable. While other measures like a more favorable light cycle may help in the short term, ultimately this improvement is required regardless of any anticipated or proposed upgrades to Loop 360 itself.

As one of the largest social service providers in the Midwest, A Safe Haven Foundation, addresses the needs of homeless men, women, and families in crisis. With more than 20 years experience, we understand that the face of homelessness is often complex and varied. Currently HUD's annual Point in Time count of homeless people does not include homeless children and youth who are living with friends, relatives, or staying at motels. This means social service agencies and shelters are precluded from serving these highly vulnerable individuals. By supporting S.256 - Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2015, HUD will be required to count someone as homeless if another federal agency -- such as the Department of Education classifies them as homeless. This will provide desperately needed housing resources. "Children living in these situations are particularly vulnerable to predators, including traffickers, because they are hidden to social-service providers and do not have case managers," according to Sen. Feinstein's office, which estimates there are one million such uncounted children and youth. The Department of Education, for example, considers such young people homeless, and provides them with extra services. A Safe Haven Foundation supports S.256 - Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2015. We hope you will, too!

The Illinois Appropriations-Human Services Committee held a subject matter hearing for public response to Governor Rauner's proposed 2016 Budget. The Committee heard testimony from advocates for Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Development Disabilities and Rehabilitation Services, Health and Family Issues, Special needs populations, HIV, Breast Cancer, Children's Services, and Department of Children and Family Services. Based on reports by members only, the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF) estimates 51,447 children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and/or serious mental illnesses will experience limited access to, or lose access to, community-based services and supports under the Department of Human Services’ proposed fiscal year 2016 budget. “We find these conservative impact estimates on individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses and their families disturbing,” said Janet Stover, IARF President & CEO. “Even with the Department making efforts to preserve core and essential services, every proposed cut will cut bone, and these estimates make that clear,” continued Stover. The Department’s proposed budget cuts $193 million in funding from community-based services and supports for children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental illnesses in the critical areas of residential services for individuals with high medical/behavioral support needs (ICFDD), psychiatry, housing supports, early intervention, respite, autism, dental and epilepsy services. Below are examples of certain areas in the state that are being reduced due to our current tax system: Medicaid: • $1.5 billion reduction to Health and Family Services budget, including elimination of Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation facilities. • 16,533 individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) will lose access to psychiatry, care coordination, evidence-based mental health services and housing supports – which will lead to increased hospitalizations and incarcerations; • 808 adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities will lose residential and developmental services and supports in ICFDD settings – which will lead to increased utilization of state-operated developmental centers (SODCs); • 1,798 individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families will lose access to respite services – which will lead families to seek out-of-home services, higher cost services and supports; • 11,208 children ages 0-3 will lose access to early intervention services – which will lead to higher long term costs in special education; • 21,100 individuals with epilepsy will lose access to case coordination, case management and outreach services; Human Services: • Division of alcohol and substance abuse – $27.5 million reduction • Division of mental health — $82 million reduction • Elimination of Best Buddies, Project Autism, Arc of Illinois, Homeless youth services, Immigration Integration Services, Illinois Welcoming centers • $23 million reduction to Early Intervention Program Public Health: • $19 million reduction from 2015 Pensions: $100 billion savings over 30 years in payments $25 billion immediate reduction in unfunded liability. $2.2 billion in savings from pension payments in this budget. According to a January 2015 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (http://www.itep.org/pdf/whopaysreport.pdf), Illinois has the 5th most unfair state and local tax system in the country. In their analysis, when all state and local taxes are included, such as sales and excise taxes, property taxes and income taxes, lower income Illinoisans pay an overall tax rate almost three times that of the top income earners in Illinois. The lowest 20%, with incomes less than $19,000 per year, pay an overall tax rate of 13.2%, whereas the top 1%, with incomes more than $498,000 per year, pay an overall tax rate of 4.6%. “We have to be more flexible in how we structure our tax code, and we must consider a fair income tax in which the income tax rate a person pays increases as their income increases,” said Ford. “This legislation would amend our state Constitution so we can design a fair tax code and not be limited to a flat tax rate like we have now which is the same rate whether you make $35,000 a year or $35 million a year. We still have much work to do to improve Illinois’ financial health. It is clear that more revenue is needed, but it must be fair and progressive and not regressive, as the proposed expanded sales tax would be. Regressive tax policy only hurts working families and those working to enter the labor force.”The legislation also provides that any such tax imposed on corporations shall be at a non-graduated rate, not to exceed the average of the lowest and highest individual rates by more than a ratio of 8 to 5. “This legislation does not change the current flat tax rate for corporations, and also creates predictability for corporations as they look at their tax rates,” said Ford.

The Take Action, Turn Left! Project is a community service project that Junior Girl Scouts Troop #10586 of Tucker is pursuing in order to earn their Bronze level award. A big part of the Girl Scouts journey for Junior troops is to pursue projects that require you to take action in your community – it’s your world, love it! The goal of our project is to inspire and implore DeKalb County to add a turn left signal light at the intersection of Livsey Road and Chamblee Tucker Road. A left turn lane already exists at the intersection; it just needs a light to aid in traffic. We are undertaking this project in order to improve the community around us – where we live in Tucker, GA – to create a safer intersection for the Livsey Elementary School children and their families, the Livsey neighborhood and surrounding areas and to create better access for all to Henderson Park. But we can’t do this without your help!!! This intersection is very dangerous due to the fact that the entrance and exit to Livsey elementary school is located there. To support our project please visit this website and sign our petition. Thank you!

Sooner or later, you or someone you love will become disabled. Maybe you know someone now--a parent, friend or other loved one. Being able to remain autonomous and direct our own lives is what gives our lives meaning, instead of being warehoused in a nursing home with limited options decided by others. IRIS allows disabled people to stay in their homes. The IRIS program is a Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver for self-directed, long-term support. The program is an option for adults with long term care needs. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Long Term Care (DLTC), Office of IRIS Management under the authorization of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) is responsible for oversight of the IRIS program. IRIS is available to Wisconsin residents determined financially eligible for Medicaid, functionally in need of nursing home or Intermediate Care Facility, and/or Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) level of care; and living in a county where managed long-term care and IRIS are available. People who are eligible have the choice of IRIS or managed care through their local Aging and Disability Resource Center. The participant has the flexibility to design a cost-effective and personal plan. IRIS provides an alternative to institutional managed care. Nursing homes are quite frankly a big and often faceless business, and who hasn't read the horror stories what happens inside them. Anyone who loves life will do their best to stay out of one as long as possible. People who choose IRIS design a waiver-allowable Individual Services and Supports Plan to meets their functional, vocational, and social long term care needs. Wisconsin has Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waivers 1915(c) and the Self-Directed Personal Care State Plan Amendment 1915(j) approved by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These CMS approved applications define the types of services and goods included in the IRIS program. Disabled persons enrolled in IRIS are able to manage goods and services to meet their long term care needs and goals. IRIS funding waivers allow eligible recipients to remain in the community and avoid institutionalized care. IRIS program recipients are supported in self-direction by IRIS Consultants and Fiscal Employer Agents. IRIS creates jobs for caregivers outside of institutional settings, and serves the disabled population. Cutting IRIS won't make the disabled go away, but it will certainly make their lives more difficult. Scott Walker's Medicare/Medicaid cuts would kill the IRIS programs, forcing many disabled persons to sell their assets and move into managed care facilities where their quality of life is considerably more limiting and bleak. Please ask your local state representative to tell Scot Walker to preserve the IRIS program from budget cuts.

I am starting this petition because pre-school children can no longer get the hours they need to help for developmental disabilities. 20 years ago my 1 year old son needed and received 12 1/2 hours of in-home therapy to aid his lack of talking, movement, etc. If we asked NY State for the same services today, we would only receive 2 hours. It's a known fact the earlier you work with these kinds of children, the better chances they have to become full functioning adults. Please support this bill.

On March 17, the House unveiled a new plan which slashes billions of dollars from the program that does the most to help hungry kids, and we need to push back. For decades, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support these programs, but thanks to repeated cuts, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) currently only provides $1.38 per meal, barely enough to buy a pack of gum. The truth is, when kids are hungry they struggle to learn. Ending childhood hunger is not only the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment in our future. SNAP benefits are currently around $125 per person, per month -- which works out to about $1.38 per meal. It might seem like a small benefit -- and to be sure, SNAP benefits are the lowest they’ve been in five years -- but to those struggling to put food on the table, it makes a critical difference. Together we can make sure America's kids are getting enough to eat and have a fair shot at a better life. We need to let Rep. Hultgren knows that we expect better than a budget which leaves kids hungry.