A group of Democratic women in Congress are working to ensure that the infrastructure bill Congress is debating includes funding for childcare. The proposal from the Democratic Women’s Caucus includes $700 billion in funding for high-quality childcare over the next 10 years. It’s a great idea that will help so many families and make it possible for more parents to work. But conservatives in both Parties are working on a “compromise” plan – and it doesn’t include any support or funding for childcare. Roads and bridges are important -- but without childcare, many parents still can’t make it to work, creating financial instability for families and holding our entire economy back. Negotiations are happening right now in Washington, so we need to act fast to make sure members of Congress know that parents expect them to look out for families and kids in the infrastructure bill.

During the pandemic, one thing became entirely clear: in our 21st-century democracy, We the People must have access to affordable Internet and phone services. But as we move toward the second half of 2021, the FCC remains deadlocked with two Democrat commissioners and two Republican commissioners. With no nomination for the fifth and final commissioner -- the FCC is below full capacity, meaning the agency isn’t able to deliver open and reliable high-speed broadband to every home. Frankly, this is unacceptable -- without a fifth commissioner, former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s legacy of decision-making that put profits over people and industry interest over the public interest remains in place. We can’t afford inaction and compromises when we are so heavily dependent on affordable, reliable Internet access. Plus, this is all the more urgent given the fact low-income families and people of color are disproportionately disconnected from high-speed internet access, compounding grave inequalities that were only made worse during the pandemic. Given the Senate’s legislative calendar and the diminishing number of days left for hearings and confirmation votes, we have reached a critical point to guarantee the FCC can do meaningful work during the Biden administration. If we are to reach the goal of having a country where everyone -- no matter their address or size of their bank account -- has affordable access to high-speed internet, we need a fully functional FCC as soon as possible. Please add your name to demand that the White House take action now.

Every day during the heights of the pandemic, people clapped and gave thanks to essentials workers. I think a financial compensation would be more important and make the most impact to essential workers, especially those who worked minimum wage.

The very act of forcing a person to pay exorbitant sums of money just to live to see another day is nothing short of a Crime Against Humanity, as without life, the purpose of Capital becomes moot and such an act deliberately dehumanized those in need of life-saving drugs, treating them as nothing more than numbers on a spreadsheet. The only way to preserve and protect life, as is the charge of the US Government to begin with, is to guarantee Healthcare as a human right by having it funded solely through tax dollars, including Big Pharma. By allowing the Pharmaceutical industry to coerce the public into paying astronomical amounts of money that they don't have (since employers refuse to pay workers living wages and prices of everything else is increasing), the US Government is complicit in what is effectively a combination of Highway Robbery and Negligent Genocide of both its own people and the greater population of the world. US Pharma companies also bring their predatory ways to the shores of other countries, which forces those countries' taxpayers to fork over more than they need to in order to satisfy the greed of Big Pharma shareholders. This puts unnecessary and inexcusable pressure on our peer nations and their citizens by holding all of their lives hostage for the sake of Corporate profits. Again, this is why such a practice is a Crime Against Humanity. By nationalizing Big Pharma, we are not only saving the lives of millions of Americans, we are also saving the lives of as many people as possible the world over, as there would no longer be the presence of shareholders to price gouge the public at large, reducing Healthcare costs in every single country - including the US. These sharks have gotten away with their brand of Sacrificial Genocide for too long already and it's time to take away this avenue of profiteering and make it part of the common good, guaranteeing Healthcare and the life-saving drugs included in it to all who require them. All people need Healthcare to live. The pursuit of profits is meaningless if people can't afford to live.

Did you know that tens of millions of kids breathe polluted air every day on their way to school? It’s true – and it’s because their school buses run highly-polluting diesel fuel. And we know air pollution can cause major health problems for children! Now, a new bill has been introduced in Congress that would replace these dirty diesel buses with clean electric buses. If passed, it would help protect kids from air pollution AND help fight climate change. The Clean School Bus Act would make major investments in replacing the nation’s fleet of diesel school buses with zero-emission electric buses. Even better, it would prioritize low-income school districts for funding.

Black girls are suspended from school SIX TIMES more often than white girls. It’s deeply unfair. Now, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley is fighting back with a new bill that seeks to end the disproportionate punishment of girls of color in schools. Rep. Pressley’s Ending PUSHOUT Act would provide extra funding to schools that ban unfair and discriminatory school discipline practices, and create a task force to study the problem. It’s a huge step toward ensuring that our schools are safe and fair learning environments for ALL kids. As Rep. Pressley said when she introduced the bill, “our schools should be spaces for learning and growth, but for far too many Black and brown girls, interactions with racist dress code policies and law enforcement in our schools define their experience.”

Indiana remains one of only 4 states in the United States who have directly targeted legislation against women being topless in public spaces, allowing police to arrest and charge women with class C misdemeanors for being comfortable on a hot day. This is discrimination on the basis of gender and cultivates a culture of shame around the bodies of women. This law fetishizes people, it minimizes the value of their bodies, it takes away ownership of their bodies, and it tells female identifying humans across the state that their body is a shameful object to be hidden. We can change this and make our state not one of the last strongholds of sexist law in the United States.

Since the Black Lives Matter protests erupted last summer, we’ve been in the midst of a national moment of reckoning around our painful history of racial exclusion. This has been driven in paet by brave young people asking tough questions and speaking out for justice. But in Republican-led states across the country, Legislatures have been responding by trying to ban teachers and students from even having the conversation. New laws, and bills under consideration in states like Idaho, Texas and Oklahoma would ban teachers from teaching about current events like Black Lives Matter, or even talking about systemic racism. Kids should be learning to think critically in school - and to understand the full history of our country, even the painful parts. And our politicians should be focused on helping students and teachers who are still struggling with fallout from COVID--rather than punishing teachers for speaking the truth.

Prior to the 2020 presidential election Governor Abbott and lieutenant governor Patrick furthered the lies of Donald Trump by touting the healing usage of hydroxychloricine and the treatment of covid-19 they even went as far as to buy the drug and distribute it to nursing homes in Texas. This drug was untested for use in covid-19 cases and was not FDA approved there were at least three deaths caused by use of this drug and many hospitalizations. Governor Abbott and lieutenant governor Patrick put the lives and health of many Texans at risk and the process of furthering the lives of Donald Trump they violated the public trust. In November 2020 attorney general Paxton a licensed attorney who has been under investigation with the FBI use taxpayer funds to file a lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania regarding the way that their election ballots are accounted. Knowing this was outside of his jurisdiction and scope he proceeded to do waste taxpayer dollars in this lawsuit only to appease Donald Trump this is a violation of the public trust and a waste of taxpayer dollars for no reason at all. In February 2021 Texas had a record snow storm and freezing temperatures for 7 days this storm affected many Texans by that they sustained a loss of electricity heat and water for 7 days. This resulted in the deaths of several Texans. To date Governor Paxton lieutenant governor Patrick nor anyone from ERCOT has been held accountable for this debacle and no steps have been taken to ensure that this tragedy will never happen again. Governor Abbott violated the public trust and put the health and domestic tranquility of Texans at risk yet again. On March 10th of 2021 Governor Abbott ordered the state to reopen with no requirements for social distancing or face coverings. At the height of a global pandemic this place all Texans at risk of the transmission and furthering of the covid-19 virus especially to the elderly and those with lung diseases this was a very dangerous move and show the callous disregard of Governor Abbott. On March 30th 2021, Governor Abbott allowed the Texas courts to begin eviction proceedings again this is in direct violation of the CDC moratorium. Governor Abbott has not only shown a blatant disregard for federal law but he's shown a lack of concern for Texas residents and has placed them at risk this is a violation of the public trust. In May of 2021 Governor Abbott signed an executive order forbidding any state County municipal agency or any school district from inquiring if a person has had the covid vaccine inoculations. This is a violation of the public trust and puts the public at risk while also putting a high risk of transmission and the furthering of the virus to the public this is also a breach of public trust. In May of 2021 Governor Abbott backed one of the largest voter suppression laws in the country and and the date that he could he lost the quorum he threatened to withhold the payment of salaries to legislative support staff. This is a petty and vindictive violation of the public trust and it's also illegal. On June 17th 2021 Governor Abbott announced that he will build the border wall with Texas he plans to ask property owners to volunteer their property to the state and to ask President Biden to surrender federal land to the state while using public funds without the Publix input or a referendum and also to use crowdfunding which is illegal. It is illegal to use public donations to finance government projects. As well many Texans are against This racist project that comes forth from a manufactured crisis and lies of Donald Trump. This also is a violation of the public trust. These illogical actions that do not take account the citizens of Texas are dangerous public health violations and breaches of the public trust by Governor Abbott lieutenant governor Patrick and attorney general Paxton and the three of these gentlemen need to be removed , convicted, and impeached quickly before more damages done to the state of Texas.

Billionaires like Bezos have made even more billions during the pandemic while most people were suffering to make ends meet. Until he starts paying his fair share in taxes he can afford to be extremely charitable and make much needed public investments to address the crises caused or highlighted by the pandemic.

Baltimore is a city in crisis brought on by bad leadership exacerbated by the ineffectual policy during a time of crisis.

A handful of companies want to own our community water systems in Pennsylvania. It's a power play in three acts that started with the passage of legislation in 2012 that would allow companies to pass along the costs of acquiring systems to their rate payers. Act 2 in 2016 was the passage of legislation that would allow municipalities to sell their water systems to these companies for "fair market value." The curtain rose on Act 3 this year with the introduction of SB 597, the so-called Water Quality Accountability Act that heaps costs and reporting requirements on municipalities to entice them to sell their systems. Walter Lynch, CEO of American Water Works, has made no bones about the bill’s real intent. Here’s an excerpt from a Q4 2020 earnings call. Asked if any type of emerging state legislation would help facilitate Mergers & Acquisitions, Lynch responded, “Well, let me start with [the] Water Quality Accountability Act that started in New Jersey that two other states have adopted. I think that is being considered in other states within our footprint. So I would look out for that primarily in the Midwest and that again, establishes standards that are uniform across the sector, whether a municipally-owned or investor-owned, around cybersecurity, some of the challenges there, around pipe replacement rates, about long-term asset management plans. And that's been instrumental in many of the discussions we've had in the states where we operate that have that legislation. So I think it's a wake up call for many municipalities to say, maybe we should talk to American Water about selling assistance.” And here’s Lynch during an investor call a year earlier, “We work with state legislators and regulators to come up with rule making and legislation that enables these acquisitions to happen. And we’ve been doing this for a decade, and we’ve been very successful at it.” American Water Works is a member of the National Association of Water Companies, the industry front group that wrote the bill before pushing it in several states. Robert Powelson is President and CEO of NAWC. If his name sounds familiar, it's because he was the chair of the PA Public Utility Commission before spending a year at FERC approving natural gas interstate transmission pipelines and then heading to NAWC. When the PA Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure took up the bill, committee chair Senator Tommy Tomlinson did a gut and replace maneuver that removed all of the language of the bill and put it in an amendment with one important alteration. The bill was written as an amendment to Title 25. Tomlinson's amendment changed that to Title 66. In plain English, it means he took the bill out of the authority of the Department of Environmental Protection and handed it to the Public Utility Commission. The amended bill was approved by the committee with bipartisan support. Tomlinson's former chief of staff is the lobbyist for Aqua America. The company's Government Relations chief spent six years as a staffer in PA legisative offices, including a stint in the Speaker's office. And speaking of the Speaker, Mike Turzai went to work for Essential Utilities the day after resigning from the House. Essential Utilities is Aqua's new name now that it has expanded into the gas business with the purchase of Peoples Gas. PA American Water has its own tie to our legislature. They hired their lobbyist right after his mother, Kim Ward, became Senate Majority Leader in January. Outside of the customary, and all-too-often successful, grip of the industry are many who have expressed concerns about the Water Quality Accountability Act. The PA Rural Water Association, the PA Municipality Authorities Association, and the Water Works Operators' Association of PA have written letters opposing the legislation. According to PA Environmental Digest, the PA State Association of Township Supervisors, PA State Association of Boroughs and the PA Municipal League also oppose the legislation. This petition is a companion to a sign on letter I'll be delivering in the coming weeks. To see a version of the letter with all of the hyperlinks you can follow to get even more information about dangerous bill, visit bit.ly/WQAAlinks. If your organization would like to sign the letter, please use our sign-on form you can find at bit.ly/WQAAletter. Tell your legislators to protect community water systems and your affordable access to water by voting NO to SB 597.