We are a group of simple, hard-working immigrant laborers. We built a new Marriott hotel in downtown Durham. It is a beautiful building. We were hired to paint, put up vinyl wall covering, install metal frames and hang sheetrock. We did our jobs. The new Marriott Residence Inn was built on the backs of immigrant laborers who have not been paid what they were promised. We have been cheated out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have been protesting for three months. We have been threatened with lawsuits if we do not stop. The manager of the hotel has threatened to arrest me. This is not right. We expect to be paid for our work, not threatened with arrests and lawsuits. We have families and young children who depend on us. We have bills to pay.

We have a critically rare chance to make a profoundly positive impact in protecting our dark night skies of the California Desert! The Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails, and Castle Mountain National Monuments will bring these crucial protections, and create buffers standing against light pollution encroaching on existing protected desert lands. These are the lands you visit to see meteor showers and stellar views of our Cosmos. To experience something we've lost in the ever expanding intrusion of urban sprawl!

Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Hucker recently made this proposal in a letter to County officials. You can read more about his views on this topic at his website here: http://bit.ly/1PZ2Q0m

Forty-one Senate Democrats have pledged to support the agreement with Iran. [1] Only four – Schumer, Menendez, Cardin, and Manchin – are opposing the agreement. Washington Senator Maria Cantwell is the only Democratic Senator who has not yet stated a position. Every other West Coast Democratic Senator – Washington Senator Patty Murray, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer – is backing the agreement. [2] Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has asked Majority Leader McConnell to agree to a 60-vote threshold for a yes vote, consistent with McConnell’s past statements that “major legislation” requires 60 votes in the Senate. [3] (If that hadn’t been the Republican position in the past, labor law reform to make it easier for workers to join unions would have been the law of the land for the past five years.) If 40 Senate Democrats stand with Leader Reid in insisting on a 60-vote threshold for a Republican resolution attacking the agreement, no Republican resolution attacking the agreement will get to the President’s desk. This will be an important precedent for protecting the agreement from Republican attacks in the future. Urge Senator Cantwell to stand with her Democratic colleagues behind Leader Reid in support of the Iran agreement by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 3. http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Reid-Releases-Statement-On-Iran-Floor-Procedure-324760831.html

Right now, the California State Legislature is considering a bill that would create cleaner air for our children, more economic opportunities for our neighborhoods, and a healthier climate for our planet. Oil companies and other industries that want to stop progress are fighting tooth and nail to defeat this bill. If we want our community to be heard over the oil companies, we have to take action now. You have a powerful voice in preparing for and helping to prevent further climate change. Sign this petition to tell your representatives to support SB 350, the Golden State Standards.

Forty-one Senate Democrats have pledged to support the agreement with Iran, including Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. [1] Only four – Schumer, Menendez, Cardin, and Manchin – are opposing the agreement. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has asked Majority Leader McConnell to agree to a 60-vote threshold for a yes vote, consistent with McConnell’s past statements that “major legislation” requires 60 votes in the Senate. [3] (If that hadn’t been the Republican position in the past, labor law reform to make it easier for workers to join unions would have been the law of the land for the past five years.) If 40 Senate Democrats stand with Leader Reid in insisting on a 60-vote threshold for a Republican resolution attacking the agreement, no Republican resolution attacking the agreement will get to the President’s desk. This will be an important precedent for protecting the agreement from Republican attacks in the future. Senator Coons has been unclear on whether he will support Leader Reid in insisting on a 60-vote threshold for a Republican resolution attacking the agreement, consistent with past Senate practice. Urge Senator Coons to stand with his Democratic colleagues behind Leader Reid in support of the Iran agreement by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 3. http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Reid-Releases-Statement-On-Iran-Floor-Procedure-324760831.html

The Michigan Legislature and the Governor's Office are currently exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests, shielding their activities from public scrutiny and accountability. The Courser-Gamrat Scandal is only the latest example of legislators abusing the exemption. Public records should be publicly accessible - no exceptions.

I am a nurse who works in an allergy clinic. We see thousands of patients in our clinic who are diagnosed with allergies: Food allergies, environmental allergies, medication allergies. We also have patients who are allergic to certain preservatives. These life threatening allergies require the patients to carry epinephrine injectors on them at all times. But, I have seen and personally talked to patients who just can't afford the $300-400 injectors. Making these more affordable for patients, both with and without insurance across the board, would help save lives. This should be a top priority, as people can die from their life-threatening allergies if they just can't afford the life saving medication.

It seems that the enemies of the liberties and rights protected in the United States have forgotten the history of the city of Philadelphia and of this great state of Pennsylvania. Ignoring this historical legacy, in 2009 the state of Pennsylvania cancelled the Driver's Licenses of thousands of people, of every race, that had been obtained legally. These cancellations have impacted negatively the economy of our state and our public and national security. It is the rights and well-being of the people that we are ultimately concerned with. Driving does not just mean access to an automobile, but also the right to move freely, go to our jobs and thus bring food to the table for our families, the right to lead a dignified life. The roads and highways are safer when everyone behind the wheel has a license, insurance and identification. We request a Public Hearing in Harrisburg to The Transportation Committee of The House of Representatives, to make the Proposal HB 1450 become a Law that will recover the right to a driver's license for every person who has been denied one as part of a cruel political game.

Currently The United States is expected to receive 1,400 to 2,000 Syrian refugees for the year 2015, and 5,000 to 8,000 in 2016. There are over 4 million refugees that have fled Syria and this number grows everyday. While neighboring countries in the Middle East and The EU have reluctantly taken in refugees, they often find themselves in either inhumane conditions or stuck in the bureaucratic web of Europe's immigration debate . No one is better equipped to assist the Syrian people more than The United States of America. Our nation has a singular tradition of support and opportunity for all those seeking a better life, be it temporary or permanent. There is more that can and should be done by all of us for all human beings fleeing persecution and oppression. Too many of us forget that our families, too, depended on others to help them leave their homes for a better life. Our country has proven it's heart time and time again, and now at this most crucial moment we should answer the call once more. Thank you.

All women have a right to high quality health care.

Proposals to force unlimited vaccines on the population without exemption are based on the flawed, unproven and medically impossible belief that vaccinating protects others, and that not vaccinating endangers others. Vaccines are, according the US Supreme Court, "unavoidably unsafe". They have questionable benefits, and very real and documented dangers and risks, which many educated parents feel outweigh the claimed benefits. Parents, not the State, know what is best for their children. Ethical medical practice requires the informed consent of the individual to choose any medical treatment. Forced vaccination also destroys religious freedom, one of the highest values in American culture. Healthcare freedom of choice must be preserved.