The DNC has only scheduled 4 debates before the Iowa Caucuses, and 6 total, down from 26 debates leading up to and during the 2008 primaries. The DNC barred Democratic candidates from participating in non-sanctioned debates, which means the public is likely to see three times as many Republican primary debates as Democratic ones -- and the Republican debates have been drawing over 20 million viewers! This will give many Americans a stronger sense of familiarity with Republican candidates, which doesn't bode well for Democrats. Additionally, scheduling more debates before Iowa and New Hampshire provides primary voters in these important states a better opportunity to make an informed decision, which will impact who everyone else ultimately gets to vote for. Winning the White House in 2016 depends on getting our message out to the American people -- the vast majority of whom would benefit from Democratic policies. Scheduling more primary debates will achieve this, while also allowing candidates to hone their skills for the general election, giving the Dems a better shot at taking the presidency. Source: "Is Six Democratic Debates Too Few?" FiveThirtyEight, May 6, 2015

According to a WSU statistician, Beth Clarkson, "My [Clarkson's] statistical analysis shows patterns indicative of vote manipulation in machines" by multiple parties. The laws in place make it difficult to audit the paper trail in order to establish if vote manipulation is occurring. What we're asking for here is both a preventative measure and also a way of introducing more checks and balances into the voting process via independent audits. This petition is as much about safe guarding democracy for residents of Kansas as anything. You can find both Beth Clarkson's blog and data here (just go to "Voting Analysis"): http://bethclarkson.com/

Planned Parenthood provides quality health care to a wide spectrum of Iowa women.

To inform Congress that the majority of American Jews support President Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran.

UPDATE - February 1, 2016 HB 4001 is scheduled for a vote by the full House on Tuesday, Feb. 2nd. This vote comes in spite of overwhelming opposition from students, faculty, all college presidents and campus police chiefs, parents, community leaders, medical, educational and campus security experts, and associations, that represent over one million members of Florida’s campus community By signing this petition, your message opposing HB 4001 and SB 68 (Senate matching bill), will be sent to all members of the Florida Legislature, and to Governor Rick Scott. The Campaign To Keep Guns Off Campus believes that Florida's higher education officials are the most qualified to determine the safety requirements for their campuses, including restricting guns only to trained law enforcement officers. Currently, concealed carry permit holders are able to store their handguns in locked cars on campus parking lots. However, Florida law provides the Board of Trustees at public universities and state colleges with the authority to place reasonable restrictions on access to firearms on college-owned or controlled buildings and grounds (excluding parking lots). Please sign this petition today to help preserve the safety on Florida’s public universities and state college campuses. Thank you.

Mr. Muniz should not have to spend the rest of his life, in prison for the non-violent drug offenses he was convicted of.

The Pope has spoken eloquently about the need to act on climate change, especially since it affects the poor the most. This action by him would show the world that he was not just talking, and that the Church still cares about the poor.

I want our fragile Florida environment to be protected from exploitation by private interests that want to profit from their political connections to those in state government.

The Yankton Sioux Desmond Rouse is one of four Native American Men whom have had their lives shattered for the past 22 years and their hopes, spirits and souls eviscerated. They have lost everything they love in life and have wrongfully spent the past 20 years of their lives imprisoned, for egregious offenses they are innocent of. I am no attorney or crime analyst, but the reason that so many are falsely convicted of sex offenses seems painfully clear. First, this is the only category of offenses on which charges can be brought without a shred of physical or often even circumstantial evidence. Secondly, this is the only category of offenses where the accused is consistently assumed to be guilty from the outset. "Innocent until proven guilty" has no meaning and no application at all when one is accused of a sexual crime, especially against a child. It is "guilty until proven innocent," and with no evidence to refute or disprove, and with prosecutors salivating with the assurance of another victory, being proven innocent is as unlikely as flying around the world blindfolded and landing safely. New evidence consisting of significant recantations and expert witnesses has recently evolved that will prove their innocence and exonerate them. The medical evidence and opinions were based on 1994 technology and untested opinions. With the advent of modern medical research, we are now in a much better position to prove that the government's "expert" witnesses opinions were inherently wrong. Mongolian spots are birth marks and aren't bruises. "Bruises" start the entire case off with fallacious reasoning based upon negative racial bias. "The consensus is now that the abnormal findings described are nothing more than anatomical structures and normal variations. The use of Toludine blue dye on mucosal surfaces such as the vaginal vestibule and vagina was totally inappropriate and descriptions of dye uptake should not have been given any weight in determining whether there were signs of trauma to the genital and anal area tissues." concludes Professor Joyce Adams Racial or ethnic discrimination rampant throughout the case. There was no real evidence in this case. What was purported to be evidence by the prosecution was not reliable evidence. Manipulated testimony, purchased testimony phony and manufactured evidence, evidence resulting from people having a conflict of interest (a social worker who was also a foster parent of the alleged victims), children who said NOTHING HAPPENED were not believed by the court and were threatened with not to be able to see their mothers again if they did not testify the way the prosecutors instructed them to testify. Everything I say here is in certified transcripts. The first appellate panel (2-1) vacated the decision and remanded the case for a new trial. BUT the new trial never happened. The dissenter then wrote a new decision denying the new trial. Absolutely outrageous miscarriage of justice! A blight on our judicial system. If you wish to read further, see more, and educate yourself in detail about this terrible injustice, I welcome you to contact me. Alternatively we invite you to google Freedom4Yankton4 and learn from numerous sources about this prominent case. All help and interest is very welcome. Desmond has two 501 c fiscal sponsors in VetsNiteOut and the National Center for Reason and Justice, NCRJ. Thank you and God bless you, Freedom4Yankton4 Desmond Rouse Garfield Feather Russell Hubbeling Jesse Rouse

Killing rare and/or endangered species, especially for the sake of human hubris, is hard to justify for the people, the wildlife and the environment of the planet.

Assemblywoman Shannon Grove has called for an investigation by the California Attorney General into activities of Planned Parenthood that have not been determined to be illegal and which would fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction if they had been. To make such duplicity and abuse of public office even more egregious Grove, a right-wing conservative who regularly guest-hosts right-wing rhetoric radio at taxpayer expense, is deliberately ignoring: 1. Actual violations of California Department of Managed Healthcare (DMHC) regulations by health care providers; and DMHC itself; which are not only illegal but negatively impact the health and well being of her constituents. 2. Legitimate complaints of dereliction by the California Attorney General respecting actual violations of California law by homeowner associations which fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Attorney General. In both of the above cases Grove demonstrates contempt for constituents unless they can be of substantial political benefit to her. Grove also appears to be obsessed with Planned Parenthood as evidenced by her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/shannongroveca). It would be well for Assemblywoman Grove to remember that her constituency consists of far more than the headline grabbing elements that benefit her political career or support her personal vendettas; her constituents are also those tax-paying citizens that are entitled to equality in law enforcement but that she is deliberately ignoring.

To give Senator Bernie Sanders a platform to speak about equality in America today.