SB 270 will greatly reduce the harmful impacts caused by plastic bags. It's on Governor Brown's desk and awaiting his signature. -An estimated 10 billion single use bags are used annually in California alone; -Up to $107 million is spent annually to curb pollution associated with plastic bags; -Southern California cities spent more than $1.7 billion to meet Total Maximum Daily Load for trashed waterways; and -Plastic bags have adversely impacted California's $40 billion ocean industry, with grave impacts to over 267 critical species including birds and fish Plastic bags are wasteful, bad for the environment and bad for the economy.

The people of Illinois have a right to know that members of law enforcement are not racists. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 (union that serves Chicago Police Department) began fundraising for Darren Wilson, the cop who shot Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. See http://www.chicagofop.org/darren-wilson-defense-fund-donations/.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Chuck Hassebrook's opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline goes beyond concern for his state: primarily, he's worried about climate change. But Hassebrook's Republican challenger, Pete Ricketts, is all for the pipeline saying, it will help create jobs, and I think the fundamental question we're facing here in the state is how we grow Nebraska? Hassebrook, though, has a different plan for jobs in Nebraska. He wants to tap the state's vast potential for wind energy--which was ranked fourth in the nation. Nebraskans have a proud tradition of being good stewards of the land. Pete Ricketts' failure to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline in Nebraska stands in stark contrast to the legacies of Governors on both sides of the political aisle. In the home of Arbor Day, it is intellectually dishonest and intellectually indefensible not to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline in Nebraska.

Currently, there are no laws in place to guarantee how your child support money is allocated or provide your child with future funds to continue their educational pursuits (college, learning a trade, or workforce development). Many fathers have a very difficult time making ends meet while supporting their child and also trying to financially maintain their own household. In many instances, once the support period ends when the child turns 18 or later (if they continue their educational pursuits) the father is financially unable to contribute further towards their child’s future. Child support typically renders the father unable to save for the future. EKOL has started a petition that is intended to institute a clause/mandate in the child support orders from the court that requires the custodial parent to invest 20% of each monthly child support payment into a trust fund for each child receiving child support. These funds will be released to the child upon successful completion of high school and enrollment in college or towards a trade and/or workforce development program. Please sign the 20% FATHERHOOD PETITION - EKOL to help create a law in your respective state that guarantees that up to 20% of your child support payments will be allocated into an interest bearing “trust fund” for your child’s future. THANK YOU for doing your part to help sustain our families and communities.

Luis Lopez-Acabal could be deported any time! He fled to the United States from Guatemala as an unaccompanied minor at the age of 16 to escape gang violence, and has been in the US for seven years. He is the husband of Mayra Canales, a legal permanent resident, who has struggled with depression and anxiety for many years. Mr. Lopez has taken in his wife’s two US citizen children, one of whom has autism, as his own, and both of whom consider him their father. Mr. Lopez is the sole breadwinner, which allows his wife Mayra to act as full time caregiver for their autistic son. In addition to his financial support, the emotional support he provides for his wife and children cannot be measured. Luis has been in deportation proceedings as a result of a minor traffic incident. On July 7, 2014, his attorney submitted a request for a stay of removal to keep Luis in the United States with his wife and children, but that request has been denied. He now lives under the threat of immediate deportation. Luis, with the support of his wife, children, and community, will be living in the University Presbyterian Church 24/7 as they shield him from immigration authorities, hoping that they will be able to do so until Obama passes an executive order that he will qualify for.

I live in the South End of Waterville, an area that is full of low income and struggling families. Adding a trash bag fee only serves to take more of what little money the families in this area have. The Pay as you Throw program should be stopped before it does damage to already poor families.

The Metro Crenshaw Line has affected the local businesses in the area that have been there for years (some decades) to point that most of the businesses are in danger of going out of business. We need your signature to let the City and Metro know that you respect the advancements of the incoming transit system, but you do not want to sacrifice the culture of your neighborhood for it. Therefore together we ask that the city and Metro provide assistance to local businesses so that they may endure the affects of the construction and continue to provide the community with the same services.

to stop contractors from taking away our home privacy

As a consumer of all things film and television - especially N.C.-based productions - I am appalled by the new grant program put forth by the N.C. General Assembly to replace the current film incentive program. The film industry provides numerous jobs to people from all different backgrounds. The industry also helps spark tourism revenues at filming locations across the state, helping many local businesses. Please read this story on my blog for more information: http://reflectcw.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-case-for-nc-film.html

Should we be surprised anymore? Leaked audio shows that Cory Gardner recently spoke at a private retreat for the Koch brothers' financial network that has been spending heavily in his race this year. We know the Kochs have an agenda. Ask Cory Gardner what he promised to get their dirty money.

If one chooses to participate in a habit which is detrimental to ones health, that is a sad state of affairs, but it is their protected right, as long as it is legal. When people choose to smoke in public, they not only endanger themselves, but non smokers, as well. These non smokers are often our children. Smoking in public should be prohibited.

This year, most school districts across Washington state were forced by Secretary Arne Duncan’s selective enforcement of the No Child Left Behind Act to send letters to all parents that labeled our schools as failures. We are parents, teachers, students and community members who reject this label that has been placed on our schools. We know that our schools are not failures. In fact, their accomplishments have been remarkable, especially given the deeply flawed policy imposed on them by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). While there are certainly changes needed for our schools – many due to the legacy of racism, class inequality, and lack of equitable funding for our schools – we believe that those changes should be directed by communities that make up local school districts, not by top-down mandates. This website will share stories and testimonials about the great things that are happening in our schools that should be supported and connect our communities so that we can organize opposition to Arne Duncan’s policies and No Child Left Behind. According to NCLB, our schools should have had 100% of students test at proficient levels in reading and math by 2014. No county, no state, and no school district has ever achieved 100% proficiency on standardized tests and, in fact, the way the tests are designed make it statistically impossible to achieve that goal. Washington, like many other states, originally had a waiver in place that would have exempted it from this absurd NCLB mandate. However, when the state legislature refused to pass bills tying teacher evaluations to test scores (following overwhelming evidence that this would not improve teaching or learning), Arne Duncan chose to punish Washington state by revoking the waiver. With the waiver gone, nearly all of Washington’s schools have been labeled failures, we have lost control of millions of dollars in federal money, and some schools will be at risk of state takeovers and mass layoffs of teachers. This kind of political game-playing has no place in our schools. Our schools and teachers should not be labeled as failures simply because we have rejected extremely flawed education policies. In August 2014, 28 school superintendents from around the state authored a letter, where they declared that their schools’ successes are not reflected in these ratings and criticized No Child Left Behind. We agree. It’s time for the voices of parents, teachers and students to be heard and respected. Endorsed by: Parents Across America (PAA), Seattle Education Website, Social Equality Educators (SEE), Wayne Au, PhD, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Washington Bothell*, Jesse Hagopian, Teacher, Garfield High School*, Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council member*, Sue Peters, Seattle School Board Director* *For identification purposes only For more information, visit http://www.ourschoolsarenotfailing.org