This fight isn't about protecting Louisiana's "brand": it's about silencing the GOP's critics, no matter how much parody and political opposition are protected by free speech.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 18), the House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee will vote on HB 7099, a massive expansion of Florida's voucher system that could defund public schools and divert millions of taxpayer dollars to private institutions with little accountability. We want legislators to hear from you and everyone today in opposition to this proposal:

JUSTICE FOR RUBEY

It’s as if Republicans haven’t learned one thing. Last year Rep. Joe Heck voted with his party to deport DREAMers. He kept saying he supported immigration reform, but that was his only vote. Last week, Heck doubled down. He voted again to gut deferred action programs for DREAMers and military families. The so-called ENFORCE Act would do away with the programs that protect immigrants from deportation and would block President Obama from using his executive authority to fill the vacuum left by Republicans' own inaction. House Republicans like Joe Heck had a real chance to build on the immigration principles they introduced just a few weeks ago. It was a step in the right direction. But instead, they claim they can't move forward on reform because they don't trust the President to enforce the law. This is the same president who has deported nearly 2 million immigrants. So instead of advancing reform for DREAMers and their loved ones, Rep. Heck and House Republicans have chosen to double-down and blame their inaction on Obama. We're tired of the double-talk. Tell Joe Heck he can’t have it both ways – either he supports immigration reform or he wants to deport DREAMers. Which one is it?

It’s as if Republicans haven’t learned one thing. Last year Rep. Paul Ryan voted with his party to deport DREAMers. He kept saying he supported immigration reform, but that was his only vote. Last week, Ryan doubled down. He voted again to gut deferred action programs for DREAMers and military families. This so-called ENFORCE Act would do away with the programs that protect immigrants from deportation and would block President Obama from using his executive authority to fill the vacuum left by Republicans' own inaction. House Republicans like Paul Ryan had a real chance to build on the immigration principles they introduced just a few weeks ago. It was a step in the right direction. But instead, they claim they can't move forward on reform because they don't trust the President to enforce the law. This is the same president who has deported nearly 2 million immigrants. So instead of advancing reform for DREAMers and their loved ones, Rep. Ryan and House Republicans have chosen to double-down and blame their inaction on Obama. We're tired of the double-talk. Tell Paul Ryan he can’t have it both ways – either he supports immigration reform or he wants to deport DREAMers. Which one is it?

Comcast, the biggest cable and Internet provider, is trying to take over its chief rival Time Warner. This would give Comcast a near-monopoly, and a presence in every major media market in the country. With almost no competition, a merged Comcast-Time Warner would have no reason to keep prices low, or offer consumers more choices, much less improve its infrastructure. Millions of rural customers who have been waiting for decades for broadband internet access would likely have to keep on waiting. We already deserve much better than we're getting from telecom giants. America lags far behind the rest of the developed world in Internet service, speed and affordability. The profit-greedy telecom industry has opposed infrastructure improvement at every opportunity. If two of the worst and most incompetent cable providers consolidate their power, America's digital divide will grow as we all fall farther and farther behind the rest of the world. Moreover, allowing only a handful of giant corporations to be the gatekeepers for almost all media and Internet services would be disastrous for privacy, freedom of speech, and what's left of an open Internet.

My husband and I are unable to refinance our mortgage or qualify for a home equity loan because if our Parent Plus loans. The monthly payments are now so high we are unable to make the payments. We are not allowed to pay what we can afford and the interest is accruing at an alarming rate. Even though we qualify for an Economic Hardship Deferment the interest continues to accrue. At this point, the monthly payment required is laughable.

Irvington, NJ is poised to become the second city in the country, behind Richmond, CA, to tackle the foreclosure crisis and hold Wall Street banks accountable in a real way. Mayor Wayne Smith of Irvington, NJ and a majority of Town Council members have been working to implement a plan to condemn the most toxic mortgages in Irvington, reset them to fair market value at low fixed interest rates and sell the reset mortgages that back to homeowners so they can afford to stay in their homes and stop the vicious cycle of blight that currently plagues Irvington – fact, the Council voted unanimously last summer to move forward with these plans. Unfortunately, D. Bilal Beasley, the president of the Irvington Town Council, is stalling those efforts. At the most recent Town Council meeting he tabled a resolution that would put this plan in motion, despite broad support for the measure from his council colleagues and Irvington residents. Fortunately, Councilman Beasley's foot dragging can be undone with four votes. Each day that passes without action from the Irvington Town Council is another day closer to foreclosure, homelessness, and bankruptcy for hard-working Irvington residents. Homeowners in Irvington and across the country need courageous leaders willing to stand with them against Wall Street! Council President Beasley & the Irvington Town Council needs to stop playing politics, take a stand against Wall Street’s predatory and fraudulent mortgages and act courageously to save Irvington’s future!

It’s as if Republicans haven’t learned one thing. Last year Rep. Jeff Denham voted with his party to deport DREAMers. He kept saying he supported immigration reform and even became the first House Republican to cosponsor H.R. 15, the House immigration bill, but that was his only vote. Last week, Denham doubled down. He voted again to gut deferred action programs for DREAMers and military families. This so-called ENFORCE Act would do away with the programs that protect immigrants from deportation and would block President Obama from using his executive authority to fill the vacuum left by Republicans' own inaction. House Republicans like Jeff Denham had a real chance to build on the immigration principles they introduced just a few weeks ago. It was a step in the right direction. But instead, they claim they can't move forward on reform because they don't trust the President to enforce the law. This is the same president who has deported nearly 2 million immigrants. So instead of advancing reform for DREAMers and their loved ones, Rep. Denham and House Republicans have chosen to double-down and blame their inaction on Obama. We're tired of the double-talk. Tell Jeff Denham he can’t have it both ways – either he supports immigration reform or he wants to deport DREAMers. Which one is it?

The Worcester National Grid Smart Meter Pilot program exposes the community to unprecedented risks in violation of local democracy.

My wife Nathalie and I were approached by a local mother, Brooke Scharfstein, and her daughter said "sometimes kids don't know who to play with in the playground" and we were torn up. As parents of three children who are in the Westport public school system, we are acutely aware of the modern challenges of being a kid these days. If we have an idea that is so basic, yet so inclusive in nature, how as parents can we NOT act on it? We read the Buddy Bench article in the Huffington Post last December, and like so many, we were touched by Christian's story. Let's bring his story and message to our community. (www.buddybench.org)

It’s as if Republicans haven’t learned one thing. Last year Rep. David Valadao voted with his party to deport DREAMers. He kept saying he supported immigration reform and even cosponsored H.R. 15, the House immigration bill, but that was his only vote. Last week, Valadao doubled down. He voted again to gut deferred action programs for DREAMers and military families. This so-called ENFORCE Act would do away with the programs that protect immigrants from deportation and would block President Obama from using his executive authority to fill the vacuum left by Republicans' own inaction. House Republicans like David Valadao had a real chance to build on the immigration principles they introduced just a few weeks ago. It was a step in the right direction. But instead, they claim they can't move forward on reform because they don't trust the President to enforce the law. This is the same president who has deported nearly 2 million immigrants. So instead of advancing reform for DREAMers and their loved ones, Rep. Valadao and House Republicans have chosen to double-down and blame their inaction on Obama. We're tired of the double-talk. Tell David Valadao he can’t have it both ways – either he supports immigration reform or he wants to deport DREAMers. Which one is it?