As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, and non essential business remain closed, licensed Tattoo artists and Body Piercers have been directly affected by the health and financial burdens that it has caused. We care deeply for our communities, and especially for those who have suffered a loss or illness as a result of the pandemic. We have been overwhelmingly willing to self isolate and sacrifice our livelihoods, and were among the first to step up and donate our Personal Protective Equipment to the cause while we waited for weeks to receive any kind of support . Not allowing us to reopen along with salons and barbershops would be a sign of extreme prejudice. Please consider we are as essential to our families as any other working person.

The CCBOR charter amendment, if passed, will ban disposing of radioactive frack waste in our city and hold polluters within our watershed liable. Currently, we have 11 active injection wells (with 3 more pending permits) having accepted over 613 million gallons of frack waste and a permitted landfill site for taking radioactive drill cuttings within our watershed. (Full language here: https://columbusbillofrights.org/our-initiative/) In 2018, concerned volunteers gathered over 12,000 valid Columbus voter signatures, and with all legal requirements met, the Columbus City Council voted to put the CCBOR on the ballot. However, due to a state law of questionable constitutionality, the four Franklin County Board of Elections members, unelected by the public, voted to deny the people of Columbus their right to vote on the CCBOR on the Nov 2018 ballot. Because safe drinking water is critical to our community, the volunteers did not give up; so they began another initiative to allow voters to have a voice on the November 2020 ballot. Due to a charter amendment passed in 2014, petitioners in Columbus have only one year to collect signatures, and Primary Day would be a prime focus for collecting many signatures. Governor DeWine, however, considered the hazard to public health to be too great to hold in-person voting on March 17. Out of concern for public safety, the group ceased signature gathering with nearly 9,000 signatures already collected. Time limits on signature collection, especially in this pandemic, are destroying our constitutional right to initiative. In good faith, the CCBOR group: 1. Requested an extension of the one-year time limit equal to the time lost during the shelter-in-place order. City Council denied the request. 2. Requested that the Columbus Department of Health (CDH) toll the time requirements due to the pandemic emergency. CDH deferred to City Council. 3. Requested that City Council use its authority under the charter to place the CCBOR, by a two-thirds vote, on the November 2020 ballot. City Council denied the request. Columbus City Council tells us it could cost the City money if it passes and if the City were to be sued. That is a risk that the People should have a say on by voting on it. We ask how much is clean and safe drinking water worth to the people of Columbus? Let the People decide! City Council should enable our democratic right to vote on citizen-initiated proposals to OUR City Charter, especially during this pandemic. SIGN HERE to tell the Columbus City Council that YOU WANT A VOICE on protecting our water - Put the Columbus Community Bill of Rights on the November 2020 ballot. Note: Because this decision has consequences beyond Columbus, Ohio, this petition may be signed by Columbus Metro residents and other concerned Ohioans, Americans, and Global Citizens. * Columbus Metro Communities that purchase their Water from the City of Columbus:  (https://www.columbus.gov/utilities/water-protection/Water---Sewer-Contract-Communities/) Bexley Brice Dublin Gahanna Grandview Grove City Groveport Hilliard Marble Cliff Minerva Park New Albany Obetz Reynoldsburg Riverlea Upper Arlington Urbancrest Valley View Whitehall Worthington Various other small county pockets like Brookside Estates, Hamilton Meadows, Ridgewood, Village Park, etc. - various contracts with Franklin County * Columbus Metro Communities that the City of Columbus does not serve but are within the Columbus area watershed: Canal Winchester, Pickerington, Westerville, and various townships, like Blendon, that Aqua Ohio serves. https://youtu.be/1Y7DV0cnqwU

The sale of U.S. weapons has enabled the catastrophic war in Yemen and other Saudi and Emirati human rights abuses for far too long. Yet, while the Obama administration paused some arms sales and repeated bipartisan majorities in Congress voted to block them entirely, the Trump administration has pressed on, welcoming arms lobbyists through the door. Now, Trump and Pompeo fired the State Department Inspector General investigating the legality of past weapons sales that might expose these deals for what they are: illegal money made from human suffering. There must be repercussions for this corruption of U.S. foreign policy: It is time to end the U.S. role in propping up human rights abusers and an overpowered arms industry. Add your name to urge Congress enact an immediate, five-year ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Montana's governor announced on May 19 that we are entering Phase 2 of reopening the Big Sky at the end of this month for "business as usual." The 14-day quarantine for non-work-related arrivals in Montana is being eliminated. We believe, however, that it is the state's primary job to ensure that all Montanans remain secure, safe, and healthy. Phase 2, as it relates to travelers coming to Montana starting June 1, fails that test. This Memorial Day weekend and week, when we begin to mourn the 100,000 COVID-19 deaths in America, we are entering the season when the vast majority of people discover Montana: summer vacation (plenty of people will be taking them—and deserve, too!). Normally we are a very attractive destination: everyone loves the “Big Sky”, whether they’ve been here or not. Why not this year? They’ll love us, even more, when they discover that Montana is “where there is no virus." Because Montana is a big blank spot on the nation's COVID-19 map, a second wave of COVID-19 infection in Montana, due to out-of-state travelers, has to be prevented now. It takes too much time to effectively protect our children once the virus is allowed to respread in our communities. We need to be prepared for this next wave—starting at the beginning of the summer—in order to build confidence that our kids can go to school in the fall. It's as simple as this: stop the viral spread of COVID-19 at our border. P.S. I wrote about how and why I started this petition at The Montana Post, https://themontanapost.com/blog/2020/05/23/guest-post-where-there-is-no-virus.

Why this is important is more than clearly delineated in the body of the petition itself.

Coronavirus is wreaking havoc across the entire world. Hundreds of thousands of people have already died (nearly 100,000 Americans alone), and the disease is spreading by the day. As long as vaccines and treatments remain unattainable, people will continue to get sick and die. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Oxfam has called on world leaders to come together, and take concrete steps to ensure that we find a vaccine for Coronavirus as quickly as possible. The leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, and Pakistan have already pledged their support to a People’s Vaccine, as has the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown. We are now calling on the White House and U.S. Congress to sign on and pledge full support for a People’s Vaccine. As per Oxfam’s People’s Vaccine campaign, the commitments include the following: ***A mandatory worldwide pooling of patents and sharing of all COVID-19-related knowledge, data and technologies in order to ensure that any nation can produce or buy affordable doses of vaccines, treatments and tests. ***The rapid establishment of an equitable global manufacturing and distribution plan for all vaccines, treatments and tests that is fully funded by rich nations and which guarantees transparent “at true cost prices” and supplies in accordance with need rather than the ability to pay. This would include urgent action to massively increase manufacturing capacity to produce the vaccines in sufficient quantities and train and recruit millions of health workers to distribute them. ***A guarantee that COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests are provided free of charge to everyone, everywhere, with priority given to frontline workers, vulnerable people, and poor countries with the least capacity to save lives. If U.S. leaders signed onto this agreement, the impact would be felt worldwide: It would open the door for more leaders of Western countries to support this agreement, as well. We will undoubtedly quicken the process of finding treatment for Coronavirus by all coming together and pooling together resources and knowledge -- hundreds of thousands of lives (and possibly more) would be saved, and immeasurable pain and suffering will have been prevented. More information: "World leaders unite in call for a people’s vaccine against COVID-19,” May 14, 2020. https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/world-leaders-unite-call-peoples-vaccine-against-covid-19 "OPEN LETTER: Uniting Behind A People’s Vaccine Against COVID-19," Oxfam International, Medium, May 13, 2020. https://medium.com/@Oxfam/uniting-behind-a-peoples-vaccine-against-covid-19-87eec640976

Kenny was shot on March 25, 2015. Kenny's life was taken by gun violence. His murderer has been free since then on bond. Kenny and his family have yet to see Justice. Kenny was taken from his son Trey, his mother Peggy Bates, two sisters Melinda Crabtree and April Diets, and so many other family and friends. This case has been put off for five years for one reason after another. We want a change of Venue and Justice served. Kenny's murderer is the grandson or nephew of the Mayor of Lee County; he deserves to go to trial for my brother's murder. The law and court systems will put away a drug dealer but let a murderer still walk the streets. This is not Justice for the loss of Kenny's life, so please take 3 minutes sign this petition and let's receive Justice For Kenny's law. Thank you all who sign this petition Justce For Kenny; we need your help to make this Kenny's Law.

We need your help to keep our great school open and continue to build the leaders of tomorrow. We have been charged to raise $150,000 to keep our school open and we cannot do it alone. The situation is dire, but we know that we can be successful with your support! At St. Rose School, our students are loved. They are kept safe and surrounded with faith. The last few months have tested our community in so many ways and as we continue to recover from the effects of Covid-19, our children will need us even more. They will need our help to recover from grief over loss of life, illness, economic hardships and the collective trauma that has been inflicted on us all. St. Rose is the last remaining Catholic school in the city of Chelsea and we play a vital role in the fabric of our community. Don’t let us disappear. Help us continue to serve our students and their families with works of love, mercy and justice.

The Herndon branch is an important asset to our community for so many reasons- from it’s easy parking/access via the traffic lights, the return window that you can get a receipt from any time of day or night (the only branch to offer this!), the amazing family and children’s events, and the staff who make everyone feel welcome and part of a community. The Herndon branch has been there for over 20 years. We have a community that depends on it.

In response to a Norman Police department-wide email detailing the new mask policy, Officer McDonough replied with a meme featuring men dressed in Klan masks, carrying weapons and torches in preparation for a lynching. The image posted in McDonough’s email is a meme created from the Quentin Tarantino film, Django Unchained. The text is from the film’s dialogue. Senior officer Lieutenant Lee McWhorter responded to the email saying, “McDonough, I really hope you didn’t mean that the way it looks because that’s more than inappropriate. I’d say this is a fantastic time to stop this email thread and if you have an issue to contact your direct supervisor.” McWhorter later went on to remind McDonough that all officer’s emails are public record. After being informally reprimanded on the email thread, Officer McDonough offered an apology but defended his reply as “satirical humor” (sic). A City of Norman employee confirmed Friday, May 15 that McDonough’s actions were currently the subject of an internal investigation, however Public Information Officer, Sarah Jensen did not respond to inquiries concerning the status of that investigation. The Ku Klux Klan has a long, well-documented history of ties to law enforcement which persists into the present day. In 2010, three officers in the town of Fruitland Park, Florida were forced to resign following the revelation of their Klan ties. The City of Norman has its own shameful struggles with racism which persist into the present day. It wasn’t until December 2017, following 30 years of lobbying, that a street named after a former Grand Wizard of the KKK, Edwin Debarr, was finally changed. In January 2018, a 34-year-old homeless man Marconia Kessee was refused treatment at Norman Regional Hospital and removed from the premises on a trespassing complaint. A video of Norman police officers Kyle Canaan and Daniel Brown taunting Kessee and dragging him to their squad car went viral and provoked outrage nationally and within the Norman community. Kessee died in custody at the Cleveland County Jail. In January 2019, Kessee’s family filed suit seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Less than a month later, the case was removed to federal court, where it remains. This officer needs to be fired. He will live. But Ahmaud Arbery, Breeonna Taylor and other victims of white supremacy didn't get to live. Allowing instances like this to get a pass only adds to a culture that allows white supremacy to flourish.

Not everyone has a backyard big enough for their dog to get exercise. Some people also aren't physical able to get out with their dogs and handle walking them to keep them active. Socializing dogs is also the best way to make dogs less aggressive towards people and other animals. Please sign this petition to get Enola it's very own dog park!

H.R. 6666, otherwise known as the COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act, was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 5/1/2020. This bill is sponsored by Representative Bobby Rush (D) of Illinois District 1. The bill has 59 cosponsors, 58 Democrats and 1 Republican. Summary H.R. 6666 provides 100 billion dollars this year and unlimited federal funding in future years to create and operate a massive and likely unconstitutional surveillance, testing, and tracing enforcement system under the guise of “protecting” Americans against coronavirus. H.R. 6666 is a federal funding bill. It proposes to create a surveillance infrastructure that can be used by the federal government, as well as local and state governments and private businesses, to require medical testing and tracking of all citizens in violation of fundamental civil liberties as set forth in the Bill of Rights, which include the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution designed to protect individual rights and limit the power of the government. H.R. 6666 lacks safeguards and conditions related to funding of the proposed surveillance operation to prevent it from being applied to intrusive programs mandating testing and surveillance without an individual’s voluntary consent. If this legislation is passed by Congress and enacted into law, it could lead to denial of an individual’s right to appear in public spaces and travel; the right to employment and education or participation in government-funded services, and the right to receive care in a government funded hospital or other any other medical facility. H.R. 6666 specifically allows for funded entities to home quarantine a person against their will, even while they are healthy. Once a vaccine is available, the testing and tracing results potentially could be used to force individuals to be injected with a COVID-19 vaccine against their will. According to a Press Release from the sponsor Congressman Bobby L. Rush, “Reopening our economy and getting back to normal will be all but impossible if we do not step up our testing efforts and implement robust and widespread contact tracing,” said Rep. Rush. “Until we have a vaccine to defeat this dreaded disease, contact tracing in order to understand the full breadth and depth of the spread of this virus is the only way we will be able to get out from under this.” The Devil is in the Details H.R. 6666 would allow The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award federal grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals, and to support the quarantine of such contacts. Through the use of mobile health units, as necessary, individuals would be tested and provided with services related to testing and quarantine at their residences. The amount of money appropriated for fiscal year 2020 would be $100,000,000,000 (one hundred billion dollars) and more money may be appropriated by Congress as necessary for any subsequent fiscal year during which the emergency period continues. A grant recipient may use the federal grant funds, in support of the above referenced activities to hire, train, compensate, and pay the expenses of individuals; and to purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies. Priority will be given to applicants in “hot spots” and medically underserved communities and to entities that hire residents of the community where the activity will occur. Hot spots are defined as a geographic area where the rate of infection with the virus that causes COVID–19 exceeds the national average. Medically underserved communities are communities given that term in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p). Entities eligible for the grant money are defined as a federally qualified health center, school-based clinic, disproportionate share hospital, academic medical center, nonprofit organization, institute of higher education, high school, and any other type of entity as determined by the Secretary of HHS. H.R. 6666 Does Not Guarantee Privacy Section 2 (e) of H.R. 6666 is entitled “Federal Privacy Requirements”, but it does little to protect privacy. It states that “Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede any Federal privacy or confidentiality requirement, including the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191; 110 Stat. 2033) and section 543 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd–2). In actuality, H.R. 6666 offers few privacy protections for Americans who will be surveilled and tested without their consent under programs funded with this grant. In fact, Americans can expect their privacy to be violated under TRACE funded programs. That is because the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) 45 CFR 164.512(b)(1)(i) has always allowed disclosure of private health information to government officials and other government approved entities including foreign governments without the knowledge or consent of the individual for the purpose of conducting public health surveillance, investigations or interventions. Bill of Rights Cannot Be Suspended During A “Public Health Crisis” The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution cannot be set aside by the federal government or state governments during pandemics or other public health emergencies. In The United States Statement of Interest in Support of Plaintiffs, filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a case last month in which church goers attending a drive-in sermon were issued citations for violating an executive order in Mississippi, the DOJ stated;