In 2006, I was shot in the abdomen in my workplace by a deeply troubled young man. And I was lucky to have survived -- one of my coworkers did not. Since that fateful day, I have fought through twenty surgeries, a coma, and months and months of PTSD therapy. I don't know if you had the chance to follow the hearing about gun safety in Olympia -- but I went to testify in favor of I-594. Brian Judy, a gun lobbyist, noted that I-594 wouldn't have stopped Newtown's Adam Lanza from taking his mother's gun and then turning it on her. He even joked, "I think that [one] was the 'murder your mom' loophole." Both he and state Senator Steve O'Ban chuckled. Would you joke about someone murdering their mother and then killing twenty children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary? Then there was Senator Roach, who has been told to seek counseling for threatening her employees and even brandishing a handgun at one. She did everything possible to degrade the testimony of myself and other survivors, and to question our motives. Why shouldn't I want legislation that would prevent the kind of everyday gun violence that threatens our communities, even if I-594 would not have stopped the gunman who shot me? I know at a personal and profound level the damage that gun violence does -- and Republicans in the state Senate, as well as lobbyist Brian Judy, would prefer I stay silent. I've already delivered one round of signatures to the State Senate to demand an explanation for this outrageous and offensive behavior. And I'd like to deliver more. Thanks for your support, Cheryl Stumbo Sponsor of I-594 Jewish Federation Shooting Survivor

Our elected officials have neglected our infrastructure far to long. Continuing to do nothing will lead to a catastrophic economic failure in the near future. We spend more on our military than the next five biggest military nations combined. We can maintain our military superiority and still cut spending, all we need is leaders to recognize that this "corporate welfare" needs to end.

In 2006, I was shot in the abdomen in my workplace by a deeply troubled young man. And I was lucky to have survived -- one of my coworkers did not. Since that fateful day, I have fought through twenty surgeries, a coma, and months and months of PTSD therapy. This is why I support I-594. No one deserves the fatal and tragic consequences of random gun violence. I-594 will not prohibit law-abiding citizens from owning guns, but will serve to emphasize the importance of a responsible gun owner. Cheryl Stumbo Sponsor of I-594 Jewish Federation Survivor

In 2006, I was shot in the abdomen in my workplace by a deeply troubled young man. And I was lucky to have survived -- one of my coworkers did not. Since that fateful day, I have fought through twenty surgeries, a coma, and months and months of PTSD therapy. This is why I support I-594. No one deserves the fatal and tragic consequences of random gun violence. I-594 will not prohibit law-abiding citizens from owning guns, but will serve to emphasize the importance of a responsible gun owner. Cheryl Stumbo Sponsor of I-594 Jewish Federation Survivor

BECAUSE HE DESERVES TO MEET HER!

Hi y’all! My name is Rita Frost, and I'm a senior at the College of Wooster, just a few miles down the road from Smucker's headquarters in Orville, Ohio. I have a right to know if there are GMOs in the foods that I'm eating and Smucker’s (dare I say Schmucker's) is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to stop people like you and me from finding out. Ohio and over 25 other states are considering GMO labeling laws this year. Let’s make sure the labeling laws stand a chance and show Smucker's and other food giants know that blocking GMO labeling will be bad for their brand. Sign this petition to CEO Richard Smucker and I'll hand deliver them to his corporate headquarters.

Don has removed our Principal Tamara Skordahl without reason and despite all the protests of Parents, the Community and the Staff of Oakridge Elementary. He has very little regard for what the parent's think or want concerning their children. We are in need of someone who listen's to the parents. After all it is our children who are to be directly effected by the decision this man has made and will continue to make if left in his current position.

Tell the Senate to support families and kids. Don’t let them eliminate the Child Tax Credit for the families of little DREAMers! All over the country, immigrant women work hard to support their families. Many immigrant women count on the federal Child Tax Credit to provide crucial financial support for their families. Right now, the Senate is considering the Ayotte amendment -- an amendment to a bill that would eliminate this key support for hard-working families. The amendment would deny the federal Child Tax Credit to the families of 1 million little DREAMers -- young children who have come to the United States with their families and whose parents file taxes using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers.

All over the country, immigrant women work hard to support their families. Many immigrant women count on the federal Child Tax Credit to provide crucial financial support for their families. Right now, the Senate is considering the Ayotte amendment -- an amendment to a bill that would eliminate this key support for hard-working families. The amendment would deny the federal Child Tax Credit to the families of 1 million little DREAMers -- young children who have come to the United States with their families and whose parents file taxes using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. Tell the Senate to support families and kids. Don’t let them eliminate the Child Tax Credit for the families of little DREAMers!

Watching the Olympics as a child inspired me to become an athlete and it gave me hope for the world. In trying to watch the Sochi Olympics, I have discovered that if you just have internet, your viewing experience is limited to overly commentated, commercial-strewn highlight videos. Only if you have a cable subscription , can you access the live streaming or full replays that the NBC website and App offer. If this technology exists then everybody should have access to it. The Olympics are for all.

Whole Foods--a company that thrives on its progressive image--just fired a woman for taking care of her special needs child during a snow storm. But it messed with the wrong mom. When Rhiannon Broschat told her co-workers what happened, they walked off the job with her to strike in protest. Now it's up to us to have their back and demand Whole Foods give Rhiannon her job back and change its policies so no employee has to choose between a sick child and a paycheck. As Rhiannon fearlessly told reporters, "I'm not going to choose my job over my son." But right now, that choice is costing her family the income they depend on. Rhiannon's story has been all over the news in Chicago, but still, Whole Foods has refused to back down. Tomorrow, supporters in Chicago are planning a huge protest. If we all speak out right now, as the protest plans are hitting the news, we'll create a media firestorm in the national press and convince them to do the right thing--or face a publicity nightmare. Will you join Rhiannon in demanding Whole Foods reverse its decision to fire her and change its policy so that workers never have to choose between taking a sick day and losing a job?

New York has the worst income inequality in the nation--- that’s more than 3 million men and women who are working hard, playing by the rules, and still living in poverty. Part of the problem is the state’s woefully inadequate minimum wage. Especially in high cost areas like New York City, $8 / hour just isn’t enough to pay the bills, much less save for a brighter future. That’s why Albany should allow cities and counties to supplement the state minimum wage, so it more realistically reflects each area’s cost of living.