Our founding fathers believed in and cultivated hemp. Erroneously labeled Marijuana, hemp was even revitalized as a helpmeet during WWII. We no longer should be hindered by the lobbies that would see hemp continue to afford no competition to the interests of Big steel, cotton, paper, food, fuel, and myriad building supplies.

As more secular hospitals merge with religiously affiliated ones, nearly 50% of WA state hospital beds are now controlled by Catholic ideology that prohibits contraceptive counseling and contraceptive methods including condoms, birth control pills, IUDs, vasectomies and tubal ligations; and that prohibits fertility assistance, abortion and end of life "death with dignity", all of which are legal in WA State. Non-Catholics and Catholics alike increasingly find themselves in situations in which the only health care available is subject to these restrictions dictated by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. WA State has the highest percentage of religious control of hospital beds in the U.S. and its continuing to increase (26% in 2010, 45% so far in 2013). Some business owners refuse to include the same legal health care services in their company's health insurance plans. Some pharmacy owners refuse to dispense certain legal contraception products. Some health care providers continue to discriminate against LGBT families. It's time to say, "Stop!" We believe that in medical care, the patient's rights must come first for all residents of our state

America must reserve the right to determine our own consumer, health, safety, labor, privacy and environmental regulations. Do not surrender our rights to Trans National Corporations.

It's time to turn the tide on "Red" Texas. Texas is NOT a red state, it's a non-voting state. And thousands of activists are working hard to change that in 2014. To get the voters out, we've got to have a slate of candidates who inspire us and make us WANT to vote Democratic. State Senator Leticia Van de Putte INSPIRES US!!! It was her words the night of Wendy Davis' filibuster that made the gallery audience erupt so loudly that the Republicans failed in their vote that night to send Texas women back to the dark ages THAT'S inspiring. Progressive voters need a leader like Leticia, and Leticia needs to know that we've got her back. Please sign the petition and let Leticia know how much we want her to run!

The court had ordered the return of the children. The father stood and asked to also be considered. So the caseworker decided after what she called careful consideration to place the children with their father. I questioned this careful consideration based on these facts. 1. The father took the stand and confessed to being a past meth cook and user and only proclaimed sobriaty without ever attending any type of rehabilitation. 2. The father had been arrested on 3 occations for probation violations for dirty ua's for meth. 3. Just last year he had a dirty ua for meth when tested by dhs. 4. He has allowed meth users around the children including a long time friend whom has been arrested over 10 times for possesion of meth. ( our children now know this mans name well) 5. The father has a lengthy crimanal record that includes theft, menicing, child endangerment, domestic violence and restraining order violations. 6. The father was staying in his brothers home ( who resently kicked him out) this brother had charges on his record for beating his daughter for dating a black boy. He was left alone with my children on several occations. My youngest child had welt of large hand prints on his arm after the uncle had lost control one night and tried kicking the kids and their dad out at 8pm. On october 2013. 7. The father and kids are currently staying in his moms 2bedroom home with the father step dad, mom, brother and a friend that was recently released from prison. 8. The father has on countless occation transported the children ages 8,5 & 4 without carseats or booster seats ( was filmed and witnessed by three others) 9. Has risked the childrens lives by not being able to understand instructions on proper administration of medication for child with benign rolandic seizures and taking 5 year old in for dental surgery ( even after being instructed not to bring her in sick) abd only informed the dentist of the child recovering strep throat after the dentist decided it wasnt safe to perform surgery from the sound of her lungs. 10. Also each of these very small children have lost 2 to 5 pounds in the two months they hace been in his care. I have spoken with the father and the caseworker of these and more safety concerns only to be dismissed and ignored. At this time i am requesting dhs follow the court order to return the children home. As i have no crimanal record, live in a four bedroom four bathroom home for over a year and a half. There are no safety concerns with my home or self presently and ive had the children with me from birth till five months ago. As well the children have been seperated and alienated from their two older sibling who still live with me. Please help me to get my younger children back home safe, stable and happy ( as tgey still ask when they can come home even in their fathers care.) Thank you for your help. For the lack of motivation to return children to safety in their best interest, I call to action to request this caseworker and her supervised be fired.

Shell just announced a new plan to drill for oil in America’s Arctic waters in 2014. But it still hasn’t addressed embarrassing offshore drilling rig failures. We’ve already watched the company lose control of two different drill rigs in less than a year, with one of them catching fire and the other one running aground off the coast of Alaska. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is asking for comments as it considers another lease sale for offshore oil drilling in the Arctic. Tell them the risks of drilling in the Arctic Ocean are far too great and we cannot afford to open Chukchi Sea to more oil leasing. To add insult to injury, America’s Arctic is ground zero for climate change. It’s warming twice as fast as the rest of the world and if Shell and other Big Oil companies drill for oil in these remote waters, it would even further accelerate climate change. Offshore drilling in the Arctic leads to a cycle that reinforces climate disruption. Not only would burning oil produced from the region pump more carbon into the atmosphere, but the drilling operations themselves would emit black carbon or soot that would be deposited on the ice, where it does the most harm. Soot causes heat to be absorbed rather than reflected by the ice. Because the Arctic ice cap acts like a refrigerator for the planet, less Arctic sea ice means a warmer planet and a change in climate patterns. Drilling for oil in the Arctic Ocean is not consistent with a responsible course to combat climate change, something the president has committed to in his second term. Tell the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management not to hold any more lease sales in the Chukchi Sea and to reevaluate current plans to drill in these remote waters.

CBS News recently reported that, because of Obamacare, a Florida woman named Dianne Barrette would have to pay more than $500 monthly for health insurance that she previously got for just $50. One problem: The report was wrong, and has been debunked by other news sources. But Republicans and Fox News have been repeating it over and over to make the case that Obamacare isn't working. CBS should retract the story and hold the producers responsible for the report accountable.

The 21st & 21st Business District needs community support to build a permanent Parklet. This project is integral to creating a more vibrant local business district by providing a public gathering space.

The population of gifted students in Pace has exploded, and the school district's response is to reduce the time spent in the program specifically designed to challenge them. Isn't it the responsibility of an educational institution to provide the foundation to allow ALL children to reach their maximum potential? The gifted program needs not only to be protected, but expanded. The decision to reduce the class time for these children needs to be changed so that ALL children are provided what they need to succeed.

The KVCC Administration with the approval of the Board of Trustees has included in the college's 2015-19 Master Plan to "repurpose" the top floor of the college library and the lower-level student lounge. The library is the heart and soul of an academic institution. The student lounge is a heavlly-used meeting spot for KVCC students.

It is vitally important to maintain our human needs programs.

On October 29th, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Roberto Maldonado (26th ward) announced that Logan Square's Ames Middle School is going to become a military academy -- despite more than a year of local parents' protests. Elected officials failed to talk to parents of Ames about the plan, then ignored the families who have spoken out against this takeover. 87% of families surveyed in the Ames community said they did not want a military high school. If the takeover goes through, children at Ames will have a military curriculum, elevating military programs at the expense of extracurriculars like music, sports, and art. But there's still time to reverse this decision -- it has to be approved by the Chicago Board of Education. Add your name now to support families in Logan Square who do not want Ames to become a military academy.