In less than 2.5 hours, the Senate will be voting for cloture (to close debates, followed by a series of more votes this week) on the bipartisan Senate bill, with a final vote by the Senate on Thursday or Friday. We believe the following measures must be included in any immigration reform package. We urge you to fight to require all border patrol agents to wear lapel cameras and grant greater authority to the newly-created Border Task Force. As New Yorkers, we are here to support you to get these critical fixes into the bill

My name is Matthew Fuemmeler, and I am the owner and operator of "The Boiler Monkey," Albuquerque's first and only mobile restaurant built into a converted bus. I work as a food truck, offering crepes and coffee to the citizens of Albuquerque. Unfortunately, I have been targeted several times by parking enforcement, who have stated I am not allowed to park on public roads during working business hours, because my bus is over 90 inches wide. However, many of the other operating food trucks in town - as well as service vehicles, hummers, delivery trucks, mobile health clinics and more - are also more than 90 inches wide, and from those whom I've worked with and talked to, none of them have received this ticket or been told of this rule. Obtaining continuous parking tickets as well as being asked to move during my hours of operation severely impacts my ability to run my business and maintain a steady income. Designating certain areas for food trucks such as outside Tractor Brewery on Tulane by changing or amending current legislation on food vending and parking on public streets would increase food truck tourism and industry within the city. As small business owners trying to bring creative cuisine and opportunities into our communities, we hope you can understand and support our cause.

Every summer, hundreds of veterans head to Bristol Bay, Alaska to earn a living as commercial fishermen. It's not easy work and it separates them from their families -- again -- but in this tough economy it pays well and takes care of things back home. Unfortunately, two foreign mining companies with connections to the Koch Brothers are trying to dig a mine near the Bay that would destroy these jobs and lay waste to the environment. Because of our unique voice as veterans and military-family members, we were asked to take action on this issue. It was a no-brainer. Sign our petition today.

The Fort Collins City Council overturned the fracking ban in Fort Collins in May of 2013 despite overwhelming citizen participation in favor of an un-exempted ban on 'fracking.' 'Fracking' is a heavy industrial activity and extremely water-intensive process in which a mixture of millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals (including ones proven to cause cancer) are injected underground to fracture rock to extract oil or gas from underground. The Fort Collins City council will be having a work session on Tuesday, June 25 to discuss a 5 year moratorium on 'fracking.' Tell the Fort Collins City Council that it is their job to do their due diligence to protect the citizens of Fort Collins. The undersigned request that the Fort Collins City Council enact a 5 year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing within Fort Collins jurisdiction, pending studies on its impacts to public health, safety & property values.

Outside pro-fracking groups are increasingly showing interest in our community. That's why Fort Collins residents are coming together to make sure we have all the facts before we risk public health, safety, property values and our water for this heavy industrial activity! Let's get all the facts before we allow outside corporations to make the decision to frack for us.

I propose keeping DNA samples from active military members in a database. Knowing this is a horrendous problem, not only in the military but in civilian life as well. The no-tolerance policy can only be enhanced by a DNA database. There have been an estimated 26,000 rape cases in 2012, with just a little over 3,000 reported. Due to the tests and DNA samples already required from military personnel throughout their military careers, there would be minimal cost to the government or Department of Defense to enact this program. A DNA database would reinforce the military's no-tolerance policy and aid in the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and rape cases. It would also send a clear message to our society regarding rape and sexual assault in our local communities. Let's take the question of "guilty or not guilty?" out of the equation with a positive reinforcement message to keep all of our troops safe.

On Tuesday, the Georgetown City Council will vote on a proposal to have the city abandon a regional effort to build commuter rail linking Georgetown to cities as far south as San Antonio. Traffic on I35 is some of the worst in the nation. A commuter rail system will allow people in Georgetown to easily visit Austin and San Antonio without the maddening traffic and impossible parking. It'll also help reduce air pollution and our dependence on oil. Unfortunately, some on the Georgetown council want to quit the Lone Star Rail District, which means Georgetown wouldn't be a stop on the line. We could have regional rail within 6 to 10 years, but Georgetown would be left out. Tell the Georgetown City Council to reject this proposal and stick with rail.

Taller utility poles affect the view plane and beauty of many Oahu neighborhoods, and decrease property values. There are strong concerns that these 60 - 70 ft. poles are less safe in adverse weather conditions. Taller poles cause more visual pollution and are not in keeping with Hawaii's Constitution which states that the State and its political subdivisions shall conserve and protect Hawaii’s natural beauty.

There are thousands of Starbucks stores in the world, and every day, millions of people people buy cold drinks in plastic cups with plastic straws and throw them in the trash. This creates thousands of tons of plastic waste per year, contributing to our mounting global pollution and climate change problems - even when the plastic is recycled. I love my iced coffee drinks, and I would like to enjoy them without feeling guilty about waste!

We all know that the only way to fix our broken government is to set term limits for Congress equal to the presidency and vice presidency. This is the only way to stop corporate lobbyists from running the country and give the country back to the people.

The current language in all six bills "HB-4858, 4859, 4860, SB-434, 435 and 436" fails to include those, the Vendors and/or Independent Contractors who own, operate and manage their private ATMs that would or will fall, slipping through the cracks, holes or gaps in legally mandating compliance with the law, justifies our request to amend said same.

This week, Oregon officials reported a pesticide is to blame for the deaths of tens of thousands of bumble bees. If we wish to have any bees left at all, drastic cut backs on insecticides will have to be made mandatory. Otherwise we could find our food supply at great risk.