There's a bill making its way through the legislature right now that would give thousands of bright, hardworking students around the state a shot at the American Dream. (A-4225) would allow students who have attended high school in New Jersey for at least three years and have either gotten their diploma or GED to pay the same rates as their fellow residents at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities. Passing this bill isn't just the fair thing to do; it's the smart thing to do for the state and its economy. One of the main draws of businesses to New Jersey is our highly trained workforce. Holding back talented, high-achieving students who could join the next generation of engineers, teachers, and nurses is as short-sighted as it is unfair.

Senator Burr is effectively standing in the way of students who will see their student loan interest rates double on July 1st if Congress doesn't act to keep them low. In a floor debate with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) objected to voting on a proposal that would keep interest rates low for the next two years. Instead, he's in favor of a "fix" that could see student loan interest rates skyrocket and create more debt for Americans -- much more than if student loan interest rates were allowed to double.

At a time when nearly three-quarters of all U.S. intelligence gathering and analysis are being conducted by private corporations, we as a country have approached perilously close to what Franklin D. Roosevelt described as "the essence of fascism." In light of recent disturbing public disclosures concerning the extent of intelligence gathering activities undertaken by U.S. governmental agencies hand-in-hand with corporate partners, both at home and abroad, it is clear that the time has come for us, as citizens and elected representatives, to take a cold, hard look at the behavior and practices that have developed from that partnership.

Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles has been violating the basic international human rights of its inmates for years. Abhorrent insanitary and abusive conditions continue to treat inmates like animals instead of people. Those responsible for continuing the cycle of injustice and violating a person's constitutional rights, must be held accountable for their actions. Help be a voice for those who's voice has been taken from them.

I helped to train the Iraqi Army during my second tour, and their concern is that many of the anti-Assad forces are the same terrorists they've fought before and who continue to target them. Senator John McCain's relentless pursuit of more war crystalizes the case against our involvement better than anything else has so far. During his recent trip to Syria he took a picture rebels who were members of a known terrorist group. His staff says he didn't know who they were, and no one doubts that. But that's the point: if a U.S. Senator can unwittingly pose for pictures with terrorists in Syria, how can we guarantee the arms he supports sending won't end up in the same place he did -- with terrorists? There are countless reasons to stay out of Syria, not the least of which is our poor tracking record attempting to shape the outcome of Middle Eastern politics. The President has taken important steps to ending two misguided wars started during the Bush Administration. He shouldn't move us towards getting involved in a third conflict the majority of Americans oppose.

Unemployment is at 7.6% and many of those people are on Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC); let the Congress live on unemployment and see if they can live with a 22.2% cut in benefits. Why should people who are unemployed be punished because the Congress can’t get what they want from the President?

Responsible Gun owners to have their voices heard above Congress

Fish and birds eat plastics as we all know. Their favorite colors of plastic to eat are red and orange. They also love to eat disposable lighters. To protect these animals companies like Bic need to stop using red and orange in their disposable lighter production.

After 25,000 people signed the petition, and after thousands of phone calls, emails, and faxes, the California DISCLOSE Act passed the State Senate on an overwhelming vote of 28-11. Now it's up to the Assembly to finish the job. The California DISCLOSE Act, SB 52, will strike a blow against the unlimited hidden money unleashed by Citizens United. It would shine a light on the shadowy interests that depend on secrecy to influence elections. The California DISCLOSE Act, sponsored by the California Clean Money Campaign and endorsed by Progressives United, local MoveOn.org counsels, and over 300 other organizations and leaders, would mandate clear and prominent disclosure of who is behind political TV, radio, print, and mass mailer ads -- on the ads themselves. Giant corporate interests are trying to kill SB 52. Join Progressives United and the California Clean Money Campaign by signing our petition urging state legislators to pass the California DISCLOSE Act today.

Marine mammals—such as bearded and ringed seals, beluga whales, and the endangered bowhead whale—depend on sound to communicate, find food, and avoid prey. Oil exploration activities fill the ocean with loud noise that can interfere with these basic functions. Seismic surveying, for example, uses air-guns to detect oil beneath the sea-floor. The blasts—loud enough to cause deafness—occur day and night for months, and cover vast areas of the ocean. Unfortunately, the federal government is proposing moving forward with loud and risky oil exploration methods even though it has not completed an assessment of the cumulative impacts on Arctic marine mammals. Tell the National Marine Fisheries Service not to permit any Arctic Ocean oil exploration until it completes a full analysis of the effects and understands how to mitigate the damage to marine mammals. THIS COMMENT PERIOD DEADLINE TO PROTECT MARINE MAMMALS FROM OIL EXPLORATION IS JUNE 27. Please sign this petition today!

Currently, Military personnel who have served 20 years or more, receive only 50% of their retirement benefits, while Congress receives 100% benefits. Those military personnel should get 100% benefits. Many of have family that has served in the military, having served 20 or more years, only to retire having to find jobs or work to piecemeal money to fill in the gaps, that the other 50% of their benefits would fill.

Natural hair stylist and braiders should not be forced to go to Cosmetology School where braiding,weaving and natural hair care is not taught, force to learn from texts that does not teach braiding, weaving or natural hair care force to take a test on subject matters that does not pertain to natural hair care, force to take additional course in oder to teach braiding, or force to work or learn in toxic chemical environment, asssociated with a school or salon where chemicals are used, that has proven to cause miscarriages, birth defects, infertility, cancer and upper respiratory problems. ON JUNE 15, 2000 GOVERNOR GRAY DAVIS SIGNED SB-235 in law (Effective 01/01/01) exempting hair braiders from cosmetology laws in the state. Florida has taken a very different approach. In 1994 it began to allow people to braid hair after a 16 hour health and safety course, the course does not need to be taugh in a licensed cosmetology school though the cosmetology board must certify the eight school that teaches it. The only major problem with the Florida license is that it does not permit the use of hair extensions, which is a necessary step in most braiding styles. Florida also took the unnecessary step of creating a separate licenses for hair wrapping. SB-235 in law (Effective 01/01/01) exempting hair braid