We must not forget Newtown. Sandy Hook could have been my daughter's school. Members of Congress who vote with the NRA must be voted out.

The so-called "War on Drugs" has turned a public health problem into a multi-billion dollars taxpayer boondoggle. Sen. Mark Leno's Senate Bill 649 would move California towards a smarter, humane, cost-effective system. It would reduce overcrowding in our prisons by allowing prosecutors to charge non-California drug possession as a misdemeanor, rather than a felony. SB 649 would free up funds currently supporting jails to be used for drug treatment instead. Studies show that in the 13 states that classify drug possession as a misdemeanor, treatment rates are higher and incarceration rates are lower, with no increase in crime.

SCR 23, by Sen. Conrad Appel (R – Jefferson Parish) if adopted, will formally impose a funding cut in the Gifted and Talented program by reducing the funding allocated through the state's minimum foundation program or MFP. This proposed re-configuring of designated funding would seriously affect the services received by the students in the Gifted and Talented program.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour. That is roughly $250 income per week; the average rent in Columbia, SC is $699 per month. SC currently has no state minimum wage law. Do the math! We must demand employers such as McDonalds, Walmart, Subway and even locally owned restaurants to up the pay to 10$ per hour! Workers cannot afford rent, food, transportation and healthcare. Lets make a better tomorrow!

School continues to be getting pushed earlier and earlier

The economy is recovering, but as a small business owner I still struggle to turn a profit, make payroll and stay in business. As a lawmaker, I look to you to create smart public policies that make it easier to keep my coffers full and my doors open. Comprehensive immigration reform would do just that. Our immigration system is broken. We do not foster an environment that allows small businesses to benefit from the services of high or low-skilled workers. On a regular basis we educate talented foreign students and then send them away, instead of creating a system that allows them to stay in this country and make meaningful, even groundbreaking contributions to our economy. A recent poll by Small Business Majority found two-thirds of small business owners also believe we should allow more low-skilled foreign workers who might work in the agriculture, restaurant or service industries into this country legally. A strong economy needs workers of all skill levels. Our current immigration system doesn’t meet these needs. Lawmakers recently introduced legislation that aims to fix many problems associated with immigration. These policies would be good for small businesses like mine. Small Business Majority also found 87% of entrepreneurs support requiring immigrants in the country illegally who have no criminal record to register for legal status, pass a background check, learn English, pay a fine and pay taxes. Three-quarters believe we would be better off if people who are in the country illegally became legal taxpayers, so they pay their fair share and can work toward citizenship in the future. And 75% support revamping the guest worker system to create a new worker visa, eventually letting immigrants move beyond temporary status and switch employers to protect themselves against unscrupulous ones. I’m a small business owner and I support these reforms, too. Fixing our broken system will help us more easily tap into the immigrant labor workforce, make our existing workforces more stable, make us more competitive and help aspiring immigrants become entrepreneurs. Please help small business owners like me by supporting immigration reform and fixing our system.

It's time "ALEC" is treated like the lobbyist it is and not just a non-profit organization who says they are a bipartisan think tank that works for not only the good of their state but also the good of the United States Government. ALEC should have to pay taxes like any other organization since they do wine and dine some of our finest people in the our legislative branches, large corporations and etc. Bill Moyer had an expose' revealing this organization on Public Television and it just made me angry how the people we send to government to represent us seem to be there for the ride.

Duke Energy and the state of North Carolina need to invest in renewable energy and biomimicry inspired energy systems to create a clean, sustainable, and profitable future for ourselves and our children.

My son going to UC San diego and Due to cut of founding he lost lots of classes

The Minnesota Prosperity Act (Senate File 723) is a bipartisan bill that would provide qualified, undocumented youth with state financial aid and in-state tuition for higher education. If we want to close the opportunity gap that threatens our state and move toward a prosperous future for all of us, we need the Minnesota Prosperity Act now.

In support of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Alvernia University class of future Social Workers along with other social work college students and professionals united on April 16, 2013, we attend in Harrisburg the 2013 Legislative Advocacy Day at the Capital. We were there the entire day to voice and show our support on legislation being introduced to create practice protection for all social workers, and Senate Bill 807, sponsored by Chuck MeIlhinney creating licensure for bachelor level social workers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PA).

It is time for our Democratic Senators and Representatives to come out and support marriage equality--to stand up for equal rights and get on the right side of history. Now, we are down to only eighteen House Democrats and three Senate Democrats who have not yet publically come out in support of marriage equality. Representative Cedric Richmond is one of them. Please sign this petition to urge him to do the right thing.