House Bill 3371 is an extremely well-written cannabis legalization bill, but it is currently sitting in the Revenue committee in the House with no scheduled work sessions or hearings. We need to show our legislators that this is important to the people of Oregon and needs to move forward.

Polystyrene foam, sometimes incorrectly called Styrofoam, is incredibly wasteful. It is made from petroleum, breaks into tiny pieces that are very hard to clean up, and never biodegrades. It litters our beaches, streets and parks, and is detrimental to aquatic life and land animals that mistake the pieces as food. Many cities in California have already banned plastic foam, and it is one step that we can take to make the earth a better place for our future generations. Many restaurants have taken the initiative to use alternatives such as durable food ware, paper, cardboard and certified biodegradable plastics instead of polystyrene foam. If we have the option to make better choices, why not make those choices? Earlier this month I attended the San Diego Green Students Youth Forum where I proposed banning plastic foam. At that time, District 9 Councilmember Marti Emerald told me that the best way to get started is to begin a petition. Mayor Bob Filner told us that it is up to us, the younger generation, to make a difference in our city! Help us make a difference!

Our elected senators and representatives should provide stellar examples to us all. Therefore, if they are convicted of a crime while in office they should be removed from that elected position.

In its frenzied search for a suspect during the four days immediately following the bombing, media outlets quickly “colorized” the investigation -- unsurprisingly to many people and communities of color -- and all the more problematic now that we know the identities of the real suspects. At 8:36 p.m. on the day of the bombing, CNN claimed on its breaking news blog, “This Just In,” that “investigators have warned law enforcement officers to be on the lookout for a ‘darker-skinned or black male’ with a possible foreign accent in connection with Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon,” despite lacking confirmation from federal investigators. Just 19 minutes later, the same CNN bloggers reported that a Saudi national was under guard at a local hospital -- again, without FBI confirmation -- and essentially fanned racial fears. By stoking the fires of racial bias, CNN contributed to the unjust, prejudicial treatment of Abdulrahman Ali Alharbi, a Saudi national student subjected to interrogation by Boston police (while being treated for bomb-related injuries at a local hospital), and whose personal residence was also searched. Abdulrahman Ali Alharbi has since been proven innocent. Making matters worse, last Wednesday CNN continued with its race-baiting and racial fear mongering when Chief National Correspondent John King repeatedly stated -- without federal confirmation -- that a “dark-skinned male” had been arrested [that] afternoon. Despite King’s efforts to walk back his statements last Friday via Twitter, the damage to communities of color had already been done. Not only does this kind of “reporting” lack basic journalistic integrity, but it reinforces racial profiling across the country -- inciting fear, creating distrust, and heightening anxiety within many communities of color. It is especially important for CNN to take responsibility for this irresponsible racial narrative because we know the bombing suspects are not, in fact, “dark-skinned.” We cannot paint entire groups of people -- no matter their racial identity -- with broad, accusatory strokes in our zeal to bring forth justice. No innocent individuals or communities should be subjected to racial profiling for the sake of prejudicial efficiency.

Today, the Senate failed to pass a simple piece of legislation to help keep unreasonably lethal weapons and ammunition out of the hands of those who clearly cannot be trusted with them. Send them back. Demand that the Senate put real controls in place so that we can feel safe dropping our children off at school.

This petition will be the beginning of a movement to stop media moguls from saturating television and movie programming with murder and heinous crime themes. Society is being bombarded with murderous themes and images that have direct negative and desensitizing effects, especially on the young. We must demand more and better choices.

The Minnesota Clean Energy and Jobs campaign answers Governor Dayton's call to build a sustainable future by transitioning to renewable energy like wind and solar power, increasing energy efficiency, and making it easier to generate local power. Please ask your legislator to support clean energy and jobs legislation that helps Minnesota reach its sustainability goals.

The proposed Walmart on Ball Rd would be on a road that is too narrow to handle 15,000 cars and trucks daily. It would be less than 200 ft away from family homes in a residential neighborhood. Centennial School is within walking distance. Kids walking to school and neighborhood residents will be in harms way because of a lack of sidewalks in the neighborhoods. 24/day operation will create excessive noise and light pollution. Taxes will go up and home property values will go down.

Our school, Westowne Elementary in Catonsville, reaches unsafe and unhealthy temperatures when the weather is hot and humid. The school lacks ceiling fans and windows that open wide enough for air ventilation. The county school system must implement immediate upgrade of climate control measures to protect the health, safety and learning capabilities of our children.

Because Senate leadership failed to reform the rules of the filibuster, background checks for firearms sales failed by a majority vote of 54 yea to 46 nay. Sixty votes needed to override the filibuster failed. Government action is being held hostage by this obstructionist procedure called the Senate filibuster. Ninety (90) percent of Americans who want background checks for firearms sales were hurt by the filibuster. It must be reformed!

A petition from the residents of Astoria, NY, who want their local official to find a solution to the endemic garbage finding its way on Steinway Ave. and its surrounding.

this unfair tax will not only effect seniors,but also military veterans and thier familys. it will cost an averarge of $10,000 to $20,000 over a ten year period. why is this happening? no other segment of our society is under this type of attack.