In America today, it appears that Congress believes they are above the law. Is Obamacare not sufficient for them? Seems that way. Are federal gun bans good for the people, but not for Congress or government in general? Sure does look that way. If they are going to be stealing our money and writing up laws to hurt the public, they should be included in that! Politicians are supposed to be public servants, rather than pampered and exempt from federal law. If a law is not good enough for a Congressman, it's not good for anybody! Sign this petition to acknowledge that enough is enough. No more exemptions for politicians!

Two milk trade groups are asking the FDA for greater flexibility in how they inform consumers when artificial sweeteners are added to kid-friendly products such as chocolate milk. They argue that the required, prominent low-calorie labels are not attractive to children. Say NO to paving the way for artificial sweeteners to make it into your child's dairy consumption!!!

This is a petition to call attention to the abuse that Mike Rice has subjected his players to at Rutgers University. This is unacceptable and he needs to be relieved of his duties.

Walmart, America's largest distributor of GMO foods, has GMO labels on their products in the UK, India, China and other countries. Walmart is the largest distributor of genetically modified foods in the U.S. We have seen our children's health improve when we removed GMOs from their diets. Sadly, a large percentage of Americans do not know about GMOs, so we want them labeled! We are doing this for the entire U.S. population that has a right to know. Walmart has a chance to lead the way in America's freedom to choose their family's food by requiring labels here too. When Walmart got rid of RBST in their milk it changed the market. It made a difference for me because I felt I could trust them. I felt like Walmart cared about the welfare of my children and the health of our families. You made a difference before, and you can do it again Walmart! Signed, Moms Across America and supporters of labeling.

I am a chronic pain sufferer, an disabled RN and a Clinical Social Worker. I know first hand and have worked with many people struggling with the agony and life destroying misery of chronic pain or unrelenting nausea and the life threatening effects of loss of appetite leading to starvation. In many instance cannabis has been a life saving medicine. The crime is in depriving suffering and even dying citizens of this nature made, God given, medicine. Cannabis, used responsibly, permits chronic pain suffers release from the torment of a mind consumed by pain and allows us to attend to enjoyable, creative and productive activities without mind numbing intoxication and with awareness and reasonable judgement intact. Protect our most vulnerable citizens and our children by regulation. Provide purity of product with licensing of growers and dispensaries. Boost our states economy with taxation. Take marijuana out of the hands of criminals and incentive away from Mexican drug cartels, who rely on US consumer demand to keep them in business. Reduce the dangerous and addictive use of Oxycodone and Hydrocodone byproviding an effective and safer alterative to alleviate the impact of severe pain.

In early 2012, a member of the Hector Town Board suffered severe injuries leaving him permanently incapacitated. New York State Law clearly states that this seat is now legally vacant, and the Hector Town Board may appoint a replacement to fill the seat until the next General Election. However, the Town Supervisor indicated that there was no plan or intention to fill the empty position, and the seat would be left vacant until the end of the term in 2015. We believe it is unacceptable for the residents of Hector to lack full representation on the Town Board and ask the Town Board to appoint a qualified replacement, and State Law gives them the power to do so. We urge them to do so without delay. In our opinion, the most qualified candidate and the electoral choice of residents of Hector to fill the vacated seat is the next runner-up in the 2011 Town Board race, Bo Lipari. Please sign this petition ONLY if you live or own land in the Town of Hector. For verification purposes, please enter the address where you reside or where you own property.

We ask Sen. Murkowski and Sen. Begich from Alaska to support a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants currently living in the United State without papers. Most of these immigrants have lived in this country for more than a decade and have come to America to seek a better life for their families. They are Americans-in-waiting who are ready to fulfill the requirements of our citizenship process - to study English, pay taxes, maintain a good record, and be of good moral character. Instead of focusing only on the border, we need a new approach that is better for families and makes more economic sense.

Only a handful of Democratic U. S. Senators do not support marriage equality for same-sex couples. Unfortunately, West Virginia's Joe Manchin is one of that tiny minority. Please send Sen. Manchin a clear and simple message--It's time to support marriage equality. Just this week, five more U.S. senators changed their hearts and decided to stand on the side of justice. Democratic Senators Bob Casey (PA), Tom Carper (DE), Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Bill Nelson (FL), and Joe Donnelly (IN). It it time for Sen. Manchin to take a public stand for Marriage Equality.

The breakaway district proposed by Senator Bodi White in Senate Bills 73 & 199 is unfair to the East Baton Rouge Public School System (EBRPSS) and its current students and poses a threat to school systems across the state by setting a dangerous precedent of allowing an unincorporated area—a neighborhood, not a city—to withdraw from the existing school system without regard to racial or economic equity. The Proposed Breakaway District: --Further Segregates Our Schools: The creation of a Southeast Baton Rouge System will further segregate what is already a racially identifiable school district. According to Dr. James Richardson, Professor of Economics at Louisiana State University who conducted a study sponsored by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the area EBRPSS serves is currently 46.94% African-American. Its student population is 81.06% African-American. In contrast, the area of the proposed district is only 23.08% African-American (Richardson 3). If the Southeast Baton Rouge School System is created, EBRPSS will become 86.02% African-American. Such segregation will likely prompt another desegregation lawsuit. --Exacerbates Economic Inequity: The proposed area is not only predominantly white. It is also wealthier. The mean family income of the southeast area is $93,856. The mean family income of the current EBRPSS area is $74,097. If the breakaway district is allowed, that will fall to $70,205 (Richardson 6). Currently, 80.2% of students in EBRPSS qualify for free and reduced lunch (District At-A-Glance). Only 67.4% of current EBRPSS students in the southeast area qualify for free and reduced lunch. If the southeast area, one of the wealthiest in East Baton Rouge Parish, is allowed to withdraw, the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch will increase in EBRPSS and decrease in the proposed southeast school system. It is generally known that students living in poverty face significant barriers to academic success. Overcoming these barriers becomes more difficult with higher concentrations of poverty within a student body. Further concentrating poverty in our public schools will not improve educational outcomes for the greater Baton Rouge area. --Subverts Laws Providing for Parental and Student Choice: In addition, the proposed Southeast Baton Rouge Community School System would deny approximately 3,800 students access to schools they currently attend. Remarks made by breakaway proponents—the spokespersons for Local Schools for Local Children and Senator Bodi White, the sponsor of the legislation—indicate they regard separating from EBRPSS as a means to avoid complying with state and federal mandates that children be allowed to attend the school of their choice. They repeatedly criticize EBRPSS for busing students to schools outside their attendance zone. Senator White even criticized the busing conducted in the 1980s which was required by the federal desegregation order. That forced busing ended in 2007 following the resolution of the desegregation lawsuit. Students who are currently bused to schools outside their attendance zone are bused at their request, either to allow them to attend a specialized program, including magnet schools created to comply with the federal desegregation order, or when, as required by state and federal laws, the child chooses to escape a “failing” school. Breakaway proponents dismiss the significance of these facts. Senator White insists busing is wasteful and creates distrust in the southeast community. The creation of this district appears to be a means of subverting state and federal laws by prohibiting children from exercising their right to attend the schools of their choice. --Unfairly Burdens EBRPSS with Construction and Legacy Costs: The proposed district would deprive EBRPSS of access to new buildings for which it paid $98 million, and, even after protracted debates during last year’s session concerning unfair financial burdens to EBRPSS, the legislation fails to require the proposed district to adequately compensate EBRPSS for its share of more than $10 million in bonded debt from the building projects in the southeast area as well as for "legacy costs" for employee benefits for retirees. In his report, Dr. James Richardson, the LSU Professor of Economics, estimated legacy costs would range from $42 million to $242 million (13). An amendment to last year’s bill provided the new district *may* pay EBRPSS a mere $2.5 million. This year’s bill does not even provide that woefully inadequate amount, and requires the new district to pay for *only* those teachers it hires from the EBRPSS. This is not a true accounting of legacy costs (10-14). Roy Heidelberg, co-author of the BRAF/BRAC report with Dr. Richardson, notes, "Legacy costs have to do with broad promises made to workers, and if you are not accounting for every worker to which this promise has been made then you are not accounting for legacy costs. Thus, if in attempting to account for legacy costs the bill states that the breakaway will only be responsible for those workers who leave EBRPSS and enter into employment with SE, then they are not accounting for legacy costs at all. They are simply altering the employment agreement with a small sector of workers." In regards to the bonded debt, the bill’s language, whether by design or oversight, is legally ambiguous and does not specifically require the new district to reimburse EBRPSS for the portion of the debt attributable to construction projects in the southeast area. --Threatens Steady Improvements Made By EBRPSS: EBRPSS is not a “failing” district as proponents claim. EBRPSS received a District Performance Score of “C,” rising 6.7 points from last year and 18.8 points since 2008. It is one of only seven districts with a concentration of poverty above 80% to earn a C. It is doing a remarkable job when compared to districts with similar demographics and it continues to improve,...

Rod and Helen Gaudin's property and family business, (Hot Rods BBQ), has been unjustly foreclosed on and ordered sold at a Public Auction on April 22.

Studies show how important it is for children of all ages to learn about comprehensive sexual education (CSE). This form of education includes information about the reproductive system, different methods of birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. Many people believe that teaching abstinence-only sexual education is the best method, but it's just not effective in lowering teen pregnancy rates. Teenage parents are more likely to end up in poverty, to have their children go to prison, or to have their children become teen parents as well. CSE implementation can help lower teen pregnancy rates, so please support the cause! For more information please visit stayteen.org, thenationalcampaign.org, or candiesfoundation.org. Thank you for your support!

A majority of Washington Senators have expressed their support for the Reproductive Parity Act (HB 1044). This important legislation would require health insurance companies that cover maternity care to also cover abortion. It would ensure fairness and equity in health coverage for all Washington women. Despite widespread support, the leader of the Senate Health Care Committee, Sen. Randi Becker, is an anti-choice Republicans who refuses to even allow a vote on the bill. Even worse, Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom says he supports the legislation but refuses to allow a full Senate vote. Senators Rodney Tom and Randi Becker are playing politics with women's health. Sign our petition to Tom and Becker demanding a vote on the Reproductive Parity Act!