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!

With over a quarter of a million people in the U.S. who are both LGBT and undocumented, immigration reform that includes a roadmap to earned citizenship would be a monumental achievement in the fight for LGBT equality. Progress is being made on Capitol Hill toward advancing a bipartisan bill that would lift 11 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. Right now, we need LGBT voices to come out and build momentum for immigration reform that is inclusive for LGBT immigrants and their families. Make your voice heard: come #out4citizenship and sign our pledge. Visit www.out4citizenship.org for more information.

Equal protection of the law is one of our most important rights. When equal protection is denied to anyone we all are harmed.

In 2013, women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns and the amount is even lower for African-American and Latina women. Over a lifetime, the gender wage gap adds up to over $480,000 in wages that are denied to a woman who is doing exactly the same work as a man. Women could use this money to pay the mortgage, to buy the groceries, to fill the gas tank, even to put kids through school. The Paycheck Fairness Act (S.84 & H.R.377) will strengthen current laws by: • Prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about employers’ wage practices or disclose their own wages; • Strengthening penalties for equal pay violations; • Empowering women to negotiate for equal pay; • Strengthening education and enforcement efforts; • Creating stronger incentives for employers to follow the law. We all know that women deserve equal pay for equal work. Equal pay would help close the wage gap, boost the national economy and increase women’s economic security. As Equal Pay Day approaches on April 9th, marking the day in the year that a woman’s earning will match what a man earned in the previous year, there is no time better than now to stand up for women and families. Tell Senator Kirk to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act today!

Georgia leads the Nation - for 3 consecutive years - in Child fatalities at the School Bus Loading/Unloading zone. This MUST change.

This petition is signed by those who support equal treatment under law for all citizens.