We have not raised the minimum wage in Hawaii in seven years. While our cost of living is higher than almost any other state, our minimum wage is behind 19 other states. Our people have a hard time getting by and most work two jobs. Raising the wage floor will help a lot of families do a little better. In addition to the wage itself there are two other important issues addressed by this bill: We are concerned with talk about not fully including tipped workers in this increase. The so called "tip credit" is unfair to restaurant workers who make up a big portion of Hawaii's work force. Second we'd like to make sure the wage keeps pace with inflation in the future and we want to include an automatic increase tagged to inflation.

Veterans with Disabilities having their claims being decided in an office with VA care providers in less than 10 minutes. If you have been in since the age of 18 and there wasn't anything wrong with you going in, and now for all of those years; why does it take them over two years to come up with a decision. when all they have to do is check your DD214 to see how many times you have been deployed, and where you have been deployed and the type of combat badges you have. After all is said and done the Veteran still has to file and appeal trying to prove that this is service connected, WHY???

The right to vote is essential to democratic government. Those who pass laws to take that right away under the guise of "protecting" legitimate voters are actually trying to subvert democracy. They should be voted out of office.

GMOs in our food were first available to the public in 1996. That is when I began to get sick. We deserve to know what the food we are eating is made from, especially when it can poison our health. What good is any other reform if future generations won't be around? This is critical to the health of our nation and our world—the future of our human community depends upon it. Come on, New York!

I am asking you to Repeal of Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 prohibited Sates from providing Food Stamps (now the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to convicted drug felons unless the State passes legislation to extend benefits to these individuals. This Act denies benefits disproportionately to one group of people with convictions and not others. I want a change to the laws and offer equal rights for Formerly Incarcerated Persons that have served all of their time so that they can contribute to society, work, find housing and not be a continued burden on their families. People can steal millions from banks and are eligible for benefits if needed, they can steal from this agency and are only banned for a period of time. People can murder and be eligible for assistance, but they could have not ever received benefits if they have a drug offense and are ineligible for these benefits if they need it during their lifetime. Who are the people that are targets of this discrimination? **Drug charges and convictions disproportionately affect African American and Hispanics. All people with prior convictions should be made whole citizens after they have served their time, they should have the opportunity as any other citizen with rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States to have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We believe that is being denied to them.

we need our post office strong and working

Due to the sequester, the armed forces have decided to eliminate educational benefits for active duty personnel. This benefits those that are serving and provides a platform for employment upon discharge.

I would like to see caller I.D. restored to all of our wireless phones. Our friend's calls look like telemarketers when we see things like "Unknown, Out of Area, California, Nevada call, etc". These odd names show even when it's from the V.A. hospital calling to make an appointment with my husband. Many times I do not answer these calls. We're paying for the caller I.D. service and the wireless companies are making a "mint" off of us. Let's get caller ID back with real names of real people. Let telemarketers state who they are so we have a choice as to what call we want to answer.

Repeal the FEMA Disaster Reservist Program implementations and assosciated FEMA Qualification System. Currently, through Implementation of the above two programs, FEMA is losing an average of seven employees per day -- a number that will severely hamper future response efforts to national disasters.

In 2011, the Michigan Legislature cut the state earned income tax credit (EITC) from 20% of the federal EITC to 6%. That reduction is taking effect for the first time this tax season, and taxpayers across the state are getting a big surprise. The average eligible family saw its taxes increase by more than $300 with the reduction of the state EITC, and the reduction is estimated to plunge 9,000 Michigan children into poverty. The Michigan EITC helps reduce poverty, provides an economic stimulus in low-income communities, and helps veterans return to civilian life. Please join us in calling on the Michigan Legislature to support HB 4266 and SB 128, which would restore the Michigan EITC to 20%. You can learn more at SaveOurEITC.com

Industrial agribusinesses that operate factory farms throughout Missouri are lobbying our Senate for a constitutional amendment that would place them beyond the reach of the law. If SJR 22 passes, we could see a future in which we, as citizens, couldn’t use the courts to make sure that industrial farms don’t pollute our water, to keep multinational corporations from bullying family farmers out of business, or to stop a 20,000 hog factory farm from being built in our community or our back yard. Missouri’s lawmakers are hearing from plenty of industry lobbyists, and they need to hear from Missourians like you and I that we don’t want them to pass SJR 22.

In 1999, the California Legislature signed into existence the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. Then, the battle began for state tax money, Bond monies and the power to manipulate the public and the "open handed" Bond laws, and slack oversight cost that State of California millions, perhaps billions, of dollars. One director stepped down in 2011 after an audit by the California Attorney General found monies transferred from one Joint Powers Authorities to another that had the same Director for all ad hoc groups. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has been audited but, its back room - not for public - meetings has been the "joke" of the state; "California is such an environmentally concerned state." Voters are constantly asked to vote to tax themselves for "heart pulling" issues like, the condition of the Sacramento Delta levees. After Katrina in New Orleans, the Bond Measures 1-E and Prop 84 were passed in 2006 yet the levees are still not fixed and much of the $9.4 Billion is gone.