Since Gov. Corbett took office he has cut funding for primary and secondary education by over a billion dollars. At the same time, He's allowed the give away of Commonwealth natural resources, worth billions, to oil and gas companies. We call for a tax for the extraction of these resources to the benefit the education of the children of the Commonwealth!

I'm not in the military, and I never have been. But, that doesn't matter. I understand that spending cuts need to happen in our government, but the education of the men and women fighting for our freedom is not the place for this to happen. Aid for our troops attending college has been taken away, and that is not okay. President Obama has long said he wants to bring America back up to leading the world in education. Let him stand by what he preaches, and help all of our troops better their lives and achieve their goals!

Creating jobs for our citizens.

Due to the Affordable Care Act or "ObamaCare" as it is sarcastically referred to many have been put back to work(including myself) and healthcare will be availabl to many who would NOT have it.

The cost of living in Providence and cities around the country has sky rocketed. The minimum wage, adjusted for inflation has not increased since 1968. The middle class is what built this country and pays for the services the state offers. If the law makers and leaders of this state do not address this issue, future generations will lose funds for schools, public transportaion and other crucial public services.

Due to the Affordable Care Act or "ObamaCare" as it is sarcastically referred to many have been put back to work(including myself) and healthcare will be availabl to many who would NOT have it.

I am 81 years old. Live in a retirement community. I am buying my home but not allowed to receive a reduction in interest rates or a Reverse Mortgage because of a state law against people who do not own their land. I believe this law is extremely UNFAIR.

Vaughn Brown

Allow cities and other jurisdictions to opt out in wanting Fracking in their backyards.

Many edlerly people will be affected by this cut, including myself and husband. It is already hard enough with the co-pays to now having to pay more for our medical services. Please don't cut medicare we worked hard enough to get this and now to have it taken away is very unfair.

Michigan's legacy as a leader in natural resource management and conservation is being threatened by the "Anti-biodiversity Act", Senate Bill 78 (SB78). SB78 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Act 451 of 1994). Specifically, the bill would amend PART 355 (Biological Diversity Conservation) and Part 525 (Sustainable Forestry on State Forestlands) to do the following: -- Prohibit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the Natural Resources Commission from promulgating or enforcing a rule or an order that designates or classifies an area of land specifically for the purpose of achieving or maintaining biological diversity. -- Delete the conservation of biological diversity from the MDNR's duties regarding forest management, and require the Department to balance its management activities with economic values. -- Eliminate a requirement that the MDNR manage forests in a manner that promotes restoration. -- Provide that a State department or agency would not have to designate or classify an area of land specifically for the purpose of achieving or maintaining biological diversity. -- Revise the definition of "conservation" with regard to biological diversity. -- Delete a legislative finding that most losses of biological diversity are unintended consequences of human activity. Why this Matters: The MDNR has considered biodiversity in its land management decisions for over 100 years, which has successfully restored the health of forests after decades of deforestation and helped to recover wildlife populations enough to remove them from the endangered species list. SB78 would needlessly undercut longstanding and important protections that are helping restore Michigan’s natural resources and safeguard the genetic diversity of plants and animals managed on state lands. The “Anti-Biodiversity Act” prevents the DNR from acting under the Endangered Species Act or a number of other laws to promote and restore biodiversity on public lands. It jeopardizes almost $22 million in federal funding for forest management and puts Michigan’s sustainable forestry certificates that cover 3.9 million acres across the state at risk. This decision is a short-sighted approach that rejects science and sustainability. This stifles our ability to ensure our forests, native plants and wildlife will be here for future generations. As stated by Sen. Rebekah Warren from Ann Arbor, this bill would “make Michigan look like a laughingstock to the scientific community around the country." It is up to us to warn our legislature that SB78 is irresponsible, lacks common-sense, void of basic ecological principles, and will damage our reputation as a leader in natural resource management.

New York's minimum wage has risen only 10 cents since 2007, and today remains decades out of date. If the state's minimum wage had simply kept pace with the rising cost of living since 1970, it would equal more than $10.70 per hour today. Instead, the current minimum wage remains stuck at $7.25 per hour, which translates to just $15,080 per year for a full-time worker. Governor Cuomo called for raising New York's minimum wage during his 2013 State of the State address. Now the legislature must deliver. The Independent Democratic Caucus must use its leadership power in the New York Senate to support legislation that raises New York's minimum wage to at least $9 per hour and indexes the minimum wage to automatically rise with the cost of living each year.