A recent article in the New York Times identified only 8 countries on Earth which do not have National Paid Parental Leave Laws. These countries: Suriname, Liberia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Western Samoa, Tonga - and the United States of America. Today in the United States, almost half of working mothers have no access to paid Maternity leave of any kind. Parents are faced with an impossible choice: Taking a few critical weeks off of work to bond with their new child, or returning to work in order to keep their job and protect their family's economic security. Even worse, only 54.9 % of American workers qualify for FMLA protection, meaning that many mothers have no nationally guaranteed job protected leave at all. This is wrong. America - We Can Do Better for our families. Currently, the United States is the only developed country that does not ensure working parents can take job-protected, paid time away from work to bond with a new child. We as a nation believe strongly in family values - we now need laws that value families!

Tennessee needs to provide alternative practices of medicine, such as acupuncture, and other holistic healing, giving it's residents options for health care, and better quality of life. Holistic and all natural treatments like acupuncture are very effective for many health problems, as well as extremely cost effective, and have much fewer side effects and complications. The White House is currently working on mandating alternative health care, and California and Maryland have already set up guidelines for their state that will give all residents access to acupuncture and other helpful and healing alternative treatments in medicine. This is an excellent opportunity for Tennessee to catch up with the rest of the world, and implement a more mindful approach in caring for it's residents, and their health.

This bill if passed, would deregulate cosmetology/licensing. By doing so, the livelihood and careers of everyone in this industry would be adversely effected i.e. Beauty schools, Educators, Licensed Professionals, Manufacturers, Distributors, etc all across the board resulting in LOST JOBS.... Just as important, without regulation and enforcement of regulations like the one we currently have in place now we would undoubtably see a decline to our industry's standards. Who would ensure that proper sanitation practices remained in place for the public? Who would ensure persons providing these services use sanctioned chemicals, implements and sterilization methods? It is absurd, and demeaning for any individual who would think it possible to provide quality skilled services without the training equal to the hundreds of thousand of us that have dedicated our entire careers to uphold the laws and regulations set forth to protect the public as well as those providing the services. There is a degree of professionalism and safety the public expects from business and those providing these services, and without regulation we lose both. It is certain the consumers would be at great risk from receiving services from unlicensed individuals posing to be professional. The public deserves and demands better than this. Get informed!!!! Read Texas HB 87!!! Let your voice be heard!! Contact Rep Bill Callegari Chairman of the house government efficiency and reform committee. Capitol contact for Bill Callegari (512) 463-0528 Austin tx. District contact for Bill Callegari (281)578-8484 or (281) 371-2330. Houston Tx. Rep Bill Callegari aims to curb State Licensing requirements. Share your opinion with his office and tell everyone you know what Callegari is proposing. Don't let his reform committee slip this piece of harmful legislation through the cracks. Call Governor Rick Perry's Office (512) 463-1782 or (800) 843-5789. Tell Rick Perry you OPPOSE HB 87. Cosmetologist in the State of Indiana recently had to take on this same proposal of deregulation. Indiana HB 1006 was quickly stifled by a strong and overwhelming turn out of citizens speaking out and opposing the bill. Congratulations on your victory!! OK TEXAS IT'S OUR TURN... LET OUR OPPOSITION BE HEARD IN A BIG WAY!!!!!!!!

In December 2012 Amgen pleaded guilty to improper marketing of its anemia drug to cancer patients. They agreed to pay a fine of $762 million in a civil settlement and criminal fines. Amgen lobbyists had an idea to inject a $500 million tax credit into the Fiscal Cliff bill with the help of some Senators. There was no rationale in providing this huge tax credit other than politics as usual. The Fiscal Cliff bill passed and Amgen received a non-deserved $500 million tax credit.

My 11 year old grandson has severe autism and we are trying to get him certain treatments that are very expensive

There have been many attempts to require GMO food labeling and they have not been successful. Join me in letting our state government know this is an important issue, we want it, and wholeheartedly support it.

Life is Precious..Let's support "Mayors against illegal guns" Keep up the momentum for regulations for gun ownership.

Sixty percent of bankruptcies in this country are the result of excessive health care costs -- by companies that have HUGE profit margins.

My Petition is about the false choice of cutting Social Security and Medicare when so much income is not subject to Social Security Taxes. When everyone pays, their fair share, there will be no need to cut the Social Security and Medicare benefits of those who have paid into them all their lives.

no not now but my daughter will be attending school next year and i want her to eat healthy and i think vending machines should have more fruits and veggies in them so the kids can be buying healthier snacks.

My son was brutally beaten by correction officers and two captains they beat my son about his head so bad that these officers were trying to kill him, his eyes were shut, head swollen, mouth busted open arm in a sling, when I saw him. This should not happen under any circumstances. These officers are paid highly to take care of inmates, not brutalize them.

Public education is suffering due to a lack of books, curriculum being cut, such as, physical education, and the arts, and a lack of courses to ensure that all students have access to a good education that will allow them to go to a college or university upon completion of high school. Our children's education should be our top priority, and the budget should reflect that we are a state that cares about our students. I remember when your father was in office as governor and he set education as a high priority. California was first in the nation at that time leading every other state when it came to education. If you follow in your father's footsteps California can lead the nation in education of its students again.