Hunter Bates, a longtime aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell, donated $3,000 to McConnell’s campaign in December while he was on contract with pharmaceutical giant Amgen to lobby on “fiscal cliff issues,” according to recently released FEC reports. Soon after, Amgen received a $500 million dollar windfall in the fiscal cliff deal that was negotiated by Sen. McConnell. We are calling on Sen. McConnell to return all donations from Amgen and its lobbyists. We cannot let corporations win sweetheart deals with campaign donations.

Oil and gas companies have tax advantages from Master Limited Partnerships, that are not by law available to renewable energy developers. The MLP Parity Act would level that playing field and provide a source of investment capital for renewable energy development.

Oil and gas companies have tax advantages from Master Limited Partnerships, that are not by law available to renewable energy developers. The MLP Parity Act would level that playing field and provide a source of investment capital for renewable energy development.

Over and over the voters have had to fight for the right to easily register; the right to vote early; the right to vote by mail; the right to vote without ID poll taxing. And because voting is handled by the states, districts and counties, it has been a piecemeal fight; gaining ground in one area and then losing ground in another. It is time that there were national minimal standards for voting. A minimum number of early voting days. A minimum percentage of polling places based on population. A national voting registry to ease the registration process and take it out of the hands of partisan interest groups. No one should have to stand in line for hours to vote. Voting should be easy.

Today I read a story in the Indy Star about Shaylyn Searcy, an 8-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was emotionally and physically mistreated at her school. Without even attempting to contact her parents, her shoes were duct taped "all the way from her feet up around the tops of her ankles." When she arrived home, her mother, Elizabeth Searcy, had to carry her from the bus, because her feet hurt too bad to move. They immediately took their daughter back to the school where it took 30 minutes to remove the tape. "...it was industrial duct tape. It literally pulled fabric off her socks and vinyl off her shoes it was so strong." The tape left bruises on her ankles. Bill 345 is up for a vote in the Senate Education Committee next week which will require local school boards to approve policies on seclusion and restraint on children with special needs in the state of Indiana. As a mother and previous teacher I am sadenes, sickened, outraged and want to know how I can help ensure the passing of this bill, similar bills in other states , and future bills designed to educate teachers to handle these situations properly.

Stop giving F16's and Abrams tanks to our enemies!!!!

Last month NY state was awarded $51 billion dollars in the Federally funded Disaster Relief package. Do you know one person that has seen a penny of that money? Governor Cuomo has and he wants to profit on it!!

My 10yr old daughter was taken from me after making a statement at school of wanting to kill herself! When the school tried to force me to take my child to Region Ten and when I said I would take her to her own doctor and let him refer her "if need be", to a place he knew, my daughter was taken and placed in Foster Care!!! Dss will not give her back and the court is being racist and I want justice because I have the right to seek the medical choice and needs of my children, and nobody should be FORCED to Region Ten!!!!

This propaganda mill masquerading as a news organization is a root cause of the divisiveness in our country. It seeks to undermine legitimate journalism.It has profoundly impacted elections and the entire political process.Advertisers are completely vulnerable to financial pressure.Rupert Murdoch is not fit to lead an international empire of supposed news gathering. His agenda is to thwart and attack legitimate news gathering which is vital to the Democratic process.Boycotts work. This is a publicly traded company trafficking in hate, misinformation, and propaganda. It is past time to fight this criminal enterprise

. The present system of local partisan control of elections, through gerrymandering and voter suppression, has produced an obstructionist minority controlled Congress.

There are currently two bills in front of Michigan lawmakers, HB 4072, SB 133 that will circumvent/ eliminate the state requirement for one year fine arts credit for high school gradiation. This will be devastating to the performing, visual and practical arts curriculum for all Michigan's students, especially in struggling districts, where creative thinking skills and education are most needed.

The money sent to Israel could be used to finance much needed programs (job training, health care, infrastructure improvement, disaster relief) in the USA instead of going to a state that flouts international law.