The WCSD needs to do what is best in the education of all it’s students.

Get the Facts on Family Leave! What is the federal law? The Federal Medical Leave Act: 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for self or family member. In most cases, FMLA leave happens concurrently with other options available. What about those Family Leave ads on the subway? The new state law covers all private employers, but public employers must opt-in. Paid for by payroll tax, with an annual maximum of less than $100 per employee. Uses: bonding with a child, caring for a family member, or assisting with a military deployment. In 2018, maximum leave is 8 weeks, increasing to 12 weeks by 2021. In 2018, the benefit is 50% of average weekly wage, with a maximum of 50% of the state average of $1357. The percentage will rise to 67% by 2021. What is it like for teachers? UFT members are currently entitled to FMLA leave but are not covered under the state law. UFT members could be covered by state law via an amendment to collective bargaining agreement or a memorandum of understanding (no need for the contract to expire). Mothers who give birth may take leave for six to eight weeks after a birth but must spend down their sick days or take the leave as unpaid. Any parent may take a child care leave within the first four years of a child’s life, but this leave is unpaid and without health benefits. Other leaves include unpaid leaves for the restoration of health. What about other states? California: similar paid leave law as New York but covers more public employees. Mothers who give birth are also entitled to 28 weeks unpaid maternity leave. New Jersey and Rhode Island also have similar paid family leave laws. Many other states have unpaid leave laws that build on FMLA. What about other countries? Mexico: 12 weeks fully paid maternity leave paid by the social security system. India: 26 weeks fully paid maternity leave, paternity leave for civil servants. Sweden: 390 days per parent, paid at 80%, can be taken until child’s eighth birthday.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos must be investigated for: CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS - Betsy DeVos ordered the Office of Civil Rights to dismiss thousands of cases that were backlogged and rolled back Title IX rules that have a major impact on women and LGBTQ students. CORRUPTION - Betsy DeVos dismantled the unit that investigates fraud at for-profit colleges just weeks after hiring former for-profit college officials to sit in top positions at the Department of Education. ILLEGALLY DELAYED LOAN FORGIVENESS - Betsy DeVos intentionally delayed debt relief for students defrauded by shutdown for-profit schools. The Inspector General urged the Department to move on a backlog of debt relief claims, but many people are still waiting for their applications to be reviewed. CONFLICT OF INTEREST - Betsy DeVos used the Department to award a multi-million dollar student loan debt collection contract to a private company with financial ties to DeVos. The contract was canceled after growing pressure. Make no mistake, this isn’t the only investigation that matters. The Inspector General has been called to investigate the Education Department for illegally using Americans’ financial data. Auditors are also looking into misuse of tax dollars by Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. In fact, Inspectors General are currently investigating at least five cabinet officials for ethics violations. Abuse of power, in any form, cannot be ignored. The Inspector General must perform a thorough review of Betsy DeVos’ internal emails, policy documents, meeting agendas, guest lists, and more. No one is above the law. Now is the time to investigate Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

JBGB produces free live music concerts with national touring acts on 17-18 Thursday nights in May thru August. The sound levels during those concerts has been checked on numerous occasions by ourselves as well as the Fayetteville Police department and at no time was the sound found to be above what is allowed by City Ordinance. JBGB has asked the City to allow a dozen or so additional concerts each year: 6 on Saturdays after Razorback home football games 2 on Saturday & Sunday during Bikes, Blues & BBQ and a few charity fund raising events. The City not only does not seem to favor our request, but they also indicated they wanted to consider revoking our permit that allows the existing 17-18 Concerts. Their stated reasons are 1) Although our music permit allows customers to park in the adjacent vacant lot on Concert days, cars are parked there on other days and 2) The touring bands play a hour to do sound checks during the afternoon which is outside the stated concert times stipulated on the permit. By signing this petition, you are indicating your desire that JBGB be allowed to continue their existing 17 day Concert Series and to expand those live music days by the dozen or so requested.

Recently in Connecticut, legislators passed the "Time's Up Act" which is all about preventing and combating sexual harassment in the workplace. However, in California, we don't have a bill like that. Although, Senator Holly J. Mitchell introduced a legislation that would require companies with 5 or more employees to take sexual harassment prevention training, ensuring that all workers know their rights.

Our family has been without running water for over three years. Our contact with Fresno County and the Representatives has been a waste of time because there is no law to push this issue. These new developments with water pipes being installed are based on contractual agreements and trying to tap into those pipes affects the contract, which the people will not change. If there was a law advocating such a request to ensure that no family is without water it would make a difference for all families.

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are guaranteed rights from the Bill of Rights. We, as US citizens, have these unalienable rights according to this document. More often than not, we as US citizens, are being denied these rights. Life is threatened by poor health care options; we have to decide to pay for prescription medication or pay for food. Hospital costs have skyrocketed with the increase in for-profit entities, we avoid going to a hospital for fear of the final bill. Pharmaceutical CEOs arbitrarily raise the price of life-saving drugs for more profit, we have to decide if our deductible will cover which drugs. Liberty has been taken away by the militarization of our peace officers in response to the increased threat of violence that is perpetuated by an industry that lives for violence. Our children are being slaughtered by the use of war-time weapons made all too easily available. Our citizens are being randomly sacrificed for profits. Happiness has been reduced to moment to moment instances because we have to settle for a working wage not enough to provide for basic necessities. Housing costs are such a burden that our citizens cut costs on utilities which costs them their lives while trying to stay warm/cool. U.S. Legislators are paid lifetime benefits after one year of office with guaranteed pensions and lifetime healthcare. This must stop. A "living wage" must be instituted with a standard non-guaranteed 401k, non-extendable healthcare with deductibles, and a term limit for all. This is a call for equality across our nation in pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Join me in making our voices heard, VOTE? Thank you.

Colorado currently has a law (C.R.S. 5-18-109) that limits the time that employers can view most criminal background history to seven years, however unlike so many of our sister states, because of how our law is written it is considered "preempted" by federal law and it is completely ignored by most employers. The United States has the largest percentage in the world of individuals involved with the justice system and predictions are that by 2040 almost one in every three individuals will have some sort of criminal history. Too many Colorado families are forever barred from meaningful employment because a law that our citizens have already passed is ignored. A new law that can actually be enforced is needed, and we urgently need your signature to help.

One day we could end up with more plastic than fish in our oceans. We love our Oregon coast and oceans so let's take action to reduce consumption of single use plastic straws since every day millions are not recycled and end up in our oceans. Educate Oregonians of the many alternatives to single use plastic straws and let Oregon lead by example and ban single use plastic straws.

Earlier this month, at the direction of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who serves under Trump, it became official US policy to routinely and intentionally separate children from their parents at our southern border. [1] Hundreds of children have been ripped from their families: 658 kids in the first 13 days of the program alone. [2] And last week the ACLU released a report with horrifying details about the rampant abuse of children in custody at detention centers in our nation. [3] The situation is critical. On May 23, Claudia Gonzalez, a young woman from Guatemala was murdered by a CBP officer at the US - Mexico border. [4] There are hundreds of stories like this, and thousands more of children and families torn apart by Trump’s deportation force. Trump's facts are wrong, his name-calling is wrong, his policies are wrong, his callously hurting children is wrong... and we can't let his destructive actions become the final say that our possible future great grandchildren will read in their history books. The unhinged and false narrative of Donald Trump is harming our children, hurting our nation, and damaging our economy: FACT: There is no flood of immigrants coming north as Trump has said. In fact, there has been net negative migration at our southern border for years, in that more people are (and have been) going south across the border than have been coming north. [5] FACT: There is no tide of murderers coming into the U.S. as Trump has said. In fact, research show that recent immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crimes than anyone else. [6] FACT: There is not a drain on our economy from immigrants as Trump has said. In fact, immigrants are a key economic engine in our nation, working in every field and paying taxes. Immigrants or the children of immigrants started 40 percent of our Fortune 500 companies, as well as many small and medium-sized businesses, employing many people and fueling our economy and lifting our communities and families. [7] And, as Money CNN reported: “The truth is that undocumented immigrants contribute more in payroll taxes than they will ever consume in public benefits.” [8] FACT: It’s not a crime to apply for asylum. In fact, it’s a right protected by our national and international laws. Even the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the Department of Homeland Security, found that 88 percent of the mothers and children entering at our southern border had credible fear, including escaping extreme sexual and gender-based violence, that meets the threshold for qualifying for asylum, which is a protected international human right. [9] Yet most are being stopped from being able to exercise their legal right. Jeff Sessions must lift his policy of separating children from their families and prosecuting migrants crossing the U.S. - Mexico border, many of whom are seeking asylum! It's time to speak out, to stand for children, to spread the word around to your friends about what's happening so they can stand up, too, and to make your voice heard. Sign on now! [1] “Jeff Sessions wants illegal immigrants to know they’ll be separated from their kids,” Vice News, May 7, 2018. [2] “658 children separated from parents at the border over 13 days,” WBTW News13, May 29, 2018. [3] “ACLU Report: Detained Immigrant Children Subjected To Widespread Abuse By Officials,” NPR, May 23, 2018. [4] “She came to the US for a better life. Moments after arrival, she was killed,” CNN, May 29, 2018. [5] “Yes, we are experiencing a net outflow of illegal, undocumented workers from America back to Mexico,” Politifact, April 26, 2017. [6] “Contrary to Trump’s Claims, Immigrants Are Less Likely to Commit Crimes,” The New York Times, January 26, 2017. [7] “40 Percent of Fortune 500 Companies Founded by Immigrants or Their Children,” Forbes, June 19, 2011. [8] “5 immigration myths debunked,” CNN Money, November 20, 2014. [9] “Trump administration drafts plan to raise asylum bar, speed deportations,” Reuters, February 18, 2017.

We need to start addressing the violence that is prevalent in Alaska. This includes the violence against our animals. As we all know, violent acts on animals leads to the violence against humans which if intervened earlier we could reduce some of the violence in our domestic households, as abusers usually act out on the animals first to scare or terrorize the humans who live in the home. We are better than this and by upgrading our pets to being sentient beings, will enable more people and organizations to intervene before actual harm or death comes to an innocent animal due to humans being cruel and abusive to animals that can't or normally won't fight back. We need to take this step to reduce the on going battle of these acts of violence not being taken seriously.

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