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.

Urban Development, Economic Development, and City Attractions

I am starting this petition, because in 2017, after my then 12-year-old son (whose father passed away in 2010) spent 14 months in a Broadway show (which he of his own initiative auditioned for and got the role), I was told by Social Security that I would have to repay every dime I received to support him from his father’s death benefit, for both 2016 and 2017. (Also, in compliance with the law, he paid taxes on this death benefit and yet the IRS is not required to pay back those taxes even though we have to repay the money the taxes were taken from.) The earnings limit is particularly hard on people in the entertainment industry and other temporary jobs, because benefits can be removed for extended periods even though the working income received is short term. Also, the earnings limit is a violation of a child's civil rights because it is the only situation I could find where it was legal to force a minor child to essentially support themselves - that is Social Security considers their earnings as a replacement for their deceased parent's earnings. I thank you for considering this petition. Current earnings limits laws put even further hardships on already struggling families who have lost not only a loved one but their vital source of income. Social Security was designed to protect these families. Please sign so Social Security lives up to this promise and so future families in this situation do not have to suffer this hardship.

To be delivered to Rhode Island State House, Governor Gina Raimondo, The Rhode Island House of Representatives. A conjugal visit is a scheduled period in which an inmate of a prison is permitted to spend several hours or days in private with a visitor, usually their legal spouse. While the parties may engage in sexual intercourse, the generally recognized basis for permitting such visits in modern times is to preserve family bonds and increase the chances of success for a prisoner's eventual return to life outside prison. Additionally, they serve as an incentive to motivate inmates to comply with the various day-to-day rules and regulations of the prison, to avoid any infringement which might disqualify them from having a conjugal visit. Family is the most important thing when serving a lengthy prison sentence. Without communication by letters, phone calls, and visitation, Inmates would be more aggressive and violent against each other and officers. It actually keeps them sane. I believe that if other state prisons allow conjugal visits for married inmates, that it would be logical to allow those types of visits in Rhode Island's prison as well. This type of bonding promotes healthy relationships and morale. I believe that if the inmate has shown growth and good behavior since being incarcerated whether he has been in one particular place for a long time or if he has been incarcerated atleast 6 months or longer he or she should be allowed conjugal visits. Not only will it help with decreasing the reentry of the inmates but it will help with their psychological wellness while incarcerated and give them something to look forward to. It helps them connect better with the outside world and will allow for longer, faithful marriages and healthier relationships. Honestly, I think that every inmate's case is different and conjugal visits should be considered accordingly. During a conjugal visit, people are permitted to engage in sexual activity but mostly, it's actually meant for family time chatting in a non-prison setting, offering some semblance of a normal life in order to keep the integrity of a family unit together. These visits are intended to incentivize prisoners to comply with prison rules, be on best behavior, and have a higher chance of success upon re-entry to civilization. There are lots of benefits to maintaining a family unit even when one of its members is behind bars; and studies show that conjugal visits reduce incidences of sexual assault inside prisons. All states offering overnight visits require prisoners who get on the list to have impeccable prison behavior and to have already been incarcerated for at least 90 days. Inmates who are lifers or sex offenders aren't usually allowed conjugals. This would also affect me and my family as I have a fiancé who is doing time in prison. We been together since 2014 and he been incarcerated since 2016. He is serving 18 years in prison. We do also have a 3-year-old together. It’s tough as it is to only be able to talk on the phone for a short period of time or only get to visit on certain days with my daughter, and if it gets too full you have to leave within a certain amount of time. This would help our relationship out a lot if it got approved; not only me but other families as well. Please sign this petition. If you can get your friends and family members to sign, Please Share !! Let's face it, each and every one of us have someone or knows someone in a prison. We are their voice as well, so let's speak for them and their families! Thank you very much for your time. Some articles that show how they have helped a family and the prisoners http://someoneiknowandloveisdoingtime.wordpress.com/2011/11/19/my-first-conjugal-visit-frp-rated-r/ https://www.legalzoom.com/marriage-divorce-family-law/marriage-domestic-partnership/conjugal-visits-preserving-family-bonds

To bring awareness to domestic violence in the state of Michigan. Laws need to be more stricter and more regulated. Many victims are losing their lives because their predator is able to carry a gun when they are charged with domestic violence.

The Echo Dots are storing people's data without them knowing and this should be changed due to private information possibly being leaked.

Release Rafael Benavides from Immigration Detention Asylum for Berkeley’s Benavides-Pineda Family No Deportations! 1. We, the classmates, teachers, friends, church, family, and community supporters ask this Immigration Court to terminate deportation proceedings for Rafael Benavides, Annelise Pineda, and Oriana Benavides Pineda and grant them and the rest of the Benavides-Pineda family asylum now. 2. The Benavides-Pineda family entered the United States with legal travel documents. Active members of the opposition movement in Venezuela, Rafael and other family members have been physically beaten and attacked for protesting the Maduro regime. They are part of the mass exodus of political refugees from Venezuela, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, seeking shelter in the United States and several other Central American, Latin American and Caribbean nations. 3. Rafael Benavides applied for asylum for himself and his family in July 2017. On November 12, 2017, while vacationing in Southern California, the Benavides-Pineda family accidentally drove across the border to Mexico, a common mistake on a confusing highway. This accident has put the family in an impossible and unnecessary situation, where despite their pending asylum process, they were detained and placed in deportation removal proceedings. 4. Rafael Simon Benavides remains in a Georgia detention center, away from his family for having done nothing wrong other than an honest common mistake. 5. It makes no sense to keep Rafael locked up in a detention facility in Georgia while his asylum petition is being processed. 6. We know how much his wife and children miss him and how much his absence has affected their well-being and their ability to live, learn, and blossom in our community. 7. We believe that families have the right to be together, especially when there is no reason to keep them apart. THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED: Urge the immigration court to terminate the Benavides-Pineda family’s deportation proceedings, and allow them to reunite and continue their struggle for freedom and hope through the asylum process.

Tutu Pele presents us with an awesome opportunity. We need to recoup the Big Island’s 25% PGV production loss. Could your office explore state and federal support to build FTZs (free trade zone) exempt from trump’s environmental and solar tariffs. The FTZs would be dedicated to building large solar or wind farms as a public/non-profit private partnership. Consider selling Hawaii Savings Bonds to help fund it. Do not let HELCO/HECO be involved outside of being a contracted method of delivery of electricity.

Paid patriotism is causing a divide in the nation. This practice is not improving recruitment and those funds can be better used to support the troops and their families.

People need our help and so does our city. You can no longer walk 25 feet in San Francisco without seeing someone struggling to find their way. San Francisco has the highest proportion of unsheltered homeless, counting 511 people on the streets for every 100,000 residents. There is suffering on our city streets; individuals with mental health issues, anger, depression. Drugs being abused in the middle of the afternoon while walking our children down the street. Used syringes littering our path. Utter filth. It is unsafe and inhumane to allow these people and our city to live so completely lost. We have a social responsibility and MUST come together to find the solution. The Government MUST listen and respond. We can no longer allow People to live this way. This is a public health crisis. One we can all change by coming together and making what's right a priority. Mission before self!