As one parent, Julie Shinn, wrote on Twitter: "If we're not going to do anything about our lax gun laws, then my son needs a bullet proof backpack, not a clear one." The clear backpacks will serve as a daily reminder to students that our nationally elected members of Congress and White House occupants refuse to take meaningful action to stop mass murders caused by guns. If the kids have to carry around these clear bags, it only seems fair that those in Congress and White House should, too. The March For Our Lives organizers are asking for: Passing a law to ban the sale of assault weapons, prohibiting the sale of high-capacity magazines, closing the loophole in our background check law for online and gun show purchases. Until these demands are met, we should ask Trump, Pence, Ryan, McConnell, and the entire Congressional and White House staff to be required to only use clear backpacks. Really, it's for their own safely. Sign the petition.

My petition concerns designing new recycling containers that are just as ideal as trash bins for large complexes. For an entire apartment complex and even food-industry spots in San Marcos, it's common to see only a couple of small recycling bins (that someone who owns a house has one of), or even none at all in most cases (just as my apartment complex). This is a striking problem to me, for many institutions where large groups of people consume (apartments/restraunts) dont have the opportunity to recycle; and I fear the continued apathetheic approach to throwing away reusable material will ultimately void desicions to do something about this problem in the first place. This will effect everyone, especially large scale as we already see in our oceans and natural environments, suffocating the niches within the many levels of life. San Marcos recycling policy should reflect similar implementations from the city of Austin.

Westbury schools are not receiving its fair share of funding. New York State voted for the Foundation Aid to raise only to 48.7%. Challenges faced in our district include rising enrollment, space constraints, additional resources for diverse learners and increased poverty. Funding is needed to maintain resources. We are asking for the aid gap to be shortened through “The Bullet and/or Categorical Aid” or any other aid funding source the state can provide. Without additional funding or with the current budget there will be significant cuts in our programs, staffing and extra curricular activities. This will have an impact on student achievement.

Bans like this are in place and working in Hawaii and Northern California. It is a shame how many plastic bags are being thrown into the landfill each year. Plastic bags take 1,000 years to decompose. The plastic ends up in our water and ecosystem and it affects our health. Biodegradable plastic bags take only 3-6 months to decompose. What a better idea.

Oak Park, MI currently allows dogs to be kept outdoors with proper shelter and food/water. However, more often than not residents do not follow this law and dogs are kept in inhumane and neglectful conditions during Michigan's fluctuating weather and without the proper necessities. At the most basic level, this is simply horrible. Most of the dogs kept outside are not breeds that can sustain living outdoors (such as pit bulls and other short-haired breeds). Oak Park is a family-centric community and not only should our pets be treated as family and kept indoors, this keeps residents and pets safer. Dogs kept in yards have higher chances of escaping, and possibly getting lost, killed, stolen or even attacking others outside their property. The latter has actually happened to myself and my dog three times. Stop allowing our dogs to be kept outdoors!

Sinclair Broadcast Group is owned by David S. Smith, a controversial figure who forces his stations to report skewed and inaccurate right wing propaganda. Sinclair struck a deal with Jared Kushner during the 2016 Presidential campaign to provide special access to Trump in exchange for broadcasting of campaign rallies without commentary. In April 2017 Sinclair hired Boris Epshteyn, a Russian immigrant and former Senior Advisor to the Trump campaign, as its senior political analyst after leaving his role as Special Assistant to the Trump Administration. Sinclair is acting unethically as the Trump State Media. As recently reported by Deadspin Sinclair Broadcast reporters are lockstep with a narrative that champions the President's inaccurate and blatant lies and attacks on the true media as fake. We deserve a fair press free from being state sponsored. https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/how-americas-largest-local-tv-owner-turned-its-news-anc-1824233490

I think I would be a great candidate, to much of the same old bullshit over and over, and people seem to forget... These politicians and president's say the same thing. Questions to ask is, what have they really done for me...

The Facebook scandals just keep coming; every day we learn of a new way Facebook has put our communities’ safety at risk. First, we found out Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica - a shady campaign firm working for Trump - to exploit the private personal data of 50 million people without their knowledge. Now we’ve learned that Facebook data is being used by ICE to track people. Enough is enough. Facebook needs to take responsibility for the numerous ways they continue to put our communities at risk. Only through a public audit of all of Facebook’s practices and programs can real systemic changes be identified that will make Facebook the type of platform where people can share photos without fear a white supremacists trolling them, talk about racism and Black experiences without fear of being put in “Facebook jail,” and keep up with our families over distance without worrying that our private information will be shared with nefarious companies. Demand a public audit of Facebook!

The King Amendment would prohibit any state or local government from passing animal protection legislation that goes beyond what has been passed by the federal government and other states. This would instantly nullify common sense animal protections that have been installed across the country and prohibit future animal rights legislation, as well. Representative Steve King (Iowa) has long been an enemy to animals, even supporting legalized dogfight watching. Big Ag corporations are working with Representative King to endanger the animals we love in our own homes. Animals are vulnerable and have no ability to petition Congress when they are being hurt. We urge Congress to reject this Amendment to the Farm Bill and support federal measures to protect the most vulnerable class of beings in our society, rather than target them.

Donald Trump is marching us toward war—or multiple wars—if his latest nominees and appointees are and indication. Mike Pompeo, Trump's pick to run the State Department, opposes diplomatic agreements including the successful Iran Nuclear Deal, supports torture, and received the top award from a known anti-muslim hate group. We cannot trust his judgement to run the U.S. State Department, whose main mission is diplomacy, not war. Gina Haspel has defended the CIA use of torture. We cannot trust her to run the CIA and protect human and civil liberties. John Bolton has a history of bad decisions that have contributed to massive loss of life. He was a booster for the Iraq War. More recently, he penned an op-ed on the case for war with North Korea. He just can't be trusted at all - yet Trump appointed him to National Security Advisor. Trump pushed out his secretary of state and national security adviser who had helped restrain Trump's desire for war. His new appointees would be far worse—putting us all at risk. As a first step to protecting the balance of power, blocking a reckless war cabinet, and preventing unnecessary and costly wars: The Senate and must reject Pompeo's nomination as Secretary of State.

When are teachers and support staff in South Carolina going to get organized to demand higher salaries and more funding for education? We teachers are not only underpaid compared to other professions, but do not have access to resources in the classroom to provide a quality education to all students. All the years we’ve spent in college preparing to educate future generations, as well as the countless hours we spend at home grading papers and preparing lessons, have been totally discounted by our legislators who only approved a 2% raise for next year. I’m a single parent living in Charleston, a very EXPENSIVE place to live, who can’t even afford to rent a place on my own. Sometimes I wonder why we are constantly reminding students of the value of education when teachers with one or two master’s degrees are struggling to provide for their families. I also wonder why our leaders ignore the fact that a higher investment in education will have a more significant economic growth as a nation. Last, I wonder how the state will handle teacher shortages when teachers are undervalued, unsupported, underpaid and overworked. Educators and students deserve better! Let’s take action! Change will only happen if we join our efforts to fight for a just cause!

We all know that John Bolton is a terrible dangerous choice for national security adviser. But the Senate doesn't get to confirm that role. It does, however, confirm secretary of state for which Trump has nominated someone even more dangerous: Mike Pompeo. Pompeo is a climate change denier. He's anti gay rights. He wants to rip up our diplomatic deals. He's defended the use of torture. If fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was the fire extinguisher that kept the Trump flame from engulfing us all, then Pompeo is the fuel that would make the Trump bonfire go out of control. He cannot represent us to the world. We can't stop Trump from appointing John Bolton—a man who pushed for the devastating Iraq War and who recently wrote the case for war with North Korea—as national security adviser. So our only chance to prevent Trump from assembling a war cabinet that would push us to war with Iran and North Korea and risk of ruining relationships around the world is to block Pompeo. Senator Rand Paul has said he won't support Pompeo—now if every Democratic and Independent senator does the same, we can say no to this bigot and no to Trump's reckless march to war.