The Rent Control Preemption Act of 1997 has been a disastrous mistake for Illinois. This legislation was pushed by real estate lobbyists at a time when no rent control measures existed to prevent them from ever taking hold. Since that time we have seen gentrification and disinvestment from neighborhoods that continues to push more and more working families out of our state and forces too many Illinois residents to live in rent distress. These problems have been particularly acute for poor people and people of color -- we need to change this. That is why I am proud to support the efforts of the Lift the Ban Coalition and sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi's bill in the State Senate that would repeal the ban on rent control in Illinois. It is time we take bold steps to make housing more affordable throughout Illinois and stop the displacement of people across the state. It is time we return rent control authority to the people of Illinois. Please join Rep. Litesa Wallace, Rep. Will Guzzardi and myself in building an Illinois for the rest of us by signing this petition that calls on Gov. Rauner and Illinois State Legislators to lift the rent control ban.

Citizens living near the pipeline have had their land stolen and destroyed by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) through the use of eminent domain laws & ETP has committed egregious violations that have damaged the local environment & threatened our water supply. Yet, after a short construction halt, it was announced this week that ETP is being allowed to start construction on the pipeline again.

Yes, it's hard to get jobs nowadays if you haven't really worked or if you have worked and quit.

Jorge Garcia—a Michigan man who had lived in the U.S. for 30 years since he was 10 years old—has a story like so many immigrant stories: one filled with hard work, strong ties to his community, and love for his family. He has cooperated with the government, paid taxes, and has no criminal record. Yet, another tragic story is unfolding. On Martin Luther King Day, ICE agents escorted Jorge onto a plane bound for a country he barely knows, away from his wife and two children—who are all U.S. citizens. We have been hearing stories like Jorge's over and over again. This must stop. When immigrants arrive as children, attend our schools, and grow up as an American, they should be allowed, when adults, to make the decision to stay or return. It should be their choice! This is a humanitarian issue. Last week, congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal to pass the Dream Act, which may have protected Jorge from deportation. But Donald Trump rejected that deal, pushing our government closer to a shutdown as our members of Congress are forced to decide if they will fall in line with Trump's racist policies or support for immigrant youth.

By being a Moorish-American I can be very well taken hostage by making political alliances, and judged on my past life. I've read the case in it's entirety, this man was convicted with no evidence.

I was in my twenties during the Vietnam War. When that conflict and the Cold War were at last over, Americans thought (wrongly) that the need for a bloated military budget was over as well. Dr. King understood how our spending on war went hand in hand with increased poverty and greater racism in the US, and opposed the war in Vietnam. A proposed budget of 600-700 billion dollars has been offered to the Military in 2018. Cuts have meanwhile been proposed for Departments of Energy, Education, the Interior, EPA and Health and Human Services, some at close to one-third of their current budget (See Wikipedia, 2018 Federal Budget, for details). If instead of cutting these agencies, we instead cut the Military by one-half, we could approximately DOUBLE the proposed budgets for these essential services. We have already committed 5-7 trillion dollars to wars in the Middle East (as a candidate, Trump condemned the estimated 6 trillion spent, and we must stop. We demand that the Congress truly act in service of the American people.

I think that citizens through their elected representatives should prevail on them to speak out against such bigotry in the White House. This would be a wake-up call to this administration to have the least attended S of U address in history.

The Port of Los Angeles approved the San Pedro Waterfront Development Project-San Pedro Public Market Project in September 2009; and at the Final Environmental Impact Review and at public meetings the Port of Los Angeles repeatedly showed and stated that the Ports O’ Call Village Shops and Ports O’ Call Restaurant would temporarily be relocated during construction to another Ports O’ Call area until the new San Pedro Public Market was complete and they could move back; On March 2, 2016, at the San Pedro Warner Grand Theater, in the presence of Port of Los Angeles staff and project developer Eric Johnson, the development team publicly stated: “Our improvements are being constructed in two phases, so the current tenants, who will remain in the project, will be able to stay open throughout construction. We expect to complete this first phase by mid-2019.” and “We are fortunate to have existing successful tenants who we are counting on to be the backbone of our preleasing activity.” (See video 29:33 and 31:47 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBVkwcM1kLA ); The Port of LA is proceeding with eviction of the Ports O’ Call Village Shops and Ports O’ Call Restaurant without providing for relocation and return to the new Public Market.

Traffic Safety concerns and Request for Safety Corridor designation in the NM Hwy 285 North Corridor.

I teach for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and both on my campus, and in my professional network as a professor of world literatures, I have the good fortune to teach and interact with students, faculty and staff from several countries in Africa, Haiti, and El Salvador. I respectfully ask the US House and the Senate to publicly censure the president of the United States and rectify the negative and undignified outcomes of the vulgar remarks made by the president against ordinary human beings living their day-to-day lives in Africa, Haiti and El Salvador. I further request and encourage each university and college in the world to celebrate the literatures and cultures of Africa, Haiti and El Salvador. Organize a book festival by authors from Africa, Haiti, and El Salvador on your campuses. Plan a reading on your campus on the literatures of Africa, Haiti and El Salvador. Celebrate Africa day, Haiti Day and El Salvador day on your campuses. Thank you. Gayatri Devi, Associate Professor of English, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

In today's day and age, internet is a necessity that almost everyone needs access to. California should take a step forward and guarantee it's citizens open, fast, and affordable internet. Fight against big ISP's and make internet a public utility just like electricity, water, and gas are.

Animal advocates have seen too many dogs suffer in extreme weather. Yet, there aren't enough of us, despite how much time, money and effort we devote, to rescue all of the dogs, sentient beings, who are exposed and endangered day after day. As long as these long-suffering and innocent animals are considered property, many misguided or abusive owners will continue to force them to live in harsh and inhumane conditions.. Make this a felony and we can all save so many dogs.