People who are convicted of felonies in this state lose the right to vote. Even after they’ve served their time, they cannot vote until they have paid off completely the financial obligations related to their sentence. By state law, those obligations accrue interest at 12 percent a year. The result is that many people earning low incomes continually fall behind.
Further, even if individuals do manage to pay off their debts, the system for restoring their right to vote is extremely cumbersome. It is so convoluted that most people can’t navigate the system without hiring an attorney—something else that favors the affluent.
It’s not fair to continue depriving people of such a basic right simply because they can’t afford to pay their debts. The right to vote is fundamental. We should encourage people to exercise that right and eliminate this barrier to their participation in our democracy.
Unmarried women face a much higher unemployment rate than Americans as a whole, are more likely to be uninsured, and are paid substantially less than men. That’s why it’s important that we support a federal budget that includes additional investments in health care, education, and energy reform.
But how will we pay for it? The proposed budget raises revenue for these critical investments by restoring fairness to the tax code after years of giveaways to the very wealthy and the largest corporations. Taxpayers with incomes over $250,000 for couples or $200,000 for individuals would lose some of the tax breaks enacted in 2001 and 2003. Corporations would lose tax breaks that encourage them to move jobs and profits overseas, and the big oil companies would lose special tax breaks as well.
Unmarried women came out to vote in record numbers last year because of hope for a better tomorrow. Now it’s time to take the next step and agree to a budget that addresses the healthcare crisis, creates jobs, and invests in education, from early childhood through college.
Union representation is a hard-won American tradition. It deserves protection and encouragement, especially in times of economic crisis. The current laws, however, allow businesses to independently campaign against the organization of worker led unions, to an inequitable extent.
The Employee Free Choice Act would increase penalties for violating workers’ First Amendment right to form a union; to negotiate a first contract; and would provide mediation and arbitration to assist management and unions through this negotiation to find an equitable and efficient compromise.
Union contracts bring fair wages and benefits to those who will rebuild our infrastructure, provide essential products and services, and spend their earnings back in their own communities. By giving a fair shake to organized labor, the Employee Free Choice Act can play an important part in America’s economic revitalization--and that will benefit us all.
When it comes to health care, Texas women, children and pregnant women, often make do without. Texas has some of the highest rates of women without health insurance.
That’s why last summer the Healthy Women, Healthy Families, a statewide coalition, was launched by NARAL Pro-Choice Texas Foundation to improve access to quality healthcare services for Texas women and families. Coalition member organizations -- which represent a broad range of issue areas -- work to collect surveys from their communities in order to better understand the real health care challenges faced by women across the state.
As part of the coalition's commitment to raising the voices of real women across the state, we are collecting personal stories, not just numbers or statistics.
More information about the Healthy Women, Healthy Families program is available at www.healthywomenhealthyfamilies.org. We encourage all Texans, and especially women, to take the Healthy Women, Healthy Families survey and share their story today.
Public transportation was not made a priority in Ohio’s nearly $7.3 billion transportation budget. Habitually, we spend less than 1 percent of our state transportation dollars on public transit.
In this recession, investing in mass transit can be one part of a much-needed economic infusion for Ohio.
Public transportation is not only more energy-efficient than passenger vehicle transportation, it also spurs economic development, employs people, assists firms and workers with transportation needs by providing a low-cost commuting option. It also reduces urban sprawl and congestion, increases urban vitality, and is far less harmful to the environment than having every commuter drive a car.
Ohio needs a commitment to public transportation from its elected officials. It’s time we invest in a 21st century transportation system for a 21st century workforce.
The stimulus package provides a long-overdue chance to make a down payment on a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable Ohio. Smart targeting and good oversight will ensure that the stimulus funds do the most to revitalize our communities.
It is essential that we track the spending so that we can expand what is working well, redirect what isn’t working, and measure results. Federal transparency will be strong, and Ohio should follow suit.
Efficiency and accountability demand that Ohio allocate spending to meet specific goals such as creating and saving jobs, using a competitive process in awarding contracts and coordinating spending among state and local agencies to ensure efficiency.
The Recovery Act gives Ohio a chance to put more than 100,000 Ohioans back to work. As Ohio emerges from this difficult economic period, we will be here to support the state in its recovery efforts and to track the role that these investments play in fixing our economy in the areas where it is needed most.
Missouri needs to make an active effort to prevent and eliminate bullying in our schools.
Often dismissed as a rite of passage, bullying is a real and serious problem that should not be taken lightly. Verbal and physical abuse from one’s peers prevents children from reaching their fullest potential, and the habit of non-action only perpetuates this culture of harassment.
Missouri NEA’s No MOre Bullying program currently helps school communities make a whole-school campaign against bullying a part of the school culture. But they cannot do it alone.
Please join in the effort and take responsibility for the safety and well being of Missouri’s children. Their future depends on it.
This year Missouri is seeking to overturn the citizen-led ballot initiative that banned Construction-Work-In-Progress. The Construction-Work-In-Progress proposal would place a new ratemaking system, one that is heavily tilted against consumers and would allow power companies building new plants to raise electric bills every three months during the construction period.
It is estimated that these charges alone could raise current electric rates by as much as 40 percent before that power plant has even proven it can be operational. And the proposal would allow the utility to collect these charges even if the power plant is ultimately cancelled and winds up serving no one.
While all eyes are trained on Congress and its many bailouts, few citizens seem to be aware of these massive bailouts to power companies that are under consideration right under our noses in Jefferson City.
Solar energy is not the only solution to our energy crisis, but it is an important part of a renewable energy strategy. While coal will remain a source of electricity for years to come, it’s time for Georgia’s political leaders to step forward and work with the business community to ensure that more of our electricity comes from clean, renewable sources.
Solar is shovel ready, meaning it is a technology that can be put right to work today. In addition to providing clean electricity, solar can quickly provide thousands of high quality, high paying new jobs for Georgians.
Georgia’s utilities have proven to be resourceful and innovative when given the proper incentives. Hopefully, Georgia will soon join North Carolina, Florida and 30 other states in making the development of solar energy a priority.
Debates over the availability of affordable birth control are moot without considering the critical role government can play to empower individuals to make responsible reproductive health decisions.
One study found that more than 270,000 Colorado women and girls aged 13 to 44 needed publicly funded birth control services and supplies. With the downturn in the economy and more people losing their health insurance, that number can only be expected to rise this year.
By working in collaboration with medical experts, community-based organizations, and reproductive health care advocates, Colorado policymakers can develop common-sense strategies that ensure preventive family planning services are considered core component in health insurance benefits and in comprehensive health care reform. Given the current climate, we can and must do better to provide family planning services.