~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

NC may constitutionally ban same-sex marriage

09/13/2011 Nativegrl77

By Estes Gould | The Daily Tar Heel

North Carolina could soon be one step away from becoming the last Southern state to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage.

The N.C. House of Representatives passed the controversial Defense of Marriage amendment on Monday, which would make heterosexual marriage the only union recognized by the state.

The 75 to 42 vote in favor of the legislation came after more than three hours of debate, and it could be put to a vote in the Senate today. If it follows expectations and passes, the measure will be on the first primary ballot in the 2012 elections.

“It’s for the citizens to decide how they want to define their institution, the institution of marriage,” said N.C. Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake.

Supporters of the amendment agree with Dollar.

“The citizens of this state really want the opportunity to vote on this, and now they’re one step closer to getting that,” said Tami Fitzgerald, the executive director of NC Values Coalition.

But Seth Keel, a gay teenager in Dollar’s jurisdiction, called the legislation “shameful” when he addressed some Republican legislators after the vote.

“No one is voting on their marriages,” Keel said. “So why does the public have a right to vote on whether or not I can get married?”

N.C. Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, said the amendment would interfere with child custody arrangements and prevent same-sex couples, and unmarried heterosexual couples, from receiving treatment or counseling for domestic violence.

“This proposed constitutional amendment runs against the tide of history,” he said. “I think that’s why it’s being brought here today, in a last gasp to forestall that tide of history.”

Hackney, and other Democrats, said the procedure for the legislation was unfair and calculated — originally, the bill was to be considered in the Senate Judiciary committee on Monday. Instead, it was considered in the House Rules committee, passed, then pushed for “immediate consideration.”

Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, said amendments are rarely ever considered immediately by the legislature, and Hackney said the procedure minimized debate about the language of the amendment.

But Rep. Paul Stam, R-Wake, the House majority leader, said the procedure was not unusual.

Republican legislators said the amendment would prevent judges from overturning current law, which bans same-sex marriages.

But Democratic representatives said it was unnecessary and unjust.

“Putting the rights of the minority population up for a vote by the majority is a terrible notion and a terrible precedent,” said Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, who emotionally defended same-sex marriage on behalf of her sister, a lesbian.

More TarHeels New …

Proposed Jobs Act could help NC colleges

Contact the State & National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Help Protect Consumers Against Wall Street Greed …Ben Betz, People For the American Way

09/13/2011 Nativegrl77

At the first Richard Cordray confirmation hearing last week, the two Republican senators (out of ten on the committee) who showed up indicated that their party had every intention of obstructing Cordray’s confirmation to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Many Republicans are insisting on structural changes to CFPB, which would render the bureau ineffective and allow greed and corruption to prevail over consumer protection, before they say they’ll even consider confirming a nominee for director.

One way or another, the corporate Right is determined to stop the CFPB from doing the important job it was created to do. We need to break through this obstruction!

Please join the nearly 20,000 activists who have already signed our petition urging the the confirmation of Richard Cordray!

www.pfaw.org
— Ben

Original Message:

Tell the Senate: Give the CFPB the authority to protect consumers! Confirm Richard Cordray as CFPB director!

WWW.PFAW.ORG

Dear PFAW supporter,

Today, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs is holding a hearing on the nomination of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). It’s the beginning of what will be a very big fight.

Wall Street and Republicans don’t want CFPB oversight and have made clear their intentions to sabotage this important agency in any way to prevent it from protecting consumers. Since the CFPB requires a permanent director in order to operate with full authority, Senate Republicans see defeating the nomination of Richard Cordray as priority #1 in crippling the Bureau.

Please sign our emergency petition to CONFIRM RICHARD CORDRAY now.

We need to keep significant pressure on Senate Democrats to stand unified and use every tool they can to confirm Cordray. And we need to keep grassroots pressure on Republicans to challenge the financial industry’s iron grip on their party and do the right thing for American consumers.

Cordray was picked by Professor Elizabeth Warren to be one of her top deputies in setting up the CFPB. As Ohio’s attorney general, Cordray earned a reputation of being tough on the financial industry. He was among the first attorneys general to take action in the nationwide foreclosure investigation into the mishandling of paperwork and successfully sued AIG, exposing banks’ use of hidden fees and other consumer exploitations.

Urge your senators to stand up for consumers and CONFIRM RICHARD CORDRAY.

After you sign the petition, please call your senators’ office to back up the message.

www.pfaw.org

This will be a sustained campaign that could call for various actions and constituent contacts, but the petition is the way we want to register support for Cordray first and foremost. If we can get enough Americans to sign, we’ll be able to make a splash on Capitol Hill when we deliver the signatures to the Senate.

Help us get the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau working! Help to confirm Richard Cordray as its director. www.pfaw.org

— Ben Betz, Online Strategy Manager

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

CORRECTION: Help Subaru Choose a Charity

09/13/2011 Nativegrl77

Help us choose one of these charities for this year's share the love event.

Vote for the charity you want added to the Subaru “Share the Love” event

Subaru knows their owners care. That’s why they created the annual “Share the Love” event, where for every new Subaru that’s leased or sold, a $250 donation is made to the owners’ choice of charities.

This year, they need your help to choose one of those charities. Go to the Subaru Facebook page to cast your vote for the American Red Cross, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®, Make-A-Wish Foundation® or Teach For America.

Vote for your favorite charity daily until September 15th, and please spread the word to your friends. Together, we can all make a big impact.

Over the last three years, nearly $15 million has been donated, and Subaru expects another $5 million to be donated when the event returns this year.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Some FADs aren’t meant to last … Casson Trenor, Greenpeace

09/13/2011 Nativegrl77

*********************

Thousands of sharks, rays, billfish, and other animals die needlessly every year at the hands of the tuna industry.¹

The industry cuts corners out on the water by employing fishing methods that are absolutely barbaric. Among these methods, fish aggregating devices (FADs) are one of the worst.

FADs are basically floating objects left out on the water. They attract all sorts of things, including sharks, and when the ship returns it scoops up everything around the FAD with a net.² Hardly anything survives and they simply toss everything other than tuna-live or dead- back into the ocean.

That’s no way to do business. We have a plan to save these sharks and all the other marine life that gets trapped in FADs, but we have to act now while we have the canned tuna industry’s attention.

To do that we urgently need your financial support to increase the public outcry against deadly tuna fishing methods to convince the industry to listen to consumers and move to sustainable practices. Please make a donation today and help us save the oceans and our environment.

www.greenpeaceusa.org

We have already gotten the industry’s attention with our animated video, and more than 50,000 of you have signed on to a letter demanding that one tuna industry giant, Chicken of the Sea, reform their destructive fishing practices. Their response has been to go on the attack using an expensive PR agency to discredit Greenpeace and people like you who care about the oceans.

We’re not going to let the personal attacks and PR spin cover up the truth.

Help us fight back! We need to raise $60,000 by September 15th. This cannot wait, we must continue to pressure the tuna industry while we have their attention. Please make a donation today and help us save the oceans.

www.greenpeaceusa.org

The United States is the largest market for canned tuna in the world. And while we will continue to work with retailers to make a commitment to sustainable tuna, we will also kick off a publicly visible campaign to garner media attention and further our research of canned tuna products. With your help, we can change the industry and save these critical species before it’s too late.

You know it’s possible. We’ve been fighting together to protect our oceans for years and have been winning. The tuna industries’ lies and PR campaigns aren’t going to stop us from doing the right thing.

Thank you for all your support,

Casson Trenor
Senior Markets Campaigner

——————————
1. D. Bromhead et al, Review of the impact of fish aggregating devices (FADs) on tuna fisheries. Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2003
2. Jessica Kondel and Jeremy Rusin, Report of the 2nd Workshop on Bycatch Reduction in the ETP Purse-Seine Fishery, May 2007
http://swfsc.noaa.gov/uploadedFiles/Divisions/PRD/Publications/Kondel%20and%20Rusin%20Bycatch%20Admin%20Report%20LJ-07-04%20Final.pdf

Black History

Congress: the Republican led House the Senate

09/13/2011 Nativegrl77

the Senate Convenes at 10:00amET September 13, 2011

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning
business for one hour with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10
minutes each with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans
controlling the final half.
Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the
motion to proceed to H.J.Res.66, a joint resolution regarding Burma Sanctions
and the expected legislative vehicle for additional FEMA funds.
The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly
caucus meetings.
At approximately 4:15pm today, the Senate will conduct a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.J.Res.66, the expected legislative vehicle for additional FEMA funds in addition to the underlying Burma Sanctions language. (Monday evening, cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed and a motion to reconsider the vote was entered, permitting the vote today.)

VOTES

4:16pm The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.J.Res.66, the expected legislative vehicle for additional FEMA funds in addition to the underlying Burma Sanctions language. (Monday evening, cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed and a motion to reconsider the vote was entered, permitting the vote today.); Invoked: 61-38

Confirmed: Executive Calendar #128, Mara Rudman to be Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development

Adopted S.Res.262, designating the week beginning on September 12, 2011, and ending on September 16, 2011, as “National Health Information Technology Week” to recognize the value of health information technology in improving health quality.

Adopted S.Res.263, designating the week beginning September 11, 2011, as “National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week”.

Adopted S.Res.264, designating September 12, 2011, as “National Day of Encouragement”.

Adopted S.Res.265, honoring the lifetime achievements of E. Thom Rumberger.

Discharged Judiciary and adopted S.Res.256, designating the week of October 2 through October 8, 2011, as “National Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Week”.

**********************************************************************

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 13, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

4:53 P.M. – Mr. McHenry moved that the House do now adjourn.

2:32 P.M. – SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

2:30 P.M. – ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

H. Res. 398: electing a Member to a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives

2:27 P.M. – Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

Considered as privileged matter.

2:26 P.M. – The House received a communication from the Honorable Jason Altmire. Mr. Altmire submitted his resignation from the Committee on Small Business. The resignation was accepted without objection.

H.R. 2218: to amend the charter school program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On passage Passed by recorded vote: 365 – 54 (Roll no. 705).

2:18 P.M. – On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 189 – 231 (Roll no. 704).

1:52 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Hanabusa motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to require each state entity that receives a grant, to have in effect policies and procedures for charter schools that require criminal background checks to be conducted for school employees prohibit the employment of an individual for a position as a school employee if they refuse to consent to a criminal background check, make false statements in connection with the background check or have been convicted of a felony.

Ms. Hanabusa moved to recommit with instructions to Education and the Workforce.

1:50 P.M. – The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

1:49 P.M. – The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2218.

On agreeing to the King (IA) amendment Failed by recorded vote: 43 – 374 (Roll no. 703).

1:43 P.M. – On agreeing to the Holt amendment Failed by recorded vote: 195 – 220 (Roll no. 702).

1:16 P.M. – The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

Considered as unfinished business.

H.R. 2887: to provide an extension of surface and air transportation programs, and for other purposes

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.

12:29 P.M. – DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2887.

Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Mica moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

12:04 P.M. – ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches which by direction of the Chair, would be limited to 15 per side of the aisle.

12:01 P.M. – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Johnson of OH to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

12:00 P.M. – Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Dr. Leroy Adams, Jr., Morning Star Baptist Church, Omaha, Nebraska.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 13.

10:22 A.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 P.M. today.

10:01 A.M. – MORNING-HOUR DEBATE – The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debate. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 12:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.

10:00 A.M. – The Speaker designated the Honorable John J. Duncan Jr. to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.