The Washington Legislature will be wrapping up business for the year, as soon as both houses agree to an operating budget.

We made some critical progress in 2015. Joel’s Law will help families intervene when a loved one experiencing a mental health crisis is denied emergency hospitalization.  And the Sheena Henderson Act will protect survivors of domestic abuse by giving them the ability to know when a firearm is about to be returned to their abuser.  These new laws will save lives, and that’s something to celebrate!

We also defeated a multipronged effort by the gun lobby to create loopholes and weaken our new universal background checks law.

Donate now.  Let’s keep the momentum going!

That’s the good news.  Now, here’s where we have our work cut out for us.

At every turn, the gun lobby and their pals in Olympia conspired to block, stall, and derail Extreme Risk Protection Orders – a common sense proposal that could prevent the next UC-Santa Barbara or Cafe Racer attack.

But the gun lobby said no. They have a “general philosophical opposition” to a bill that would empower families to temporarily remove firearms from people threatening harm.

For far too long we’ve let the politicians who conspire with the gun lobby get away with it.  Not anymore.  We’re going to be holding their feet to the fire.  That’s why we launched the Hold Them Accountable Fund, and why we’re aiming to raise an extra $5,000 by the end of the month.

Chip in a donation right now.  Let’s hit the goal and build a grassroots-powered campaign to hold the politicians accountable!

Thank you,

Stephanie

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden welcome 97-year-old Vivian Bailey and her guests, Principal Troy Todd and teacher Melissa Peyton, to the Oval Office, May 26, 2015. Ms. Bailey has been raising money for more than a dozen years so students of Running Brook Elementary school in Columbia, Maryland, can take field trips. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

See more from our “Photo of the Day” gallery here.

Reasons We Need the Clean Water Rule

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army are finalizing a Clean Water Rule to protect the streams and wetlands we rely on for our health, our economy, and our way of life. Find out exactly why this rule is so important.

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Memorial Day 2015: Honoring Our Soldiers Who Paid the Ultimate Sacrifice

This Memorial Day, President Obama traveled to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia to pay solemn tribute to the men and women of our armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

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The First Lady Celebrates the 2015 Graduates of Oberlin College

On Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the class of 2015 at Oberlin College in Ohio. Oberlin was the first college in America to adopt a policy to admit African American students, as well as the first co-ed school to grant bachelor’s degrees to women — and this year marked the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s own commencement address at Oberlin College.

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Tell Us: What’s Your Stake in Clean Water?

One in three Americans get their drinking water from areas that don’t have clear pollution protection.

But this week, after hundreds of meetings and reviewing more than 1 million comments from Americans, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are taking steps to fix the problem. Together, they’re releasing a Clean Water Rule that strengthens and expands protections for bodies of water that more than a third of Americans rely on for their drinking water.

Share with us why clean water is important to you, and join the conversation online using #CleanWaterRules on your social media channels.

Whether you lose power from a hurricane, tornado, wind storm, downed tree, or flood, food safety during severe weather is often the same.  If your power goes out, you should know how to keep the food in your refrigerator and freezer safe.  Read our latest blog for easy to follow tips to save money and keep your family safe from food poisoning when the power is out.