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Zach Silk, Yes on 594


It’s time.

Right before Thanksgiving, I mentioned that we’d be working closely with the Center for Gun Responsibility to keep educating the public and helping to pass commonsense laws to build on the progress we’ve made by voting Yes on 594.

And that work started yesterda‌y at 1‌0‌:00 a‌.m., when we celebrated the official certification of Initiative 594 and unveiled our legislative agenda for the future.

Are you ready to take the next step with us?

Yes, I am — let’s keep fighting to reduce gun violence in Washington!

I’m not sure.

I think you’ll be pleased with what we revealed ye‌sterda‌y morn‌ing with our partners from the Center for Gun Responsibility.

In addition to gathering feedback from our supporters, we worked with our advisory board to get input from all corners of Washington. As always, our approach is evidence-based — grounded in relevant research and best practices — and aimed at what we know will reduce gun violence in Washington. In short, we’re going to focus on:

* Child Safety: Creating criminal liability for adults whose firearms are used by children to commit gun violence.

* Gun Violence Protection Orders: Utilizing a system similar to Washington’s existing Domestic Violence Protective Orders that would provide tools to families and law enforcement to keep guns out of the hands of those who are a threat to themselves or others.

* Notification When Firearms Are Returned: Allowing family members and survivors to sign up for alerts when a firearm is returned to its owner after having been removed.

* Access to Mental Health Services: Supporting increased funding for mental health services and increasing the tools available to family members and mental health professionals to make sure that those in crisis get the care and services they need.

* Keeping Guns Out of Dangerous Hands: Adding convictions for crimes shown to be high predictors of future firearm violence to the list of factors that render a person ineligible to buy or possess guns.

* Gun Range Health and Safety: Addressing the extensive instances of lead-related health and safety violations at gun ranges throughout Washington State.

It’s ambitious — but your support has shown us that we can accomplish great things when we set our minds to it. So I just have one question: Are you ready to take the next step with us?

Yes, I am — let’s keep fighting to reduce gun violence in Washington!

I’m not sure.

Once again, I can’t thank you enough for helping Washington vote Yes on 594. Thank you for continuing to fight for commonsense reforms!

Let’s do this.

Zach Silk
Campaign Manager
Yes on 594

Right before Thanksgiving, I mentioned that we’d be working closely with the Center for Gun Responsibility to keep educating the public and helping to pass commonsense laws to build on the progress we’ve made by voting Yes on 594.

And that work started yesterda‌y at 1‌0‌:00 a‌.m., when we celebrated the official certification of Initiative 594 and unveiled our legislative agenda for the future.

Are you ready to take the next step with us?

Yes, I am — let’s keep fighting to reduce gun violence in Washington!

I’m not sure.

I think you’ll be pleased with what we revealed ye‌sterda‌y morn‌ing with our partners from the Center for Gun Responsibility.

In addition to gathering feedback from our supporters, we worked with our advisory board to get input from all corners of Washington. As always, our approach is evidence-based — grounded in relevant research and best practices — and aimed at what we know will reduce gun violence in Washington. In short, we’re going to focus on:

* Child Safety: Creating criminal liability for adults whose firearms are used by children to commit gun violence.

* Gun Violence Protection Orders: Utilizing a system similar to Washington’s existing Domestic Violence Protective Orders that would provide tools to families and law enforcement to keep guns out of the hands of those who are a threat to themselves or others.

* Notification When Firearms Are Returned: Allowing family members and survivors to sign up for alerts when a firearm is returned to its owner after having been removed.

* Access to Mental Health Services: Supporting increased funding for mental health services and increasing the tools available to family members and mental health professionals to make sure that those in crisis get the care and services they need.

* Keeping Guns Out of Dangerous Hands: Adding convictions for crimes shown to be high predictors of future firearm violence to the list of factors that render a person ineligible to buy or possess guns.

* Gun Range Health and Safety: Addressing the extensive instances of lead-related health and safety violations at gun ranges throughout Washington State.

It’s ambitious — but your support has shown us that we can accomplish great things when we set our minds to it. So I just have one question: Are you ready to take the next step with us?

Yes, I am — let’s keep fighting to reduce gun violence in Washington!

I’m not sure.

Once again, I can’t thank you enough for helping Washington vote Yes on 594. Thank you for continuing to fight for commonsense reforms!

Let’s do this.

Zach Silk
Campaign Manager
Yes on 594

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

314,000 jobs


In case you missed it, U.S. businesses added 314,000 jobs last month, according to today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means the private sector has now added 10.9 million jobs over 57 straight months of job growth — the longest streak on record.

What’s more, our economy has added 2.6 million jobs in the first 11 months of this year — which is already more than any full calendar year since the 1990s.

It’s been a long road to this economic recovery, and there’s still more work to do to ensure that hardworking Americans see higher wages. But our economy is making real progress, and we’re outpacing much of the world in putting people back to work.

Get the facts on today’s jobs report, and how the Administration is working to continue our economic progress.

Find out more about today's jobs report.

President Obama Nominates Ashton Carter as the Next Secretary of Defense

This morning, President Obama announced his nomination of former Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to be the next U.S. Secretary of Defense. Carter has been in public service for more than 30 years, and has served in various positions under 11 Secretaries of Defense.

READ MORE

House Republicans Vote to Make Immigration System Worse, Not Better

Press Secretary Josh Earnest discusses the President’s right to take action on immigration, and Republicans’ refusal to support immigration reform.

READ MORE

College Opportunity Day of Action: Ensuring There’s No Limit to What We Can Achieve

President Obama, Vice President Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama joined college presidents and education leaders from around the country yesterday to announce 600 new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.

READ MORE

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BREAKING NEWS: Victory for New Jersey Women! repost


1/2014BetterBalanceforPregnancy   a repost

The New Jersey Legislature passed an important pregnancy discrimination bill(s2995/a4486)by an overwhelming majority earlier this year. Governor Christie signed the bill into law. According to Dina Baskst,Co-Founder and Co-President of A Better Balance,”This is a great day for the women of New jersey-this path breaking law will allow women the ability to stay healthy and on the job while pregnant,ensuring economic security and fairness for them and their families.”

 

A huge thanks goes out to our New Jersey supporters, who called and e-mailed Governor Christie to encourage him to sign the bill. You made this happen!

The law will protect New Jersey women who are pregnant and need a simple accommodation in order to stay healthy and on the job. Unfortunately, despite the fact that pregnancy discrimination has been illegal in the United States for over thirty-five years, women are still forced off the job when they need a simple adjustment at work, such as temporary relief from heavy lifting, extra bathroom or water breaks, or time off to recover from childbirth. The law will put an end to this practice in New Jersey. A Better Balance was instrumental in getting the law passed, including testifying at both a Senate and Assembly hearing on the law and crafting bill language.

The law goes into effect immediately, so if you or someone you know has any problems at work while pregnant, please call our advice and counseling legal hotline at 212-430-5982.

This bill, which passed with vast bipartisan support, represents the latest victory in a growing movement for stronger pregnancy discrimination protections. Philadelphia and Wisconsin recently introduced pregnancy discrimination legislation and later this month, a similar law in New York City will go into effect. Finally, the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act currently has 117 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 20 cosponsors in the Senate.

Thank you for all your support,

Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Elizabeth, Liz, Risha, & Rachel

P.S. Watch  this video of NYC Mayor de Blasio at last week’s New York City Paid Sick Days press conference, where he thanks A Better Balance for our leadership (at the two minute mark).

 

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Unilever


– Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern started a petition asking Unilever to drop its lawsuit against an American company making innovative food products that compete with their brand. His petition was just covered in the New York Times, and we think you might be interested in signing it.

 

Tell Unilever to Stop Bullying Sustainable Food Companies

Andrew Zimmern
United States

Hampton Creek is a startup food technology company striving to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. It’s using plants to create products to help ensure food security to feed starving people, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the healthfulness of foods, and end the cruel treatment of animals.

Unilever, a UK-based 60 billion dollar multinational corporation, filed a lawsuit confessing that Hampton Creek is taking away market share from a couple of its products: Hellmann’s and Best Foods. Thus, as Unilever admits, it’s attempting to rely on an archaic standard of identity regulation that was created before World War II to mandate that Hampton Creek removes its products from store shelves.

Unilever is not only contributing to these problems by using inhumane, unsustainable, and unhealthy ingredients, but rather than solving important global issues, is trying to prevent others from doing so.   As an example, even purchasing just one jar of Hampton Creek’s “Just Mayo” instead of Best Foods/Hellmann’s saves land and water usage, reduces CO2 emissions, eliminates hundreds of milligrams of cholesterol.

When a 60 billion dollar company flexes its muscles to prevent a good-for-the-world startup company from succeeding, there are only two words for that: corporate bullying.

Please ask Unilever to focus more on creating a better world rather than preventing others from trying to do so.
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Attorney General Eric Holder


The White House, Washington

Following Michael Brown’s tragic death, millions of people across the nation and around the world have focused their attention on unfolding events in Ferguson, both grieving together and making their voices heard.

In recent days, many have been captivated by ongoing developments, anguished emotions, peaceful protests — and, too often, deeply unfortunate images of unnecessary destruction. And this tragic incident has sparked a necessary, national conversation about the need to ensure trust and build strong relationships between law enforcement officials and the communities they serve.

Events in Ferguson have revealed a deep distrust between a community and its police force. But this reality is not limited to one location. Other communities around this country know this struggle all too well. And it’s abundantly clear that every single one of us has a role to play in tackling this problem together, as a nation — to identify those things that bind us, and to be honest with one another about the things that continue to divide us.

In August, President Obama ordered a review of federal funding and programs that provide equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies. Yesterday, the Administration released that review’s findings — and announced key next steps to strengthen the trust in and effectiveness of the policing of our communities.

Learn more about yesterday’s announcements, and the findings of the Administration’s review.

Here are the next steps we’re taking:

  1. Creating a new task force to promote the expansion of 21st century community-oriented policing.
  2. Reforming how the federal government equips local law enforcement, particularly with military-style equipment.
  3. Advancing the use of body-worn cameras and promoting proven community policing initiatives.

I know this has been a difficult time for people in Ferguson, and for many others across the country. It will take time for things to get better. But as I assured Ferguson residents during my visit there, in August, the Obama administration is firmly committed to making the progress we need — and that all of our citizens deserve.

The changes that the President announced yesterday are exactly the sorts of programmatic steps that will bring the right people together to engage in a constructive, national conversation — so we can build trust, address persistent concerns, and protect public safety while respecting the rights of every American.

Last Tuesday, addressing the public, the President said, “[to] those who are prepared to work constructively, your President will work with you.” I am committed to answering the President’s call to see this through — as are the men and women of the United States Department of Justice.

Learn more about yesterday’s announcements here — and spread the word to anyone who wants to know how we’re moving forward as a nation.

Thank you,

Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Visit WhiteHouse.gov