Legislation

Gary Ater, at the American Chronicle, is taking the pre-emptive self-pardon talk to new and entertaining heights. In a recent column, he says:... It was at that time that the Republican leadership's congressional stooges, House Speaker, Dennis Hastert, and Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, (now thankfully, long-gone from the House and Senate) jumped into high gear and pushed a bill through that

A letter from one of our readers… Dear Editor: I discovered Halo products via the Ellen show several months ago, and I’ve been following the blog for several weeks now. After spending the weekend in Toronto, I decided to write in and see how people are feeling about dangerous dog legislation. Ontario enacted a [...]

Blagojevich decide to help family which has children with autism like what had happened to Brianna Dicianni, a daughter that diagnosed as autism sufferer. He use its veto power to amend legislation so that insurance companies would be obligated for diagnosis and therapy cost for autistic children. Children will covered by the insurance till they reach [...]

“Progress” continues to be made on the next major bailout. According to Bloomberg tonight: The U.S. Senate passed a $300 billion plan to help thousands of Americans keep their homes and tighten regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an effort to ease the worst housing slump since the Great Depression. The legislation, approved 63-5 today, [...]

Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. told lawmakers Wednesday that Congress should pass basic privacy legislation to protect information about consumers, such as the data being gathered about people's Web surfing habits in order to pinpoint Internet advertising. At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on online advertising, representatives of the two technology rivals said meaningful privacy rules

BlueRidgeNow.com has this snippet on legislation under consideration in North Carolina:"ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED: People who were wrongfully convicted of a crime and granted a pardon of innocence by the governor would receive $50,000 for each year they were in prison under a measure overwhelmingly approved by the House. Current state law allows $20,000 for each year an individual was behind bars. The

Gov’t Wants Stiffer Penalties For Child Rapists: By NAVARDO SAUNDERS - Nassau, Bahamas: The government wants to amend the law to give judges the power to sentence child rapists to life in prison, according to Attorney General Claire Hepburn. Speaking at the recent Chamber of Commerce 2nd Annual "Meet the Ministers Forum", Senator Hepburn said the government wants amended the Sexual Offence

You may think by the title that this was a piece of fake news written for sheer irony and comedy. The fact is, Senator Larry (R-Idaho) and Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana), have in fact teamed up to co-sponsor "The Marriage Protection Agreement" (S.J. Res. 43). Senator Vitter admitted to having extra marital affairs with a prostitute through the D.C. Madam scandal. Senator Craig’s famous

Here’s something you can do to help. This email is from the home building industry, but it’s just as important to those who already own homes, as well as those who would NEVER consider a brand new home. As you probably know, Pulte Homes and the nations other big homebuilders have been working diligently with [...]

As you probably know, Pulte Homes and the nations other big homebuilders have been working diligently with our elected leaders in Congress to pass legislation to help stabilize and stimulate the housing market. Both the House and Senate have considered...

  Regulation of lending institutions is handled primarily by individual states, and this growing industry exists atop an active and shifting legal landscape. Lenders lobby to enable payday lending practices, while opponents of the industry lobby to prohibit the high cost loans in the name of consumer protection. Payday lending is legal and regulated in [...]

"From Fashion Week to our vibrant publishing industry to the many designers that call New York City home, fashion is a vital part of our economy that drives thousands of jobs." - Rep. Anthony Weiner to the Daily News on introducing a bill to make it easier for models to get visas to work in the United States. [NYDN]

"An Act Prohibiting the Confiscation of Lawfully Owned Firearms During a State of Emergency", sponsored by State Senator Richard T. Moore (Worcester and Norfolk), is being held up in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. S.1401 would protect our Second Amendment rights by prohibiting any government agency from confiscating or regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of

Listen up, American taxpayers. CNN Money staff writer Les Christie picked up on the following from FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery yesterday: A Bush administration official warned Monday that a proposal to have the government back more bad loans would hurt taxpayers and could make the housing crisis even worse. Federal Housing Administration Commissioner Brian Montgomery told [...]

physman_wiu writes “We all remember the recent incident of 13-year-old Megan Meier. Now legislation is set to be passed at least in Missouri (and possibly through Congress) that would make cyberbullying illegal. The new legislation (PDF) reads: ‘Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause [...]

Google is coming under fire from members of 14 advocacy groups, who want the search engine giant to post a link to its privacy policy directly from its home page so as to assure compliance with a California privacy law. "Google's reluctance to post a link to its privacy on its home page is alarming," contends a letter sent to Google CEO Eric Schmidt by a coalition of groups that include

According to God is a Dyke:"In Ohio it is legal to: * Fire someone if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender * Deny them a place to live if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender * Force them to leave a restaurant if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgenderIn Ohio, it's legal -- even though more than two-thirds of Ohio voters support passage of legislation that wo

Want some facts about the Lieberman-Warner bill set for debate in the US Senate? The Heritage Foundation explores five myths about the bill, and the truth behind them. www.heritage.org Tags: debate, global warming, iron, legislation, research Related Posts Why Cap-and-Trade Won’t Work (0) Want Settled Science? Have a Real Debate (0) Global Warming Goons Encouraging [...]

The Daily Herald reported this week on pending gun legislation. Several DH readers posed questions online, particularly related to how the law applies to adults who provide a shotgun or rifle to a minor who does not have a FOID card for shooting sports...

By an overwhelming majority of 410-11, the U.S. House recently passed the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007 (PRO-IP Act). The legislation has been controversial among many legal experts and consumer groups for proposing significant and,...

The American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC) today released a study by Wood Mackenzie, an energy consulting firm, claiming that costs to the natural... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

One of the arguments for supporting the democratic nominee this fall is that a failure to put a democrat in office will result in the further erosion of reproductive freedom. This argument annoys and angers me because 1) it’s fear-based and 2) democrats have been selling out women for years now. If there’s one [...]

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by Jennifer Mesko, CitizenLink: All ‘public accommodations,’ including restrooms, would be opened to men, women, bisexuals, transsexuals and transgendered individuals. The next time you visit Colorado, you may run into members of the opposite sex when you use a public restroom. Under a bill sitting on Gov. Bill Ritter’s desk, all “public accommodations” must be [...]

On May 21, 2008, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Max Baucus, issued a News Release following a meeting with the bipartisan membership of the Senate Finance Committee to discuss upcoming Medicare legislation. In the News Release, Chairman Baucus states the following: "In an effort to reach consensus on Medicare legislation before the Memorial Day recess, I've met repeatedly in recent days w

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House of Representatives last night passed legislation strongly supported by Congressman Steve Rothman, D-Fairlawn, that will lower record-high gas prices by suspending oil purchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) until the end of the year. This move could save Americans 5 to 24 cents a gallon. Yet, President Bush has ignored repeated pleas from both Democratic

by Dave MindemanAlright, I am probably going to lose all of my DFL credentials (if I ever had any) and probably be chastised by the progressive community (I have been before), but I want to offer a contrarian critique of some current DFL legislation. (Note: These are my own views and not representative of anyone else).1) Health Care Bill -- I hope the Governor vetos it. Egad, I can't believe I s

Fourth Ward Councilwoman Becky Cinder's laundry list of legislation, which she said was proof of her "passion for governance", caused Thursday's meeting of the Slope Oak City Council to run for a marathon seven hours.  Each of the 34 proposed ordinances failed on a 2-3 vote, but to hear her talk about it the next morning, you'd think she got everything she'd asked for."Each and every one of t

    Because I believe that rampant breeding of companion animals by uneducated or irresponsible pet owners, as well as unregistered breeders (do I hear "puppy mills"?) is a major contributing factor to the pet overpopulation crisis that is resulting in millions of unwanted animals being euthanized in shelters every year.   That's why I was happy to help Companions for Life set up an online petition to garner support for their efforts to lobby the Dallas City Council to introduce spay/neuter legislation to try and address the problem in Dallas.   And that's why I'm asking y'all (heh, heh - I had to use that - I'm posting in support of a Texan animal welfare group after all) to sign the petion too - let me make it easy for you: CLICK HERE!

We threw thousands of legislative hours and millions of our tax dollars at the "reactive" quick fix  Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Now we are geared up to do it again. I am not sure any armchair American has a general understanding of the massive economic and social impacts of these ACT's. It is vital to our future that each and every American is educated on these proposals. If the Billions throw at "legislative process" debating went towards actual American energy investments, we would not be on this downward spiral.    The newly proposed Domestic Energy Production Act of 2008 claims;  "Rather than raise taxes, block production, increase regulations, and call for investigations" Senate Republicans to introd

It should surprise no one that the Texas House’s own Axis of IDiocy–Reps. Betty Brown (R-Terrell), Leo Berman (R-Tyler), Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) and Debbie Riddle (R-Tomball) are praising the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Crawford case, upholding Indiana’s voter ID law. From the Axis of IDiocy’s joint press release: State Representatives Betty Brown, Leo Berman, Dwayne Bohac and Debbie Riddle said today that they were pleased with the court’s decision and hoped that it would bolster support for similar legislation which passed the Texas House but failed in the Senate. “We would again like to reaffirm our support for legislation that passed through the Texas House of Representatives that would have strengthened voter confidence and helped gu

Understanding the dynamics of the November election isn't all that complex if one simply takes the time to draw some necessary comparisons. In many ways, the policies of the Bush administration have provided the essential contrast. With that as the backdrop, we ought to be able to make prudent political decisions as an electorate. Further, [...]

Thank you and good afternoon. First of all, Rob, thank you for your kind introduction and also for leading the government’s work on today’s important announcement. Greeting to Minister Toews, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Manitoba, who’s with us today, as well as to the Chair of our Manitoba caucus, Joy Smith. Greetings also to Premier Doer and to opposition leader McFadyen. Good to have both of you here today. Thank you both for coming. And of course a special thanks as well to Chief Keith McCaskill of the Winnipeg Police, as well as to Manitoba Public Insurance for hosting us here today. We do appreciate it. It is great to be here today in Winnipeg. As you know, I frequently go off of Parliament Hill to talk about public policy. I do so be

Crofton area residents are learning from State Senator Janet Greenip how the recent legislative session in Annapolis may affect our community.  After a busy Legislative Session beginning in January and ending earlier this month, Senator Greenip is not yet taking a well-deserved vacation.  She is out and about – speaking to community groups, sending emails and writing letters to constituents.  Whether [...]

In response to the nationwide economic downturn caused by the housing and credit crisis, members of the House Financial Services Committee today introduced legislation to combat the unprecedented rise in foreclosures, and the associated impact on cities and states. The legislation first announced by Chairman Barney Frank in March, will be divided into two measures: H.R. [...]

from the SCADATLILLU blogOur beloved representatives in Washington have in front of them a rancid piece of legislation that could shake the Creative world to the core. All us who create images must educate ourselves to the law as it pertains to our business and our livelihood. Brad Holland and the Illustrators Partnership have struggled mightily over the last few years to safeguard our creative work, but Congress is about to yank the rug out from under us all unless we quickly come together and demand our rights as the rightful owners of our own creations.This article sums up what's going on, as well as this radio interview with Brad Holland so please take the time to read it and call or write your congressional representatives and let them know how bad this legislation is.Go here to downl

The Miami Herald reported that Florida lawmakers on Wednesday added language to a state budget companion bill (HB 5085) that would expand a Medicaid pilot program that shifts some beneficiaries to private managed care plans, such as health maintenance organizations,...

From: What Kind of Movement Are We?   "We have to ask ourselves if we care more about our UN badges or about taking a stand for the needs and rights of people around the world." Those words are a paraphrase of those spoken by a committed South African activist who was encouraging civil society at the 2006 U.N. General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) AIDS meeting to risk our badges by protesting the disgustingly weak consensus document reached by member nations. (She was successful in getting us to take action. You can read a blog about that protest here.) I am reminded of her words as I think about how civil society has responded to the PEPFAR reauthorization bill that has now passed both the House and Senate committees and is headed to the floor of both chambers for a

From: Britain monitoring 30 terror plots: interior minister   British police and security agencies are keeping tabs on 30 terror plots, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told a Sunday newspaper. "There are 22,000 individuals who are being monitored. There are 200 networks involved and 30 active plots," Smith said in an interview with the News of the World. "We now face a threat level that is severe. It's actually growing," said the interior minister.

Anyone who violates an order of protection could be forced to wear a satellite tracking device that would issue an electronic warning if the offender gets too close to the victim, under legislation introduced Tuesday in Springfield.

The Michigan Senate passed legislation to hopefully stimulate the housing industry in Michigan. A similar stimulus package was passed by the Michigan House last year which would give homeowners a 18... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner and local legislators will announce “tough new legislation” to fight methamphetamine in urban areas, officials announced today. In an event planned for Monday morning at the Aurora Community Center, 501 E. College Ave.,Weisner will unveil the proposed bills.

...Whether they like it or not, the new 35-mpg standard should nudge Detroit's Big Three to become more aggressive in pursuing green technologies. But the question remains: Will Americans be willing to pay thousands of dollars extra for these cars? Consider, for example, that Honda scrapped the hybrid version of its Accord because it didn't offer enough fuel savings to justify the premium price that had to be charged for the technology. Similarly, sales of the big hybrid SUVs from GM and Chrysler aren't expected to make much of a dent, perhaps just 5,000 or 6,000 per year, because of their high costs. If U.S. politicians were really serious about improving fuel efficiency, they might follow Europe's example. Thanks to steep excise taxes, prices at the pump in some European coun

Hillary Clinton, who has frequently described herself on the campaign trail as playing a pivotal role in forging a children's health insurance plan, had little to do with crafting the landmark legislation or ushering it through Congress, according to several lawmakers, staffers, and healthcare advocates involved in the issue.read more | digg story

Driver distraction is a major cause of accidents.  Which is why 29 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws restricting cell phone use to use with a hands-free device (no jurisdiction has an outright ban). New Jersey and Washington state have been the only states ones to ban text messaging, though 21 states are considering such bills this year. Why the legislative trend? In 2006, nearly half of the 3,580 phone-related crashes in New Jersey involved a cellular phone. Forty-five percent of  fatal accidents that year also involved a hands-free device. That same year over 350 drivers were reported to be distracted by cell phones when involved in accidents on Florida roadways. But don't feel think that using a hands-free device with your cell phone is enough to reduce

A UK government survey shows that many food and drink firms are unaware of new environmental laws. The fast pace of change in UK environmental laws are leaving many small food and drink manufacturers unaware of legislation, according to a government commissioned survey. With green initiatives a hot topic among consumers, companies risk alienating customers [...]

Today, House members led by Peter Welch (D-VT) and Brad Sherman (D - CA) introduced a bill to reverse the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision denying California’s request to adopt state tailpipe emissions standards stricter than ...

I heard from Friends of the Earth, a huge environmental organization, who one would think would favor the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007 being advanced by Senate Democrats. It would impose a cap-and-trade program to force reductions of so-called greenhouse gas emissions.

The Rann Government’s moves to cut injured workers pay compares to John Howard’s WorkChoices legislation. Here we have a Labor Government authorising claim managers to dump injured workers onto the dole after two and half years on WorkCover. This is the kind of anti-worker legislation that Labor MPs and the Unions fought so hard to [...]

Last month, the New Zealand government released a new website which provides free public access to online versions of all New Zealand Acts, Bills and Regulations. This may sound like something which should have been in existence for some time; however, it’s never been done before in New Zealand and is a large step forward for [...]

Newpapers today reported a calculation by Ofgem that credits distributed free to energy generators in the second round of the EU ETS will net them £9bn. The Association of Electricity Producer’s denial did not actually deny it. Ofgem apparently then proposed that the Treasury levy some sort of windfall tax and redistribute it to poor [...]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week that increased penalties for failure to report cases of child pornography on the Internet. The SAFE Act of 2007 (not to be confused with the SAFE Act of 2003) defines that ISPs have a duty to report these cases if detected. Their report [...]

The House of Representatives passed an energy legislation that will cut tax breaks to oil companies and requires the automotive industry to increase fuel economy 40% to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.The bill will also mandate that electric utility companies generate 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources of energy such as wind, biomass or solar power by 2020. That mandate, and the tax breaks, were dealbreakers with the White House, who threatens to veto it. The bill got the support of 14 Republicans;Mary Bono (R-California)Mike Castle (R-Delaware)Jim Gerlach (R-Pennsylvania)Robin Hayes (R-North Carolina)Tim Johnson (R-Illinois)Mark Kirk (R-Illinois)Ray LaHood (R-Illinois)Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey)Jim Ramstad (R-Minnesota)Dave Reichert (R-Washington)Illeana Ros-Lehitnen (R-Florida)Christopher Shays (R-Connecticut)Chris Smith (R-New Jersey)Greg Walden (R-Oregon)7 Democrats opposed the bill, mostly from Southern oil states;John Barrow (D-Georgia)Dan Boren (D-Oklahoma)Allen Boy

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has struck a deal with Michigan Democrats in a new energy bill that will increase fuel economy standards by 40% by 2020;Automakers would be required to meet an industrywide average of 35 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks, including SUVs, by 2020, the first increase by Congress in car fuel efficiency in 32 years.Republicans protested the bill because it did not include funding for domestic oil drilling and production. Pelosi stated she hoped the bill would push for alternative forms of energy and renweable energy.The bill is expected to pass the House and Senate and go to the President desk, and what he does is still in question.

Energy legislation pending in Congress likely would have significant adverse effects on the economy and consumers – including nearly 5 million lost jobs and $1 trillion in lost economic output, according to a report released today by API. The study, prepared by CRA International and commissioned by API, found that the combined effect of seven legislative proposals would restrict the supply of... Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.

Taxes are a part of legislation without representation. Unless a majority of citizens were for these taxes, they were approved by legislators who weren't representing the interests of the people. As to looking for ways to get around the system, it is sad that this is happening. Maybe if we all work together to fix the system, we will have a system where there is no need to find ways around it.

While there is a lot being said about the current pending legislation HR3915, do not succumb to any scare tactics.  Learn everything there is to learn about the bill and it's ramifications.  I am not for or against it yet, as I feel much needs to be studied & learned about the bill.  I'm curious as to it's impact on me as a Notary Signing Agent as well.  So believe me, I want to know the total impact.  I know it is being introduced to prevent some of our current problems.  Will it correct some of these?  I do not know the answer - YET.  The good intent is there, but will it accomplish what it is intended, or does it still need to be altered and THEN approved?  Again, I still do not know, but let's learn everything first, THEN make a judgement based on facts and realistic opinions, not scare tactics!!  There are serious corrections needed, and IF this bill accomplishes those corrections, then it should be approve

I still see taxation without representation happening, how were they able to raise our sales tax by 1%? I don't understand how that happened, everyone I talk to about it is not happy about it at all. We are taxed over and over, payroll tax, property tax,capitol gains tax,inheritance tax,sales tax...over and over. If your a small business owner, it gets even worse with all the fee's and insurance requirements. It's no wonder people are always looking for ways to get "around" the system.

How long do you think it's been since our representatives HAVE done their jobs? I was raised to believe that my vote counts and that you have to stand up for what's right. It's hard not to throw in the towel because it's almost impossible to find someone who really wants to make a difference for the people! Everytime you turn around another senator or congressman is being accused of something. Is it possible that we have just become numb to it? I mean, no one even seems to be shocked anymore when the latest scandal breaks! That's what I think is the real shame.

I got a letter a few days ago from Great Lakes about my grace period that is about to expire on my loans. This made me think that there are a bunch of you folks that might be out in residency that are in the same situation. Remember that there is a 6 [...]

Hardbeatnews, WASHINGTON, DC, Fri. Oct. 26, 2007: Jamaican American Congresswoman has hurriedly introduced two bills into the House of Representative, about a month after a black congressional watch dog report gave her a poor “D” grade for her first year in congress.

BusinessWeek has a fascinating account of some savvy investing which straddles the twilight zone between investor foresight and influencing events on the ground to favor your bet. "Paulson & Co., which has seen its assets under management soar this year through fortuitous bets in the subprime market, has given $15 million to the Center for Responsible Lending, a Washington nonprofit that has been

So who’s to blame for the number of foreclosures, the number of families whose mortgage costs keep rising, and the housing bubble that seems to have popped? As I read the following article, I was admittedly shocked to see that a mortgage broker is being partially blamed for the mess we seem to have gotten ourselves in.  The basis for the article is preventing the yield spread premium from being a part of the loan delivery.  These are used to limit the amount of money a person would need in order to pay for closing costs, etc.  At the end of the day though, the consumer will pay those costs in one form or another.  These cost are real (just disguised) and we all know that nothing is free. Since we have all been sold the American Dream of Homeownership, we have been brainwashed into thinking that we need to own our own home at all costs.  In the end, the consumer (educated and uneducated) is ultimately responsible for their own situation because they

 As you can read in this article, the Democrats who before the last session of congress ended vowed to end the domestic spying program that the president implemented after 9/11. The only problem is that there is NO DOMESTIC SPYING PROGRAM for the Democrats to end. Now that they are in power they know that they cannot end a program that helps keep America safe, and that program is the FOREIGN SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, otherwise spun by the Democrats as the domestic spying program. They knew all along that the president wasn’t spying on American citizens, they knew all along that people who were talking with suspected terrorists OVERSEAS were the ones being monitored. Only now that they are in power they cannot afford to admit it for dear of losing their base, so they have to spin it. And also extend it. Two months after vowing to roll back broad new wiretapping powers won by the Bush administration, Congressional Democrats appear ready to make concessions that could extend some of th

I haven't mentioned the slanderous remarks Rush Limbaugh made against soldiers who question authority because I refuse to give this gasbag (thank you for the adjective Paul Begala) any attention on this blog.But I will now.Limbaugh, who referred to veterans of the Iraq war who have come home and worked to end the war as "phony soldiers" is the subject of yet another condemnation resolution being introduced in the House of Representatives.Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colorado), who is also a Senate candidate, is introducing a resolution next week condemning Limbaugh's comments. This comes after a vote by the House last week to condemn MoveOn.org's General Betrayus ad.I am not fan of these condemnation resolutions. I think they'r a complete waste of time and do nothing to solve problems, only create them, but I have to support this one because if the GOP thinks it could play games, we play them back. Don't forget, THEY started it.It's time to fight back.

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) is planning to introduce legislation that would eliminate mortgage interest deductions for homeowners whose home is larger than 3000 sq. ft.The reason behind this is that in order to discourage people from adding carbon emissions to the atmosphere, U.S. Government should penalize homeowners whose energy use is excessive due to the size of their residence.  Yeah right, that’s all our real estate market needs, if this mindless piece of legislation passes, its effect on an already deeply troubled real estate and mortgage industry would be devastating. Mr. Dingles’ timing could not be worst.Furthermore, his argument is fundamentally flawed and for any type of building, including residences the question should be energy efficiency and not the size of a residence. A 4000 sq.ft. home could use less energy than a 2500 sq.ft. home if the larger home uses energy-efficient light bulbs, high grade insulation, energy saving appliances and air conditioning and infrared

I’ve been reading about Texas’ new Lillian Law, which allows prosecutors to push for the steepest penalties in the nation against owners of dogs that bite and severely injury or kill someone. The law was named after Lillian Stiles, a 76 year old woman that was killed by a pack of mixed breed dogs. The owner was found not guilty because it could not be proven that these dogs had previously attacked anyone before. This is referred to as the “free bite” defense. (more…)

  According to this article marriage may become a thing of the past in California. This appears to be a case of if you can’t give everyone the same rights afforded to some, than take away the rights afforded to those people. Marriage is not a right, straight people can be denied a marriage licence yet gays are supposed to be allowed to marry no matter what. In legal briefs submitted to the California Supreme Court regarding same-sex marriage, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both stated that a future legislature could abolish marriage and remove the rights now enjoyed by a husband and wife.   This is unbelievable. Because gays haven’t been able to gain the rights to marry, they are considering abolishing marriage all together. I have to be honest with you, when I hear this kind of militant position I lose any compassion I have for these people. Although, in today’s world where divorce is so easy to acquire, and men are required to pay the

Back in July, I wrote that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) legislation was going to soon be introduced in Congress. Prior to the August recess, legislation to enhance federal support for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) research was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Eric Cantor (R-VA). The bill, H.R. 3334, would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct activities to rapidly advance treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, neuromuscular disease and other pediatric diseases. More information can be found on GovTrack.us. The FightSMA website reports that U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) will introduce companion legislation in the Senate when Congress returns from its August district work period. You can read more about spinal muscular atrophy and “The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act” here. sma, spinal muscular atrophyShare This Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed! I

Countryside Rentals Mike Tissot has invited Rep. Zack Space who is a freshman (D-Ohio) to visit one of there stores so that they can continue their discussion on the rent to own business industry’s federal legislation. Zack Space spent this valuable time at Mike Tissot’s Logan, Ohio store on August the 13th which was 2 days ago to learn more about what the rent to own business was all about and what the federal legislation (H.R. 1767) would do if enacted. Space went on and indicated that he inclined to co-sponsor the rent to own legislation after he visited Mike Tissot’s store, visit RTOHQ for a deeper insight. Written by Mark for Product ReviewsIn Sections: News, Business

Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto on New York Times Story on FISA Legislation. Today's New York Times story by James Risen makes the unfounded claim that new FISA legislation has "broadly expanded the government's authority to eavesdrop on the international telephone calls and e-mail messages American citizens without warrants." This is highly misleading.Revolutionary changes in technology have occurred since FISA was enacted in 1978, and those changes have resulted in FISA--contrary to the intent of Congress in 1978--often requiring the government to get a court order to collect information on foreign terrorists and other foreign targets located overseas. The new law makes clear that a court order is not required to conduct surveillance of foreign intelligence targets located overseas.But under FISA, court approval is required for the government to target an individual located in the United States, and nothing in the new law changes that.Congress has recognized there d

It has become apparent that energy independence can only be achieved by exploiting oil and natural gas. Renewable energy is simply not sufficient to supplement all of our energy needs. Sadly, big government with liberal backing has regulated us to the point where we now have to rely on foreign oil. There are plenty of oil resources in our own backyard, and it is time that liberals wake up and realize that this insanity needs to stop.As I have endorsed in the past, to ensure the future prosperity of this country, the energy industry must be entirely deregulated. Moreover, we must permit drilling in Alaska, the Pacific Ocean, and off the coast of Cuba. There is no question that China will be able to access the oil off the coast of Cuba, and we will have to pay to clean it up. If it is being exploited, we should be the exploiters.Furthermore, regulations do not benefit society. In fact, regulations only benefit the big oil corporations. They ensure that no small energy producers a

Nothing speaks louder than legislation proposed by Senator Harry Reid. Originally he wanted to make colleges clamp down on P2P technologies, by tying their policies and processes to funds from the US Government. Reports now that he has pulled that request as noted by news.com. Updated Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has withdrawn anti-file sharing legislation that had drawn yowls of protest from universities this week. Reid, without explanation, on Monday nixed his own amendment that would have required colleges and universities–in exchange for federal funding–to use technology to “prevent the illegal downloading or peer-to-peer distribution of intellectual property.” Source: News.com The problem with the original proposal was that federal funds could be withheld from US colleges if they failed to take solid action against P2P technologies. So systems like Bittorrent.com, Veoh and Joost would have been hammered by this because they use P2P technologies, they

Health Care Insurance in CaliforniaCalifornia Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata (D) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D) on Thursday merged their health care proposals into a single bill (AB 8) that would require employers to contribute 7.5% of their payrolls to workers' health coverage, the Los Angeles Times reports. The proposal excludes a requirement that all state residents obtain health care insurance -- a "cornerstone" of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) health care proposal, the Times reports (Rau, Los Angeles Times, 6/22).Both chambers of the California Legislature earlier this month approved Democratic plans to overhaul the state health care system and provide health insurance coverage for more uninsured residents. Following the vote, Democratic lawmakers and a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger said that they will work during the summer to negotiate a compromise plan.Schwarzenegger's health insurance plan would levy a 4% fee on businesses that do not provide health b

Click on the LINK to sign the petition to create legislation by statute to include deaf people in the general regulations concerning the fire and emergency alarm systems in all public, commercial and industrial buildings in Britain. Closing date is 3 April 2008

Spinal muscular atrophy legislation, “The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act”, will soon be introduced in both the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. What is spinal muscular atrophy? Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive (meaning the disorder is inherited by receiving one gene from both mother and father) neuromuscluar disorder that affects motor neurons of the spinal cord and brainstem. Motor neurons are responsible for supplying electrical and chemical messages to muscle cells. Without proper input from motor neurons, muscle cells don’t function properly and become much smaller (atrophy), producing symptoms of muscle weakness and affecting the ability to swallow, breath and move limbs. SMA kills more babies than any other genetic disease and it is estimated that it occurs in between 1:6,000 and 1:20,000 births annually. Approximately 1:40 to 1:50 people are carriers of this genetic disease (1). The region on human chromosome 5 that cont

A Discussion about recent changes to relationship issues affecting British passport holders Hello everyone, Bob has asked me to write a post today as it is Saturday, I thought I would start by writing something that I feel I know about, and although is more directed at British passport holders, I hope its of interest to [...]

Since I saw good discussions on some of my columns in June, I want to begin taking time each week to highlight these comments and my response to them. I can only highlight a few comments at a time in order to keep post length reasonable. goldnsilver lured me into discussion in my posts, The [...]

This is the GMC output at this minute on this doctor ( see below).The GMC is currently acting to "protect the public". If Dr Asha were to escape out of the clutches of the police, he would be able to take up another locum post anywhere in the UK, Ireland etc. The latest from the BBC is presented here.In the meantime, searches have been carried at North Staffordshire NHS Trust Staffordshire the place who employed him in the first place. This is of course the same place who has currently employed a doctor on the sex offender's register. Charles Redman was given his job back by the Trust. The generosity of the Trust in question who covers up the deaths of patients on Ward 87 is astounding.Results of search on 02 JUL 2007 at 16:34:56. The details shown are valid at the date and time of the search only.GMC Reference Number6099334Given NamesMohammed Jamil AbdelqaderSurnameAshaSexMaleRegistration StatusRegisteredMore DetailsPrimary Medical QualificationMB BS 2004 Jordan (Conferred)Specialist

Maine has become the first state in the union to pass legislation on net neutrality. The resolution, LD 1675, recognizes the importance of “full, fair and non-discriminatory access to the Internet” and instructs the Public Advocate to study what can be done to protect the rights of Maine internet users.   Lawmakers and consumer advocacy groups had nothing but good things to say about the resolution:   “Maine is the first state in the nation to stand up for its citizens’ rights to a nondiscriminatory internet,” said Senator Ethan Strimling, the original sponsor of LD 1675. “The rest of the nation should follow suit and study what can be done to protect net neutrality.”   Shenna Bellows, Executive Director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union said, “Maine is once again leading the way in protecting the rights of its citizens. This resolution will help re-establish the internet as the free and open arena of democracy it was always intended

The NRA and the Democrats agreed on something, and Hell didn't freeze over.The House passed a bill that would strengthen the background checks done before a gun purchase to prevent someone like the Virginia Tech shooter from obtaining a firearm by adding those who are "mentally defective" to the list of people who will be red flagged during a background check.The House passed the bill by voice vote and only one member had some opposition to it. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Congressman No himselfThe bill is expected to pass the Senate and be signed by the President.Thinking about it though, I'm not too sure how I feel about the term "mentally defective." It sounds like we're talking about a household appliance instead of a human being. It kinda bothers me actually.

More on Oregon's bill A bill that won final legislative approval Wednesday will require publishers to be clearer about prices and options for college textbooks, the cost of which can burden students and parents. Senate Bill 365 repassed the Senate on a 17-11 vote and heads to the desk of Gov. Ted Kulongoski. It was requested by the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group and the Oregon Student Association.

The House today passed a law for better control to keep criminals from buying guns:WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Wednesday passed what could become the first major federal gun control law in over a decade, spurred by the Virginia Tech campus killings and buttressed by National Rifle Association help.The bill, which was passed on a voice vote, would improve state reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to stop gun purchases by people, including criminals and those adjudicated as mentally ill, who are prohibited from possessing firearms.Seung-Hui Cho, who in April killed 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech before taking his own life, had been ordered to undergo outpatient mental health treatment and should have been barred from buying two guns he used in the rampage. But the state of Virginia had never forwarded this information to the national background check system.It's certainly time already to start keeping a proper eye on dangerous characters and to e

This from Alexander Russo at This Week in Education:Take a look at this overview of big-time DC lobbyists from Washingtonian and you'll not only see a lot of names that should be familiar to you (if you're in DC) -- Podesta, Boggs, Podesta, Weber -- but also learn a lot about how it all works -- the dark art of the earmark (a favorite of universities needing new buildings), the rivalry between private lobbying firms and law firms with lobbying practices, and the big money that's involved to get things done. Find a client with an unmet need.Grind out an earmark or a change in the law. Mind it, to make sure it stays in there through committee, the floor, and the conference report.Education insiders and Hill staff may have better day to day access know more about the issues in a general sense but they're often outmatched when it comes to specific interests, deep political knowledge, and legislative ins and outs. Really, it's not fair. Funny that nearly all the firms are now owned by

A hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is a criminal offense committed against a person, property or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin. —Original language for defining a hate crime, U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation The story came to light in the beginning by way of Internet emails. A young couple, Channon Christian and Chris Newsom, were murdered while out on a date in January, 2007. Christian and Newsom were reportedly carjacked in Knoxville, Tennessee as they left a friend’s house. Various accounts appeared on Web sites and blogs. Knoxville TV station WBIR covered the story. Reports surfaced, of rape, torture and murder following the carjacking. National media paid very little attention. Recently in Jacksonville, Florida, Benjamin Lee Washington, 24, was sentenced to life in prison, convicted for second degree murder in the death of Chad David

Not only has U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) been making quite an impression during the recent Republican presidential debates, he's introduced a bill that would curb restrictions imposed by the FDA and FTC regarding health claims for dietary supplements.The Health Freedom Protection Act would prevent the FDA from censoring truthful claims about the curative or preventative effect of dietary supplements, a popular issue for Americans but not necessarily Congressmen, especially for those receiving donations from the mega-drug company cartel.According to this interesting Lew Rockwell report, one of the more recent flashpoints in the debate over dietary supplements occurred eight years ago after studies emerged that tart cherries may do more good than aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs when it comes to pain relief.When cherry growers began to cite this research, the FDA came down hard on 29 of them, threatening legal action if they didn't remove the scientific evidence about cherries