Weekly Justice Highlights

Good news: The Senate voted to end ethanol subsidies this past week. Individuals are invited to tell Secretary Tom Vilsack to support this position at the G20.

Immigrants: E-Verify allows employers to electronically verify workers’ employment eligibility with government data bases that can be with error. Urge federal legislators to block expansion of E-Verify that does not include comprehensive immigration reform (see directions at top of page).

Call (202.456.111 (charges apply)) or email Vice President Biden urging him to find ways to increase revenue as negotiations continue with regard to the deficit. Encourage him to invest in public works that create jobs that reduce the number on safety-net programs and reduce unemployment benefits. Thus revenue will increase as the newly employed pay income, Medicare and payroll taxes.

Urge Governor Jerry Brown to sign The Fair Treatment of Farm Workers Act (SB 104) that makes it easy for farm workers to have a union and allows farm workers to enforce the laws themselves (look for SB 104 on web page).

Call President Obama to impose serious consequences on the Government of Sudan, freeze assets of its leaders and their businesses, and expand war crimes investigations by calling 1.800.GENOCIDE (no charge)

Urge President Obama and Congress to stand for human rights and apologize for the terrible mistreatment that Maher Arar suffered in Syria.

Movement for a constitutional amendment is growing to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC. Sign a petition for an amendment (left side of screen).

Sign an open letter to the National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency asking to restore Blair Mountain’s status on the National Register of Historic Places and protect it from destruction by mountaintop removal coal mining.

Call and urge federal legislators (202.224.3121, charges apply) to reject Medicaid cuts in any form. Cuts to this program shift costs to states and transfer the burden to people with disabilities and seniors who are some of the most at risk in our society.

Call President Obama (202.456.1111, charges apply) urging him to ensure that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture issues and enforces the new Packers and Stockyards livestock fairness rule now. The rule would enable family farmers and ranchers to information they need to make sound business decisions and obtain fair prices to keep families operating.

What does it mean to have collective bargaining rights? When workers are not at the table, much can go wrong as this video illustrates.

Congressman Yarmuth and Louisville: This week, the Courier Journal spoke about budget cuts to Kentucky’s only trout hatchery at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery near Jamestown. Contact Congressman Yarmuth at 582.5129 or 933.5863 (local numbers from constituents) to oppose this proposed budget cut because it hurts the economy of Kentucky.