Weekly Justice Highlights

Good News: The U.S. State Department announced that a final decision on the tar sands Keystone XL pipeline is delayed pending an environmental review. The extraction and transportation process associated with tar sands oil would produce more carbon emissions than traditional oil. Thank President Obama for delaying this decision and urge him to ultimately reject it.  Additionally, Rand Paul’s resolution that would block a clean air rule and potentially prevent the EPA from ever issuing a similar rule was defeated.

Migrants: Urge U.S. Senators and Representatives to provide robust funding for Migration and Refugee services, including those of Iraqi refugees, in the State and Foreign Operations appropriate bill.  

Care of Earth: Call or write Administrator Fleming at the Environmental Protection Agency to urge her to protect KY from Mountaintop Removal Mining.

Urge U.S. Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 3368, the Latin America Military Training Review Act.  The bill would suspend operations at the (School of Americas) SOA/WHINSEC, investigate torture manuals and human rights abuses associated with the school. 

Urge U.S. Senators and Representatives to vote NO on any Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) to the Constitution.  A BBA would place limits on meeting growing population needs due to aging and disabilities and affect the long-term unemployed.

Call U.S. Representatives (1.202.224.3121, not toll free) urging them to oppose H.R. 2309, relating to the U.S. postal service, will eliminate 200,000 jobs including thousands of veterans, end Saturday service, end door delivery to 90 percent of households and businesses, and close thousands of local post offices. 

Urge U.S. Senators to fix the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that includes provisions making it more difficult to close Guantanamo Bay prison and explicitly allows for indefinite detention, without trial of individuals associated with Al Qaeda or the Taliban.

On November 20, people of all faiths will unite in prayer during a national “Super Vigil” to ask God to move the hearts of policy makers and encourage U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration to draft a fair federal budget NOT placing the burden on those living in poverty “while shielding the wealthiest from any additional sacrifice.” Materials for this prayer are located here.

Tipping Point: The End of Oil is a powerful new documentary by Clearwater Media. It introduces stories of real people whose health and way of life have been tragically upended by the “biggest construction project on the planet.” Included in the movie are the indigenous people of Fort Chipewyan who live downstream from Tar Sands and have been dying in disproportionate numbers from rare forms of cancer. This seems pertinent given our struggle with the Keystone XL pipeline.

KY: "Issues Confronting the 2012 Kentucky General Assembly" contains 47 issue briefs prepared by members of the Legislative Research Commission staff. The book is not meant as an exhaustive list of issues that lawmakers will consider, but reflects a balanced look at some of the main topics that have been discussed in legislative committee meetings. The publication can be viewed online here.