Accomplishments on Legislation

January to March 2012

The Hyatt Boycott calling to uphold the dignity of women (reinstate the Reyes sisters) received boosts from the CA Democratic Party, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Gloria Steinem who pledged to boycott Hyatt. In Indianapolis where the Super Bowl was held, the NFL Players Association Leader, DeMaurice Smith and Maggie Lewis, President of Indianapolis City-City Council joined Indy Hyatt Workers.

During the KY General Assembly, the House Health and Welfare Committee passed the Smoke-free KY Act. The legislation (HB 289) was transferred to and didn’t make it out of the Appropriations and Revenue Committee.

A March 1, Nuclear Missile Test was cancelled. This was the second time in less than six months that the Air Force cancelled a nuclear missile test after pressure from the concerned citizens. The first cancellation was on International Peace Day.

In early March, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, a landmark bill that will dedicate 80% of BP’s Clean Water Act fines where they’re needed most- to restore the Gulf Coast economy and the wildlife and communities who live there.

In March, the U.S. Court of Appeals blocked further implementation of two provisions of Alabama’s discriminatory anti-immigrant law, HB 56. These provisions, which criminalized any interaction between undocumented immigrants and state or local government officials, and made contracts between undocumented immigrants and any other person unenforceable, have wreaked havoc on all Alabamians, citizen and non-citizen alike.

In March, the Senate voted to save clean air by supporting a rule limiting mercury and other toxic air pollution from industrial boilers. This rule prevents up to 8100 premature deaths/year and reduces toxic mercury pollution that is known to cause brain damage in kids.

In March, the world’s largest private agro-chemical corporation, Arysta LifeScience, announced it would immediately pull methyl iodide off the shelves in California and across America thus increasing safe food production and farm worker safety.

In March, the Senate rejected a bill fast-tracking the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project, which would transport dirty tar sands oils from Canada’s boreal forest to American refineries in Texas.