Legislative Accomplishments

Legislative Accomplishments April to June 2012

In April, Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut signed legislation to abolish the Death Penalty.  Connecticut becomes the 17^th state to abandon the death penalty.   

In April, several of the largest tobacco companies, including Reynolds American, agreed to designate a committee made of representatives of tobacco manufacturers, tobacco growers, and farmworkers agreed to meet with FLOC. 

In April, President Obama signed the STOCK Act that requires proactive online disclosure of public officials’ financial dealings.  This act will improve accountability if Congress and the administration create a website that allows the public to quickly find the information in a format that is easy to understand. 

In May, the U.S. Senate passed the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act. This is an important step in upholding the rights of adolescent girls around the world and a critical step in preventing the harmful practice of child marriage.

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed clean air standards that could save thousands of lives and sweep the air clean of choking haze.  A federal judge ordered the EPA to get moving on this proposal. 

In June, the Obama Administration granted relief from deportations to DREAMers and provided a pathway to work permits. 

In June, Texas announced that it would test the DNA on the potential execution of Hank Skinner at the urging of the public. 

In June, the Senate rejected a measure intended to roll back the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), a rule that would limit mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants.

In June, the New York legislature stopped Vulture Funds in New York.  Jubilee activists stopped A7967 and S3767. One of these pieces of legislation would have allowed these funds to litigate poor countries into submission. Both Zambia and the Ivory Coast would have been impacted.

In June, all anti-Clean Water Act amendments were stripped from the Senate Farm Bill. 

In June, the U.S. Senate passed a fair Farm Bill that promotes human dignity, feeds the hungry, supports small family farmers and fosters stewardship of creation. 

In June the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, announced that Ecuador will no longer send its soldiers to the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC).