Tag Archives: Grassroots Democracy

LJS Editorial: Reconsider noise restrictions for wind turbines

News,

From the Lincoln Journal Star:

The Lancaster County Board should heed the request of a local coalition that it take another look at the super-strict noise limits it approved last year for wind turbines.

As John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, told the board last week, the regulations “make it next to impossible to develop wind energy in our county.”

The county board’s action takes a sizable bite out of property rights, and imposes an undue regulatory burden on industry.

The new regulations set a noise limit of 40 decibels in the day and 37 at night for wind turbines.

To put the limit in perspective, the board members probably exceeded the daytime limits in their own meeting room when they were discussing the issue.

Read the full editorial.

People’s Film Festival March 15 in Omaha

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The next People’s Film Festival showing is next Tuesday, March 15 , at 7 p.m. at First Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney Street, Omaha. The film is “Pay 2 Play,” which documents filmmaker John Ennis’ quest to find a way out of the system where politicians reward their donors with ever larger sums from the public treasury. The topic could not be more timely!

Watch 2:15-minute trailer.

Super Tuesday: The empire strikes back, but the rebellion lives

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From Jill Stein and Jill2016.com:

Super Tuesday was a big win for oligarchy, as the Democratic Party establishment delivered over 60% of available delegates for Hillary Clinton and billionaire demagogue Donald Trump stomped to victory in 8 states.

But despite the dominance of Clinton and Trump, the millions of votes for Bernie Sanders show that Americans are hungry for sweeping changes to a broken system that’s throwing workers, students, the middle class and the poor under the bus.

I agree with Bernie and his supporters that we must take our democracy back from the billionaires, win economic justice for the 99%, confront the existential threat of climate meltdown, adopt an improved Medicare For All healthcare system, provide a welcoming path to citizenship, and end racist violence in our criminal justice system.

On many issues, we must go further – for example, by canceling all student loan debt, urgently transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030, nationalizing the Federal Reserve, and reforming the electoral system with measures like proportional representation. And we must roll back the military-industrial-surveillance complex that is undermining our liberty and security while bankrupting us financially and morally.

Read more at Jill2016.com.

Anti-death penalty campaign kicks off

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

A group of Nebraskans who want voters to uphold the Legislature’s repeal of the death penalty kicked off a statewide education campaign Wednesday.

The group scheduled a news conference at the Capitol to launch the campaign and unveil its new name: Retain a Just Nebraska.

The name change from Nebraskans for Public Safety reflects the action needed to support the death penalty repeal (LB268) passed last session, said spokesman Dan Parsons.

Support for abolishing the death penalty is diverse, he said, and includes fiscal conservatives, law enforcement officials, faith leaders and murder victims’ families.

Senators won a hard-fought battle in passing a repeal bill introduced by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, one he had introduced 37 times during his tenure in the Legislature. The bill advanced through three rounds of debate, was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, and then senators voted to override the veto.

Before the repeal could go into effect, Nebraskans for the Death Penalty launched a petition drive to stop the repeal until Nebraska voters could weigh in in November on whether or not the state should continue to have capital punishment.

Now those who supported the repeal want voters to endorse it.

Read the full story.

Show support for two fracking-related bills Feb. 17

Action Alerts,

From BOLD Nebraska:

This Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 1:30 p.m., the Legislature will hold a hearing on two fracking-related bills, and the Senators on the Natural Resources Committee who will first vote on these new protections for our water need to hear from you. Click here to submit your written testimony on fracking that we’ll deliver at the hearing.

At the hearing on Wednesday, the Legislature will hear testimony on LB 1070 and LB 1082:

LB 1070: Requires fracking wastewater injection wells to secure $1 million+ in liability insurance. Restricts permits if the groundwater aquifer is close to the surface.

LB 1082: Fixes the clear conflict of interest at the Nebraska Oil & Gas Commission, by eliminating the regulatory agency’s dual role of “promoting” the oil and gas industry in the state. Requires more public hearings and notification about wastewater projects. Mandates additional well monitoring and well fluid analysis that is not being done now.

Thanks to all of you who in the past year have testified at hearings across the state, signed a petition or letter to your senator, or made a donation to support our work to strengthen the laws that protect our water.

Bold Nebraska and Jane Kleeb will be at the hearing on Wednesday to testify in support of LB 1070 and LB 1082. We encourage you to join us in person, or else submit a comment that we’ll deliver to Senators at the hearing.  Click here to check out our “Testimony Tips” and submit your written testimony.

Help End the Death Penalty Now!

Action Alerts, ,

From Nebraskans for Public Safety and Senator Adam Morfeld:

Let’s be clear about something: Right now, Nebraska is at the center of the fight to end the death penalty in this country. We ended it last spring in the Unicameral — one of my proudest moments in the legislature — and we must now defend that vote on Election Day.

With your help, we can.

I recently wrote to let you know that we received commitments from national organizations working to end the death penalty. In order to secure their support, we have to show our strength and raise matching funds from fellow Nebraskans like yourself. Help reach our matching gift goal.

The death penalty is unjust, expensive, and simply doesn’t work; our ability to end it once and for all is critical. Can you help get us to the finish line? A $25 commitment today from everyone on this list is what it will take to secure the dollar-for-dollar match from national funders. But our time is limited. We need to secure these funds.

Let’s do it, Nebraska — let’s end the death penalty in our great state once and for all.

Thank you for your support.

Senator Adam Morfeld, District 46

Donate to Nebraskans for Public Safety

How to Volunteer with Nebraskans for Public Safety

Dr. Jill Stein: People’s State of the Union

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From jill2016.com:

The Precarious State of Our Union: A Bipartisan Disaster We Can Fix

From the viewpoint of everyday Americans, the State of our Union, in point of fact, is not strong. In reality, we are in a state of historic crisis – for our economy, ecology, democracy and security.

Thankfully, these crises are still eminently solvable. With a majority of Americans disapproving of both establishment parties, there is unprecedented momentum for a new way forward, based on principles of democracy, justice and peace, towards an America and a world that works for all of us.

Republicans have long been recognized as unabashed servants of the economic elite, leading the charge against the public interest. But they have not been alone.

Democratic priorities were clear when President Obama had two Democratic Houses of Congress to support him, as the party went to bat for trillions in Wall Street bailouts, tax cuts for the rich, job-killing corporate trade agreements, austerity budgets, health care reform that locked single payer out and private profits in, mass deportations of hardworking immigrants, privatization of schools, expanding wars for oil and regime change, climate-killing “all of the above” energy policies, and unprecedented assaults on privacy and press freedoms.

As a result of this bipartisan assault, we have not had a recovery by any measure.

Read the full People’s State of the Union.

TransCanada sues U.S. and files NAFTA claim for KXL rejection

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

TransCanada has filed a lawsuit and a $15 billion NAFTA claim seeking to recover costs and damages in response to President Barack Obama’s rejection of a permit for its Keystone XL pipeline.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Houston and says Obama’s November decision to deny a cross-border permit for the $8 billion pipeline violated his power under the Constitution.

The Calgary, Alberta-based company spent $3.1 billion trying to bring the project to fruition. The $15 billion figure takes into account what it says is the lost value of its investments and its lost economic return.

Read the full story.

War veteran and state senator team up to support medical marijuana bill

News,

From the Lincoln Journal Star:

Ben Marksmeier has shown bravery in a number of ways, including his service in Iraq with the Army National Guard.

This is another way: He has chosen to talk openly about his use of an illegal drug, medical cannabis, to ease the extreme pain he inherited when part of his right leg was blown off and the left one mangled by a roadside bomb that hit his convoy south of Baghdad.

Marksmeier, 30, of Fremont, went with Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue last fall to press conferences and media interviews in several Nebraska towns to help promote the need for Garrett’s bill (LB643).

People of Nebraska need the opportunity to choose, he said. He’d like to have the option to choose cannabis rather than oxycodone or methadone or other powerful, addicting, full-of-chemicals drugs for his pain.

Read the full story.

Jill Stein: Update from the Campaign Trail

News,

From jill2016.com:

Season’s greetings from the campaign trail!  After the whirlwind of the last 2 months, including 7 states and 2 international gatherings, it’s clearer than ever that the peaceful rebellion is gathering steam.

I’ve never seen so many people ready to break free of the corrupt two-party system, and work together to build an independent political movement for people, planet, and peace over profit.

As urgently as we need this movement – it’s also clear that it will only happen if people like you and me make it happen together. We are now on the verge of qualifying for federal matching funds, which will massively increase our campaign’s ability to reach the millions of Americans who are looking for a new political home!

To clarify the historic opportunities ahead, let me share some excitement from the campaign trail.

Read the full state-by-state update at jill2016.com.