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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Voting records of Congress on toxic chemicals


EWG sent me this chart on the voting records of Congressmen on bills to weaken safety from toxic chemicals.  We can be proud of Ciciline and Langevin - they both have perfect records.  But if you know people in states that aren't so lucky, you might want to share this record with them.  if you click on the orange "click here" phrase below, you can right click to copy and paste the actual link into the browser.  Take action.  Spread the word!

In the past three years, Congress has reversed or delayed chemical bans, gutted chemical safety rules, rejected sound science, weakened worker and consumer protections, and denied justice to asbestos victims. But many representatives are hoping to hide their toxic voting records.
Here at EWG Action Fund, we think you deserve to know the truth about these votes.
EWG Action Fund went through and examined the voting record of every member of the U.S. House of Representatives and created a toxic chemical policy scorecard so you can know where your member stands.
This is the first time there has been a scorecard focused solely on chemicals and your health.
Here is how to read the scorecard:
  • The scorecard is organized alphabetically by state and then numerically by congressional district.
  • Next to the representative’s name, we have listed 17 bills and indicated when the representative voted to strengthen (green checkmark) or weaken (red x-mark) policy related to chemicals in the environment.
  • We calculated the percentage of their votes that were pro-environment and gave each member a score. The higher the score, the more they voted to protect our environment and health.
You can learn more about the different bills here.
Thanks,
- EWG Action Fund


questions for legislators

At our candidates' forums and in candidates's statements we have been seeing interest in changing the rules of the legislature so that bills important to the people will receive a hearing on the floor.  For years, the House leadership has been able to prevent controversial bills from being voted on.  If we all keep bringing this up in our forums maybe the message will get through that we are tired of business as usual.

Friday, September 14, 2018

LWVRI supports the right to education. Meeting announcement for Sept 20

Dear Friend,

As children in Rhode Island returned to school this month, many were returning to schools that are in urgent need of both physical and instructional improvement. Last spring, a group of educators and parents formed Friends of Rhode Island Public Schools (FRIPS) to advocate for the state’s public schools and students. (Our mission statement is attached.) We invite you to join us at the Rochambeau Library next Thursday, September 20, at 5:30 pm, to hear about FRIPS and our plan to work with Columbia University’s Center for Educational Equity.

 
The Center for Educational Equity is bringing a lawsuit in Rhode Island federal district court this fall to establish a nationwide right to an education that prepares all students to be capable citizens. Schools in Rhode Island and throughout the country have been failing to carry out this prime responsibility for decades. Victory would establish a federal right that would require state policymakers to enact appropriate educational reforms and ensure equitable funding on an ongoing basis. (The center’s presentation is attached.) Public support and engagement is critical to the success of this effort. To that end, our group has been asked to help find plaintiffs and to sponsor forums across the state.

To hear more, ask questions, and share your concerns and comments, please come to our meeting at the Rochambeau Library at 5:30 next Thursday, September 20. The library is at 708 Hope Street in Providence.

 
Best,
Joanne DeVoe
Paul Graseck
Carole Marshall