IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Court actions
o Affordable Care Act (ACA)
o Gun Restrictions
o Executive Orders
VOTER FRAUD PROTECTION
HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION
CHARITABLE GIVING
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEBSITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Now is the time to make plans to attend the National Legislative Seminar. The
seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn Crystal City on March 15-18, 2020. The registration form can be found on the United States Forum website (www.usforumdkg.org). The main issues we will be addressing are issues such as human trafficking, gun violence as it pertains to school shootings, opioid crisis and vaping among our students, and mental health issues with students. There will be additional topics from survey taken at the international conferences this past summer.
Before you come to the NLS, get with the other women in your state and schedule your visits to your legislators for Tuesday, March 17. This is our day to visit Capitol Hill. Even if you are unable to get a time set with one of your legislators, plan on stopping by their office and leaving some information on the US Forum, a business card, and issues of concern. The steering committee will be providing folders and brochures for each state to use. Look for that communication to come out by email in early January. However, now is the time to start making contacts with your legislators.
Be sure to take advantage of one or more of the optional tours that are provided. Check your registration form for more details. The Capitol Steps performance offered on Saturday night is very popular. Come and enjoy the networking with other DKG members.
Court actions
Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- During this session of Congress, more and more legal action is winding up in court. The fate of the Affordable Care Act will be decided by June 2020 in the Supreme Court.
Gun Restrictions -- Legislation passed in 2005, does not allow any legal action to be taken against a gun manufacturer for injury caused by a gun even if a shooting occurs as a result of a defect in manufacturing. The New Town shooting which killed 20 children and six adults took place December 14, 2012. A suit was filed in Connecticut State Court by the families of 9 children and one teacher in December 2014. This litigation filed in Connecticut State Court is based on the fact that the gun company (Remington) bears responsibility because the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle which was used in the shooting should not have been sold to the general public because of the way in which the gun was marketed. The gun was marketed using video games and methods by which Remington specifically targeted young males. Because of this specific marketing, the company was liable. The gun manufacturer attempted to have the law suit thrown out citing the 2005 law. The lawsuit which limited itself to how the gun was marketed was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the lawsuit could go forward as it was limited based on the manner in which the gun was marketed. The suit now returns to Connecticut courts.
Executive Orders Another matter recently referred to the Supreme Court involves DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). This was an executive order issued by President Obama which shielded from deportation people who came into the country as children. After President Trump came into office, he issued an executive order which negated the executive order of President Obama. What the Supreme Court is to decide is whether there is any limitation as applied to executive orders.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/opinion/Supreme-Court-DACA-Trump-taxes.html
[Editor’s note: I have long thought that this deferral had some unintended consequences. In signing up for DACA, the individual had to give name, address and other pertinent information. Although the person was shielded from deportation, other undocumented aliens in the household could easily be located and subject to deportation.]
VOTER FRAUD PROTECTION
Protection against hacking of states votes by other countries is addressed by several pieces of legislation. The most likely of these to become law is the Election Security Act of 2019 (S.1540, H.R.2660). Currently the Senate bill has 40 cosponsors and the House bill has 54 cosponsors. The bills call for the use of paper ballots with specific printing, counting methods and certification of the votes.
HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION
Several House/Senate coordinated bills aimed at higher education have recently been introduced in Congress. The Students Not Profits Act of 2019 (S.2640, H.R.4724) introduced October 17, 2019 would make students at for profit institutions ineligible for Federal student aid. The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2019 introduced October 22 ,2019 (S.2667, H.R.1075) would amend the Federal Pell Grant program to make application easier by reducing the number of questions to 30 or less on the application form. Additionally there are several other bills which address college student aid. The Protect the GI Bill Act (H.R. 4625) passed the House November 12, 2019. Several other bills which deal with higher education have been introduced, but none of these bills have been acted upon.
Working together for a better tomorrow!
CHARITABLE GIVING
As the giving time of the year approaches, consider evaluating your choices by using Charity Navigator at https://www.charitynavigator.org/
The site allows one to see whether a charity has been evaluated by this organization, how it is rated, and the percentage of contributions which go to administrative costs and the percentage of contributions that go to the program. Additionally by clicking on “details” and going to the bottom of the evaluation, four to five similar charities and their ratings are given.
As of October 1, over 250 bills have been passed by the House. Few have been brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
**********************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U.S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum and a Group page online at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2269724846587657/?source_id=349823881770007
Let us know the issues that concern you and let your voice be heard!
FORUM WEBSITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. [This is not a toll-free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which
is not toll free both of which are available at
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
****************************************************************************************************
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Court actions
o Affordable Care Act (ACA)
o Gun Restrictions
o Executive Orders
VOTER FRAUD PROTECTION
HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION
CHARITABLE GIVING
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEBSITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Now is the time to make plans to attend the National Legislative Seminar. The
seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn Crystal City on March 15-18, 2020. The registration form can be found on the United States Forum website (www.usforumdkg.org). The main issues we will be addressing are issues such as human trafficking, gun violence as it pertains to school shootings, opioid crisis and vaping among our students, and mental health issues with students. There will be additional topics from survey taken at the international conferences this past summer.
Before you come to the NLS, get with the other women in your state and schedule your visits to your legislators for Tuesday, March 17. This is our day to visit Capitol Hill. Even if you are unable to get a time set with one of your legislators, plan on stopping by their office and leaving some information on the US Forum, a business card, and issues of concern. The steering committee will be providing folders and brochures for each state to use. Look for that communication to come out by email in early January. However, now is the time to start making contacts with your legislators.
Be sure to take advantage of one or more of the optional tours that are provided. Check your registration form for more details. The Capitol Steps performance offered on Saturday night is very popular. Come and enjoy the networking with other DKG members.
Court actions
Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- During this session of Congress, more and more legal action is winding up in court. The fate of the Affordable Care Act will be decided by June 2020 in the Supreme Court.
Gun Restrictions -- Legislation passed in 2005, does not allow any legal action to be taken against a gun manufacturer for injury caused by a gun even if a shooting occurs as a result of a defect in manufacturing. The New Town shooting which killed 20 children and six adults took place December 14, 2012. A suit was filed in Connecticut State Court by the families of 9 children and one teacher in December 2014. This litigation filed in Connecticut State Court is based on the fact that the gun company (Remington) bears responsibility because the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle which was used in the shooting should not have been sold to the general public because of the way in which the gun was marketed. The gun was marketed using video games and methods by which Remington specifically targeted young males. Because of this specific marketing, the company was liable. The gun manufacturer attempted to have the law suit thrown out citing the 2005 law. The lawsuit which limited itself to how the gun was marketed was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that the lawsuit could go forward as it was limited based on the manner in which the gun was marketed. The suit now returns to Connecticut courts.
Executive Orders Another matter recently referred to the Supreme Court involves DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). This was an executive order issued by President Obama which shielded from deportation people who came into the country as children. After President Trump came into office, he issued an executive order which negated the executive order of President Obama. What the Supreme Court is to decide is whether there is any limitation as applied to executive orders.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/opinion/Supreme-Court-DACA-Trump-taxes.html
[Editor’s note: I have long thought that this deferral had some unintended consequences. In signing up for DACA, the individual had to give name, address and other pertinent information. Although the person was shielded from deportation, other undocumented aliens in the household could easily be located and subject to deportation.]
VOTER FRAUD PROTECTION
Protection against hacking of states votes by other countries is addressed by several pieces of legislation. The most likely of these to become law is the Election Security Act of 2019 (S.1540, H.R.2660). Currently the Senate bill has 40 cosponsors and the House bill has 54 cosponsors. The bills call for the use of paper ballots with specific printing, counting methods and certification of the votes.
HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION
Several House/Senate coordinated bills aimed at higher education have recently been introduced in Congress. The Students Not Profits Act of 2019 (S.2640, H.R.4724) introduced October 17, 2019 would make students at for profit institutions ineligible for Federal student aid. The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2019 introduced October 22 ,2019 (S.2667, H.R.1075) would amend the Federal Pell Grant program to make application easier by reducing the number of questions to 30 or less on the application form. Additionally there are several other bills which address college student aid. The Protect the GI Bill Act (H.R. 4625) passed the House November 12, 2019. Several other bills which deal with higher education have been introduced, but none of these bills have been acted upon.
Working together for a better tomorrow!
CHARITABLE GIVING
As the giving time of the year approaches, consider evaluating your choices by using Charity Navigator at https://www.charitynavigator.org/
The site allows one to see whether a charity has been evaluated by this organization, how it is rated, and the percentage of contributions which go to administrative costs and the percentage of contributions that go to the program. Additionally by clicking on “details” and going to the bottom of the evaluation, four to five similar charities and their ratings are given.
As of October 1, over 250 bills have been passed by the House. Few have been brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
**********************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U.S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum and a Group page online at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2269724846587657/?source_id=349823881770007
Let us know the issues that concern you and let your voice be heard!
FORUM WEBSITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. [This is not a toll-free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which
is not toll free both of which are available at
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
****************************************************************************************************