The U.S. Navy was set to begin an explosives and sonar training program off the coast of Southern California in 2013. According to estimates, the use of high-frequency underwater sound for testing would deafen more than 15,900 whales and dolphins and kill 1,800 more over the next five years. So MoveOn member Linda Storey started a MoveOn Petition asking the Navy to stop the training program.
When legislation was introduced that would allow climate denial to be taught in Arizona public schools, Vincent Pawlowski started a MoveOn Petition, along with 350.org and Forecast the Facts, urging committee chairwoman Kimberly Yee to kill the bill.
When Eric Szeman, the owner of the Route 66 Malt Shop in Albuquerque, refused to pay his employees the minimum wage they earned, they complained to the city. When they didn’t get any response, Pat Davis from ProgressNow New Mexico created a MoveOn Petition calling on Szeman to follow the law and Mayor Richard Berry to enforce it.
When partisan infighting was keeping the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) from being reauthorized, rape survivor Sheila Thomas created a MoveOn Petition calling on Republicans in the House to pass VAWA without further delay.
When states had the opportunity to expand Medicaid benefits by accepting national funds through Obamacare, several tea party governors resisted. So New Mexico MoveOn member Robbyne Jones created a MoveOn Petition calling on Governor Susana Martinez to carry out the Medicaid expansion. Meanwhile, in Michigan and Ohio, Fran Brennan and Dan Heck from Working America started petitions calling on Governors Rick Snyder and John Kasich to accept the funding.
Plans to rebuild the historic Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, CA, once home to several Olympic divers, did not include an updated diving facility. So Scott Pierson started a MoveOn Petition urging the Long Beach City Council to include diving in its rebuilding plans.
Over the past decade, enrollment at for-profit colleges has grown exponentially. Mississippi is host to dozens of for-profit colleges. While they are regulated by the state, enforcement is uneven, and standards across schools are inconsistent. To bring attention to this issue, Whitney Barkley started a MoveOn Petition demanding that the Mississippi Legislature tighten regulations on private colleges.
In early February, the Atlanta City Council met to decide on whether to allocate $2.5 million to improving the city’s bike lanes. In order to show widespread support for the bike improvements, local resident Jonathan Bautista started a MoveOn Petition calling on the City Council to approve the funding.
Recently, several states’ Departments of Transportation announced that they would not grant driver’s licenses or state ID cards to young immigrants who qualify for work permits under President Obama’s new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In response, Matt Hildreth started a MoveOn Petition to the Iowa DOT Director asking him to reverse the decision.
When the Iowa Department of Transportation announced that it would not grant driver’s licenses or state ID cards to young immigrants who qualify for work permits under President Obama’s new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Matt Hildreth started a MoveOn Petition.