In early 2014, Missouri state Rep. Rick Brattin proposed a law that would require all teachers in science classrooms—including the college level—to give equal class time to intelligent design and creationism as they would to the scientifically recognized theory of evolution. Outraged MoveOn member Michelle Burdick started a MoveOn Petition demanding that the state Legislature keep creationism out of the classroom.
When Yanko Matias and Eluvia Lopez were threatened with foreclosure, they knew they needed to take action in a big way. That’s why, along with the organization New Bottom Line, they started a MoveOn Petition asking the U.S. Senate to end the months-long battle to confirm Representative Mel Watt as the new head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
In 2010, progressive champions in the Senate, including Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, fought to pass the Volcker Rule firewall, which restricts high-risk trading by big banks. The firewall, which is meant to protect taxpayers if Wall Street’s bad bets blow up, was met with opposition from big bank lobbyists. That’s why Sen. Merkley started a MoveOn Petition telling Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to keep the so-called “JPMorgan Loophole,” which would blow holes in the firewall, out of the law.
The ingredients that go into cosmetics and personal care products aren’t regulated by the federal government—so it’s up to stores to protect their consumers from toxic chemicals in these products. That’s why Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner of MomsRising.org started a MoveOn Petition telling retail giant Target to ban poisonous chemicals from the store’s beauty and personal care aisles, expand their selection of safer products, and increase transparency about their progress in addressing safe cosmetics.
This year, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act and dozens of U.S. states got busy introducing restrictive voting bills that would prevent poor, minority, and elderly voters from making it to the polls. Meanwhile, Massachusetts legislators were working to pass an election modernization bill that would allow online voter registration and early voting. That’s why Sara Brady of the organization MassVOTE started several MoveOn Petitions asking members of the Massachusetts General Court to stand up for the state’s voters and pass the bill.
When a house bill in Montana threatened to allow guns on school campuses and other public places, Andy Pelosi of GunFreeKids.org took action by starting a MoveOn Petition.
Celeste Greig, head of the California Republican Assembly, told the media that pregnancies by rape are rare “because it’s an act of violence, because the body is traumatized.” The Courage Campaign started a MoveOn Petition calling for Greig’s resignation from her leadership position over the unscientific, offensive comments.
DCP Midstream proposed building of a 22 million-gallon liquid propane storage tank in Searsport, Maine, which would mean more than a hundred trucks carrying highly volatile fuel through small coastal towns, causing noise, air, and light pollution. So Nancy-Linn Nellis started a MoveOn Petition to Maine’s governor and legislature to stop the proposal.
When budgetary concerns in the state of New York threatened funds for the proposed Catskill Mountain Rail Trail, MoveOn member Eve Fox started two MoveOn Petitions asking New York legislators to restore the funding.
After Governor Phil Bryant nominated anti-choice extremist Terri Herring to the Mississippi Board of Health, Mississippi United Against Personhood started a MoveOn Petition urging the Senate to block the nomination.