Senator Booker\’s Marijuana Provisions Pass House Judiciary Committee

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</p>
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<strong>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt; color: #c00000;\”>
<em data-reader-unique-id=\”5\”>
2017 Booker bill provided framework for MORE Act
</em>
</span>
</strong>
</p>
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</p>
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<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
<strong data-reader-unique-id=\”8\”>
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
</strong>
Three key
<strong data-reader-unique-id=\”9\”>
</strong>
marijuana provisions designed to reverse decades of failed drug policy and first introduced by
<strong data-reader-unique-id=\”10\”>
</strong>
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) passed the House Judiciary
<a class=\”asset-img-link\” href=\”https://www.gloucestercitynews.net/.a/6a00d8341bf7d953ef0240a4edabd2200b-popup\” onclick=\”window.open( this.href, \’_blank\’, \’width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0\’ ); return false\” style=\”float: left;\”>
<img alt=\”Election\” class=\”asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341bf7d953ef0240a4edabd2200b img-responsive\” src=\”https://www.gloucestercitynews.net/.a/6a00d8341bf7d953ef0240a4edabd2200b-350wi\” style=\”width: 350px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;\” title=\”Election\”/>
</a>
Committee today: record expungement, reinvestment in the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, and removing marijuana from the list of deportable offenses.
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</p>
<p data-reader-unique-id=\”12\”>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
Booker’s
<em data-reader-unique-id=\”13\”>
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”14\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D638&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNGJRwNjcjWOsD7PhTRs8-Q0gLNZiw\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=638\”>
Marijuana Justice Act
</a>
</em>
, originally introduced in 2017, was the first congressional bill to incorporate record expungement and community reinvestment with marijuana legalization. This legislation along with a
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”15\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D949&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNGeywg7yfYb9qo-dN3oU-M0NIUOYQ\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=949\”>
Booker provision
</a>
to remove marijuana from list of deportable offenses provided the framework for the
<em data-reader-unique-id=\”16\”>
Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019
</em>
(MORE) passed by the House today.
</span>
</p>
<p data-reader-unique-id=\”18\”>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
“This is a significant tipping point. The Committee passage of this bill is an important step towards reversing decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income individuals. These draconian laws have sacrificed critical resources, violated our values, destroyed families and communities, and failed to make us safer,”
<strong data-reader-unique-id=\”19\”>
Senator Booker said. “
</strong>
This legislation continues us down the path towards justice and I’m excited to see momentum growing around the movement to fix our nation’s broken drug laws.”
</span>
</p>
<p data-reader-unique-id=\”21\”>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
<u data-reader-unique-id=\”22\”>
Background on Booker’s leadership on issues of marijuana and criminal justice:
</u>
</span>
</p>
<p data-reader-unique-id=\”24\”>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
Booker has seen the effects of our broken marijuana laws first-hand, dating back to his time as a tenant lawyer, City Council member, and Mayor of Newark, where he created the city’s first office of prisoner re-entry to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into their communities. He is the author of the landmark
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”25\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D638&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNGJRwNjcjWOsD7PhTRs8-Q0gLNZiw\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=638\”>
Marijuana Justice Act
</a>
, which would end the federal prohibition on marijuana, automatically expunge the records of those convicted of federal marijuana use and possession crimes, and reinvest resources into the communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs through a community fund. Since
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”26\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2017/08/01/marijuana-justice-act-would-end-weed-prohibition-throughout-the-land/%2370de8b4e68c0&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNFVC_FpL2eRfSYo8o8CzWY7ou3OWQ\” href=\”https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2017/08/01/marijuana-justice-act-would-end-weed-prohibition-throughout-the-land/#70de8b4e68c0\”>
introducing the bill in 2017
</a>
, Booker has garnered support from Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ed Markey (D-MA).
</span>
</p>
<p data-reader-unique-id=\”28\”>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
In the Senate, Booker was an outspoken
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”29\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D608&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNEVZGNDbOO64zv7AoYxMpQgkIlzXQ\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=608\”>
critic of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ effort to revive the failed War on Drugs
</a>
. More recently, he pressed Attorney General William Barr on his stance on marijuana legalization and the rescission of the Cole memo, winning a
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”30\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/425466-barr-i-wouldnt-go-after-businesses-relying-on-obama-era-marijuana-policy&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNGzyUUCS1Lgmx18SN_ylUjHfs3x1A\” href=\”https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/425466-barr-i-wouldnt-go-after-businesses-relying-on-obama-era-marijuana-policy\”>
commitment
</a>
from Barr to leave states alone that have legalized marijuana.
</span>
</p>
<p data-reader-unique-id=\”32\”>
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 12pt;\”>
In addition to the Marijuana Justice Act, Booker is the co-author of the
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”33\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/medical-marijuana-bill-aims-to-fight-jeff-sessions-renewed-war-on-drugs-194046/&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNGP4_jeW154TTjMWKbP4S_mjK-7TA\” href=\”https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/medical-marijuana-bill-aims-to-fight-jeff-sessions-renewed-war-on-drugs-194046/\”>
bipartisan CARERS Act
</a>
, which would allow patients to access medical marijuana in states where it’s legal without fear of federal prosecution, and the
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”34\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D573&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNEhz7LTWPnp2MS-5avnpgU-6FCGDg\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=573\”>
bipartisan REDEEM Act
</a>
, which would allow nonviolent drug offenders to petition a court to seal and expunge their drug offenses, while automatically sealing, and in some cases
<strong>
<a href=\”https://www.kanialaw.com/tulsa-attorneys/criminal-defense/expungement-oklahoma-criminal-records\”>
expunging criminal records
</a>
</strong>
, the nonviolent records of juveniles. These reforms would reduce a major barrier that formerly incarcerated individuals face when attempting to rejoin society. He is also a co-sponsor of the
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”35\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D888&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNEH29la8rembeFYblUStyvai3KYNQ\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=888\”>
Fair Chance Act
</a>
, which prohibits the federal government and federal contractors from asking about the criminal history of a job applicant prior to a conditional offer of employment. Earlier this year, the Fair Chance Act
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”36\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D896&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNETSQiLnlVwrMUCMOSTdRENFp5AHg\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=896\”>
passed
</a>
out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government and Reform Committee. In June, Booker
<a data-reader-unique-id=\”37\” data-saferedirecturl=\”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p%3Dpress_release%26id%3D949&source=gmail&ust=1574379911540000&usg=AFQjCNGeywg7yfYb9qo-dN3oU-M0NIUOYQ\” href=\”https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=949\”>
introduced
</a>
legislation to remove marijuana from list of deportable offenses.
</span>
</p>
</div>

\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference

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<article aria-label=\”\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference\” class=\”post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry node node-web-content node-promoted\” id=\”node-247693\”>
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<img alt=\”\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference\” class=\”attachment-post-thumbnail\” height=\”300\” src=\”https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scalecrop800x479/public/Post%2018%20Buddy%20Check.jpg?itok=4l5IaQAB\” style=\”display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\” typeof=\”foaf:Image\” width=\”501\”/>
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(Photo by Steven B. Brooks)
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<strong>
<a href=\”https://www.legion.org/\”>
T
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
he American Legion
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<time class=\”entry-date published\” datetime=\”2019-11-20 14:00:00\”>
NOV 20, 2019
</time>
</span>
<div class=\”addthis_inline_share_toolbox\” data-description=\”Legionnaires reach out to fellow veterans around Veterans Day, create programs to ensure effort is ongoing. \” data-media=\”https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scalecrop800x479/public/Post%2018%20Buddy%20Check.jpg?itok=4l5IaQAB\” data-title=\”\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference\” data-url=\”https://www.legion.org/membership/247693/act-faith-and-kindness-how-buddy-checks-make-difference\”>
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<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
Prior to Veterans Day, American Legion National Commander Bill Oxford
<a href=\”https://www.legion.org/commander/247461/time-check-our-battle-buddies\” target=\”_self\”>
called on Legionnaires
</a>
to follow up on the inaugural Buddy Checks to fellow veterans that debuted last March and received National Executive Committee support the following spring.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
During the 2019 Spring Meetings, the NEC passed Resolution 18, which calls for the twice-annual Buddy Checks to be conducted Legion-wide on the weeks of The American Legion’s birthday and Veterans Day.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
American Legion posts again stepped up. In Weehawken, N.J., members of Post 18
<a href=\”https://www.legion.org/veteransday/247626/just-right-thing-do\” target=\”_self\”>
took to the streets
</a>
to connect with members of the post who haven’t been active in recent years, including one 91-year-old World War II widower.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
“That’s what (non-commissioned officers) do in the service. You’re supposed to check up on your troops,” Post 18 Commander Chris Page said. “We’re charged … with the health and welfare of our troops. What we like to do is check up on our members and make sure they’re OK. We also check in on their families as well. It goes back to helping out with the community.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
And in Fort Gibson, Okla., members of Frank Gladd Post 20 were conducting Buddy Checks and came into contact with an 87-year-old Korean War veteran who hadn’t paid his membership dues in two years. Past Post and District Commander Jim Quinn said the veteran told the post he could no longer make it to post meetings and that his membership in the Legion was no longer important to anyone.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
“I was dispatched to the veteran\’s house with his membership card,” Quinn said. “When I arrived at the veteran’s house, he invited me in and we had about a half-hour conversation about the current weather and our time in service. I asked him about his welfare and if there was anything we at the post could do for him. He replied that he was fine but he had trouble driving.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
Quinn left the veteran’s membership card with him and “told him if he needed any help with going places to call the post and we would arrange to take him where he needed to go. He told me he was not in that bad of shape but if he needed help he would call.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
The post processed the veteran’s membership with “Pay It Forward” funds. Two weeks later the veteran called the post and requested Quinn return to his house. “When I arrived he presented me with a check for his 2019 and 2020 dues,” Quinn said. “The moral of this story is cast your bread upon the waters, and it will be returned to you tenfold. An act of faith and kindness shown to this veteran convinced him that his post stands for the ideals of The American Legion and not just to collect dues.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
The following are a few more examples of what posts did on Veterans Day or have developed as programs to follow the Buddy Check philosophy.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
• In St. James, N.C., American Legion Post 543 had a busy Veterans Day weekend that included distributing poppies that Saturday, and taking part in a parade and a Veterans Day picnic. A Buddy Check also was performed on Veterans Day, when the post’s honor guard and officers visited the Carillion Assisted Living where – after the colors were presented and the national anthem played – veteran residents were given a challenge coin from the Post 543 Commander George Freeman, and widows of veterans were given U.S. flags representing their loved ones’ service. Post 543 Service Officer Steve Muir said the post also has 70 active programs that regularly reach out to veterans in need in the community. “I must say that what Post 543 does in the Brunswick County, North Carolina community goes way beyond Buddy Checks,” said Muir.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
• In Blue Ash, Ohio, American Legion Post 630 has initiated a “Never Alone” program. Coordinating with the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, the post receives notice whenever a veteran with no known family passes away. The post ensures there are veterans graveside to give their fellow veteran the proper farewell. The program was the idea of Post 630 member Pat Buschman.
</span>
</p>
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Senator Booker\’s Marijuana Provisions Pass House Judiciary Committee

\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference

(Photo by Steven B. Brooks)

he American Legion

NOV 20, 2019

Prior to Veterans Day, American Legion National Commander Bill Oxford

called on Legionnaires

to follow up on the inaugural Buddy Checks to fellow veterans that debuted last March and received National Executive Committee support the following spring.

During the 2019 Spring Meetings, the NEC passed Resolution 18, which calls for the twice-annual Buddy Checks to be conducted Legion-wide on the weeks of The American Legion’s birthday and Veterans Day.

American Legion posts again stepped up. In Weehawken, N.J., members of Post 18

took to the streets

to connect with members of the post who haven’t been active in recent years, including one 91-year-old World War II widower.

“That’s what (non-commissioned officers) do in the service. You’re supposed to check up on your troops,” Post 18 Commander Chris Page said. “We’re charged … with the health and welfare of our troops. What we like to do is check up on our members and make sure they’re OK. We also check in on their families as well. It goes back to helping out with the community.”

And in Fort Gibson, Okla., members of Frank Gladd Post 20 were conducting Buddy Checks and came into contact with an 87-year-old Korean War veteran who hadn’t paid his membership dues in two years. Past Post and District Commander Jim Quinn said the veteran told the post he could no longer make it to post meetings and that his membership in the Legion was no longer important to anyone.

“I was dispatched to the veteran\’s house with his membership card,” Quinn said. “When I arrived at the veteran’s house, he invited me in and we had about a half-hour conversation about the current weather and our time in service. I asked him about his welfare and if there was anything we at the post could do for him. He replied that he was fine but he had trouble driving.”

Quinn left the veteran’s membership card with him and “told him if he needed any help with going places to call the post and we would arrange to take him where he needed to go. He told me he was not in that bad of shape but if he needed help he would call.”

The post processed the veteran’s membership with “Pay It Forward” funds. Two weeks later the veteran called the post and requested Quinn return to his house. “When I arrived he presented me with a check for his 2019 and 2020 dues,” Quinn said. “The moral of this story is cast your bread upon the waters, and it will be returned to you tenfold. An act of faith and kindness shown to this veteran convinced him that his post stands for the ideals of The American Legion and not just to collect dues.”

The following are a few more examples of what posts did on Veterans Day or have developed as programs to follow the Buddy Check philosophy.

• In St. James, N.C., American Legion Post 543 had a busy Veterans Day weekend that included distributing poppies that Saturday, and taking part in a parade and a Veterans Day picnic. A Buddy Check also was performed on Veterans Day, when the post’s honor guard and officers visited the Carillion Assisted Living where – after the colors were presented and the national anthem played – veteran residents were given a challenge coin from the Post 543 Commander George Freeman, and widows of veterans were given U.S. flags representing their loved ones’ service. Post 543 Service Officer Steve Muir said the post also has 70 active programs that regularly reach out to veterans in need in the community. “I must say that what Post 543 does in the Brunswick County, North Carolina community goes way beyond Buddy Checks,” said Muir.

• In Blue Ash, Ohio, American Legion Post 630 has initiated a “Never Alone” program. Coordinating with the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, the post receives notice whenever a veteran with no known family passes away. The post ensures there are veterans graveside to give their fellow veteran the proper farewell. The program was the idea of Post 630 member Pat Buschman.

Two Warrant Officers Die When Their Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. (left) and Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle,

Nov. 21, 2019–The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom\’s Sentinel.

Both soldiers died Nov. 20, 2019, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, when their helicopter crashed while providing security for troops on the ground. The incident is under investigation.

The deceased are:

Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle, 33, from Tarrant, Texas.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., 25, from Keaau, Hawaii.

Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information regarding CW2 David C. Knadle and CW2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., media may contact Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs officer at 254-287-9398 or

christopher.r.brautigam.mil@mail.mil

Report Shows How Google Promoted Amazon Over Over Smaller Competitors

Chris White |

The Daily Caller

Google makes algorithmic changes to help larger corporations over smaller ones and the mega search engine boosted Amazon and Facebook, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing inside sources.

The company made algorithmic changes to its search results that favored fellow big tech giants,

according

to the report, which relied on an analysis of the company’s system and interviews with sources. Google believes customers prefer products from larger outlets, the report notes.

The move to tilt algorithms toward monster corporations, which was a hotly discussed decision inside the company, boosted Amazon’s products, even if such items were discontinued, the report notes, citing sources.

Google pushed back on TheWSJ’s representation of its algorithms. “It’s inaccurate to suggest we did not address issues like discontinued products appearing high up in results,” Lara Levin, the spokeswoman, told reporters.

Google also takes measures to help Silicon Valley giants Facebook and Amazon appear more often in search results, one source told TheWSJ.

“There’s this idea that the search algorithm is all neutral and goes out and combs the web and comes back and shows what it found, and that’s total BS,” the former executive said. “Google deals with special cases all the time.”

Levin addressed that issue, too.

“We prioritize issues based on impact, not any commercial relationships,” she said, noting that the search team does not seek to provide specialized guidance to website owners. Faster indexing of a site does not guarantee more results, Levin added.

TheWSJ report also highlighted several examples where Google shut off a company’s lifeline. Online marketer eBay, for instance saw a $200 million hit on its revenue in 2014 after Google lowered the ranking of several of eBay pages that provided traffic to eBay.

Executives decided to pressure Google, with employees meeting with search engineers, the report notes.

Google agreed to improve rankings as eBay worked to make its pages more “useful and relevant,” sources told TheWSJ. The corrections did not prevent Google from later levelling more demotions on eBay, the report notes.

TheWSJ report dovetails with an exclusive the Daily Caller

broke in April

in which documents showed Google employed two official policies called the “misrepresentation policy” and the “good neighbor policy” that informed the company’s “XPA news blacklist.”

“The deceptive_news domain blacklist is going to be used by many search features to filter problematic sites that violate the good neighbor and misrepresentation policies,” the policy document states, according to the TheDC’s report.

WSJ’s Friday report will not tamp down calls from Democrats and Republicans to investigate Google.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, for instance, released a plan in March to

impose

new rules on tech companies with $25 billion or more in annual ad revenue, forcing Amazon and Google to dramatically reduce their hold on online commerce. She

announced

her bid to run

against

President Donald Trump in February.

Trump is also a critic of Google and other tech companies. He

laid

into CEO Sundar Pichai in August after a company insider claimed at the time that the tech giant is preparing to foil the president’s reelection bid.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact

licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

published here with permission

The Daily Caller

Senator Booker\’s Marijuana Provisions Pass House Judiciary Committee

2017 Booker bill provided framework for MORE Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Three key

marijuana provisions designed to reverse decades of failed drug policy and first introduced by

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) passed the House Judiciary

Committee today: record expungement, reinvestment in the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, and removing marijuana from the list of deportable offenses.

Booker’s

Marijuana Justice Act

, originally introduced in 2017, was the first congressional bill to incorporate record expungement and community reinvestment with marijuana legalization. This legislation along with a

Booker provision

to remove marijuana from list of deportable offenses provided the framework for the

Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019

(MORE) passed by the House today.

“This is a significant tipping point. The Committee passage of this bill is an important step towards reversing decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income individuals. These draconian laws have sacrificed critical resources, violated our values, destroyed families and communities, and failed to make us safer,”

Senator Booker said. “

This legislation continues us down the path towards justice and I’m excited to see momentum growing around the movement to fix our nation’s broken drug laws.”

Background on Booker’s leadership on issues of marijuana and criminal justice:

Booker has seen the effects of our broken marijuana laws first-hand, dating back to his time as a tenant lawyer, City Council member, and Mayor of Newark, where he created the city’s first office of prisoner re-entry to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into their communities. He is the author of the landmark

Marijuana Justice Act

, which would end the federal prohibition on marijuana, automatically expunge the records of those convicted of federal marijuana use and possession crimes, and reinvest resources into the communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs through a community fund. Since

introducing the bill in 2017

, Booker has garnered support from Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ed Markey (D-MA).

In the Senate, Booker was an outspoken

critic of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ effort to revive the failed War on Drugs

. More recently, he pressed Attorney General William Barr on his stance on marijuana legalization and the rescission of the Cole memo, winning a

commitment

from Barr to leave states alone that have legalized marijuana.

In addition to the Marijuana Justice Act, Booker is the co-author of the

bipartisan CARERS Act

, which would allow patients to access medical marijuana in states where it’s legal without fear of federal prosecution, and the

bipartisan REDEEM Act

, which would allow nonviolent drug offenders to petition a court to seal and expunge their drug offenses, while automatically sealing, and in some cases

expunging criminal records

, the nonviolent records of juveniles. These reforms would reduce a major barrier that formerly incarcerated individuals face when attempting to rejoin society. He is also a co-sponsor of the

Fair Chance Act

, which prohibits the federal government and federal contractors from asking about the criminal history of a job applicant prior to a conditional offer of employment. Earlier this year, the Fair Chance Act

passed

out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government and Reform Committee. In June, Booker

introduced

legislation to remove marijuana from list of deportable offenses.

Ohio State Program Helps Pet Owners Cope During Grief Process

Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Making end-of-life decisions for your pet or coping with the loss of an animal is something that no pet owner wants to think about. A program at

The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center

recognizes the importance of human-animal bonds and

provides grief support for pet owners facing tough decisions for their animal.

“Grief is a very real and life-impacting feeling – whether that loss of a loved one is a human or animal,” said Joelle Nielsen, a licensed social worker and Honoring the Bond program coordinator at Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center. “We believe every veterinary medical center should have a social worker available to support pet owners navigating this loss.”

The

Honoring the Bond

program at Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center is one of only about 30 programs in the U.S. that provides a full time social worker to support pet owners faced with the loss of their beloved pet.

“If you go to a human hospital, you’re guaranteed to have the support of either a social worker or a chaplain. That’s rare in a veterinary hospital setting,” Nielsen said.

Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Sally Malaret made a scrapbook to remember her dog, Max. Talking to a veterinary social worker after Max passed away helped Sally cope with the loss and open her heart to her new dog, Fiona.

Ohio State’s Veterinary Medical Center treats more than 40,000 pets each year with a variety of specialty services ranging from emergency medicine to oncology. Nielsen works as a liaison between the veterinary team and the client to help sort through confusing medical terminology, offer support for those coming in on an unexpected emergency basis, assist with processing difficult end-of-life decisions, facilitate family discussions with children and provide assessment and referral for additional resources.

Nielsen acknowledges that – as with any type of grief – the process is different for everyone and stresses that one of the most important things she does with pet owners is to normalize their experience. “It’s common for people to face conflicting feelings generated from a societal stigma surrounding grieving the loss of an animal,” said Nielsen. “I want people to know that it’s completely normal to grieve the loss of their pet.” Nielsen suggests the following to help people through the loss of a beloved pet:

Try not to compare your experience to others.

We all grieve differently.

Remember there is no standard timeline for the grief process.

The goal is to begin to feel better as the days go by but there may be ups and downs.

Find an outlet for your emotions.

If talking about your feelings is difficult, you can also memorialize your pet by making a scrapbook, creating a memory box or journaling.

Find a pet loss support group

, book, website or therapist who specializes in pet loss for ongoing support.

If the sadness doesn’t ease with time,

don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional counselor.

Nielsen developed and coordinates the Hospital-Based Veterinary Social Work Group, which provides support and collaborative opportunities for the small niche of social workers employed by veterinary medical centers across the U.S. and Canada.

“We hope this group can serve as a model for veterinary medical centers and ultimately expand support services to more pet owners,” Nielsen said.

To learn more about the Honoring the Bond Program, visit

vet.osu.edu/honoringthebond

###

PASBDC Business Owners Optimistic about 2020 Economy

KUTZTOWN, PA (11/20/2019) The annual Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (PASBDC) Entrepreneur Economic survey results are in and it looks like small-business owners across the Commonwealth are optimistic for the coming year.

As of the date of this release, 660 small-business owners out of more than 9,000 clients served by the PASBDC over the past three years responded to the PASBDC annual survey. The aggregate results indicate that 25% expect the economy in 2020 to get better and 40% expect it to be the same. Small-business owners are even more positive about their own firm\’s growth with more than 65% expecting their revenue to increase and 60% expect profitability to improve.

When it comes to their intentions to hire more workers, the results indicate that 37% expect to hire additional staff with hiring happening either primarily in the second quarter of 2020, or steadily throughout the year. Please see the charts in the link below for more details:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-3MJ9WXR7/

The PASBDC network of 16 centers and more than 90 outreach offices serves pre-venture and established business owners throughout the Commonwealth with no cost, confidential professional consulting services. These consulting services include help with strategic planning, market or sales strategies, financial analysis and loan packaging, export marketing reports, cybersecurity, government procurement and certifications. This past year, more than 7,000 small-business owners sought help from their local SBDC as a proactive step toward working on their business to either start or to grow their business.

With such a positive 2020 economic outlook from existing clients and increasing request from growth entrepreneurs for strategic planning, the PASBDC projects the demand for consulting services to remain very high. Professional full-time consultants at 16 premier Pennsylvania higher education institutions deliver world class consulting help to early stage and growth entrepreneurs. Unlike many other programs, PASBDC consultants can work with any for-profit entrepreneur in the Commonwealth that meets the SBA definition of a small business (typically less than 500 employees). To be able to meet these entrepreneurs\’ increasing needs, the PASBDC is seeking additional funding of $2 million from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to support the 3E (Empowering Entrepreneurs through Engagement) program for growing the Commonwealth\’s entrepreneurial economy. The 3E program leverages the PASBDC\’s unique placement and affiliation with Pennsylvania higher education and its federal partner, the Small Business Administration.

\”By engaging our existing entrepreneurs, our alumni and our student entrepreneurs, we will expand Pennsylvania\’s position as an excellent state in which to start and grow a business,\” said PASBDC State Director Ernie Post.

Empowering Entrepreneurial Skill Trades Sector Growth

First, PASBDC will use a portion of the DCED 3E investment to apply for other federal grants such as POWER and EDA. The DCED investment will enhance entrepreneurial engagement with skilled trades workers such as electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters, masonry and HVAC to increase new business startups within the trade skill workforce. Leveraging existing institutional relationships with community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs will help fuel the launch of new business startups within the skilled trades sector.

Empowering Student Entrepreneur\’s

Building on this program, PASBDC will work with more than 7,000 existing entrepreneurs to offer growth assessments, strategies and tactics to help them remain on a growth trajectory. Leveraging PASBDC\’s place at universities, internship programs will connect students with small growing businesses that desperately need an educated workforce for continued growth.

Using the highly-successful University of Scranton SBDC internship program as a model, the PASBDC will replicate this model in every region of the Commonwealth. This will achieve several economic development objectives including linking college students with existing entrepreneurs, providing experiential learning for students that will lead to them considering entrepreneurship as a career pathway and helping existing entrepreneurs with their current workforce need for continued growth. PASBDC\’s host institutions recruit a considerable number of students to come to Pennsylvania for their education. This program will help students consider staying in Pennsylvania after graduation for job opportunities or to launch a small business.

Engaging Alumni

The 16 universities in the PASBDC network graduate more than 25,000 students each year. This presents an opportunity to launch an alumni event campaign promoting the benefits and resources available in Pennsylvania to help them start a business or to purchase an existing business. This will help to create potential buyers of Pennsylvania existing businesses that having owners seeking to exit their businesses in the future. Pennsylvania has a high percentage of business owners over the age of 55. Their exit will cause a major disruption to the Commonwealth\’s economy if new business owners are not recruited and connected with aging entrepreneurs. The PASBDC is uniquely positioned to run alumni campaigns to recruit potential business buyers. As part of this campaign, the PASBDC will create a webpage that is specifically designed to allow potential business buyers to connect with businesses that are available for sale in the Commonwealth. To help facilitate the successful transition of the Commonwealth\’s aging entrepreneurs, the PASBDC will develop a business valuation and succession planning programs to guide business sellers to a successful transition to a new owner.

Engaging the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Finally, PASBDC\’s host institutions connect the network\’s centers with accelerators, incubators and makerspaces that have been launched across the Commonwealth. A portion of this $2 million DCED investment will be used to connect these accelerators, incubators and makerspaces with PASBDC technical assistance, business consulting and educational programs within these locations.

For more information about the funding request or the PASBDC, contact 1-877-4PA-SBDC.

About Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)

The Pennsylvania SBDC network is the only statewide, nationally accredited program that provides high quality one-on-one consulting, training and information resources to empower new and existing businesses. SBDC consultants work with entrepreneurs in confidential, individualized sessions to help them with a range of business issues including testing a new business proposition, shaping a business plan, investigating funding opportunities and much more. The SBDC program is a public/private partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and 16 universities and colleges across the Commonwealth. For more information on the Pennsylvania SBDC services and impact, please visit

www.pasbdc.org

About Kutztown University Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (PASBDCs) work with small firms to help them compete and grow in today\’s highly competitive global economy. Combining the expertise of a professional staff with the resources of the state\’s best colleges and universities, the SBDCs provide high quality business management consulting, information, and educational programs that build small firms\’ capacities to compete in domestic and international markets. Funding support and resources for the Kutztown University SBDC program are provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Department of Community and Economic Development, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, and through support from Kutztown University. All services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Special arrangements for persons with disabilities can be made. The KUSBDC is also funded under a cooperative agreement from the Defense Logistics Agency.