The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by Congress and President Obama. With the advent of the Internet it’s gotten easier to watch every step our government takes. And President Obama is making some nice moves to make what they do more transparent to the American people. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at govtrack.us, which is a nice site for checking laws in any stage their in. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.

On Jan 16, 2009, the President signed the following bills into law:
S. J. Res. 3 , A joint resolution ensuring that the compensation and other emoluments attached to the office of Secretary of the Interior are those which were in effect on January 1, 2005. Click for Full Text

On Jan 29, 2009, the President signed the following bills into law:
S. 181: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 – A bill to amend title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and to modify the operation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other practice, and for other purposes. Click for Full Text

As you can see, last month was pretty slow for our lame duck president. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.

On Friday, November 21, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 6867, the “Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008,” which extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation to 20 weeks, and creates a second tier of 13 weeks of compensation for individuals in States with high unemployment rates.

I know! I’ve haven’t been good at posting this every month, but I have a good reason. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.

I fell off from doing this the past couple of months, so I grouped September and October together.

On Thursday, September 18, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2403, which designates the new Federal Courthouse, located in Richmond, Virginia, as the Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States Courthouse.

On Friday, September 19, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 6456, which extends and modifies certain authorities of the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors; and
S. 2450, which limits the circumstances under which inadvertent disclosure of information results in waiver of the attorney-client privilege or work product protection.

On Monday, September 22, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5683, the “Government Accountability Office Act of 2008,” which adjusts pay, retirement benefits, and financial disclosure requirements for employees of the Government Accountability Office.

On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2617, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act on 2008,” which provides a cost of living increase for the beneficiaries of veterans’ disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation.

On Thursday, September 25, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 3406, the “ADA Amendments Act of 2008,” which clarifies and broadens the definition of disability and expands the population eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

On Friday, September 26, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5938, which authorizes the U.S. Secret Service to provide protection to former Vice Presidents, their spouses, and their children under 16 years of age for up to six months after the date the former Vice President leaves office; and makes several changes to Federal criminal law related to computer fraud and identity theft, including authorizing restitution to victims of identity theft for the value of the time reasonably spent attempting to remediate the harm incurred as result of the offense.

On Tuesday, September 30, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1777, the “Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2008,” which extends until September 30, 2015, the current exemption to antitrust law that permits two or more colleges or universities that admit all students on a need-blind basis to use common principles of analysis for determining the students’ need for financial aid; and
H.R. 6984, the “Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2008,” which extends through March 31, 2009, authorities to: collect taxes that fund the Airport and Airway Trust Fund; make expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund; and make grants to airports under the Airport Improvement Program.
H.R. 2608, the “SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act,” which extends, for two years, the eligibility of certain qualified aliens, including refugees, asylees, and certain humanitarian immigrants, for Supplemental Security Income benefits; and authorizes the Department of the Treasury to withhold portions of a taxpayer’s refund to collect certain unemployment compensation debt owed to States;
S. 171, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Commerce, Oklahoma, as the Mickey Mantle Post Office Building;
S. 2339, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Alpena, Michigan, as the Lieutenant Colonel Clement C. Van Wagoner Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic; and
S. 3241, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the CeeCee Ross Lyles Post Office Building.

(more…)

I know! I’ve haven’t been good at posting this every month, but I have a good reason. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.

I fell off from doing this the past couple of months, so I grouped July and August together.

On Tuesday, July 1, 2008, the President signed the following bills into law:
H.R. 5690, which authorizes the Departments of State and Homeland Security to determine that provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that render aliens inadmissible due to terrorist or criminal activities would not apply with respect to activities undertaken in association with the African National Congress in opposition to apartheid rule in South Africa.
S. 188, the “Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006,” which further honors the service of Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara C. Jordan, William C. Velasquez, and Dr. Hector P. Garcia.
S. 254, which authorizes the award of a congressional gold medal to Constantino Brumidi.
S. 682, which authorizes the award of a congressional gold medal to Edward William Brooke III.

On Friday, July 10, 2008, the President signed the following bills into law:
H.R. 6304, FISA Amendments Act of 2008 allows our intelligence professionals to quickly and effectively monitor the communications of terrorists abroad while respecting the liberties of Americans here at home.

On Tuesday, July 15, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 430, which designates the United States bankruptcy courthouse located in Brooklyn, New York, as the Conrad B. Duberstein United States Bankruptcy Courthouse;
H.R. 781, which redesignates Lock and Dam No. 5 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System near Redfield, Arkansas, as the “Colonel Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam;”
H.R. 1019, which designates the United States customhouse building located in Mayaguez, Puerto, Rico, as the Rafael Martinez Nadal United States Customhouse Building;
H.R. 2728, which designates the station of the United States Border Patrol located in Murrieta, California, as the Theodore L. Newton, Jr. and George F. Azrak Border Patrol Station;
H.R. 3721, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Lorena, Texas, as the Marine Gunnery Sgt. John D. Fry Post Office Building;
H.R. 4140, which designates the Port Angeles Federal Building in Port Angeles, Washington, as the Richard B. Anderson Federal Building;
H.R. 4185, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in El Monte, California, as the Marisol Heredia Post Office Building;
H.R. 5168, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Brooksville, Florida, as the Cody Grater Post Office Building;
H.R. 5395, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in St. Louis, Missouri, as the William “Bill” Clay Post Office Building;
H.R. 5479, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Ionia, Michigan, as the Alonzo Woodruff Post Office Building;
H.R. 5517, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Humble, Texas, as the Texas Military Veterans Post Office;
H.R. 5528, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Brockton, Massachusetts, as the Rocky Marciano Post Office Building;
H.R. 5778, which provides the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) exclusive authority for establishing the financial management, personnel, and procurement functions and responsibilities of WASA; and repeals hiring preferences for District residents for WASA positions; and
H.R. 6040, which amends the requirement relating to travel expenses reimbursement incurred by members of the Committee on Levee Safety.

On Monday, July 21, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 802, the “Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008,” which implements Annex Vi on the prevention of air pollution from ships of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ; and
H.R. 3891, the “National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act Amendment of 2008,” which increases the number of Directors on the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Board.

On Wednesday, July 23, 2008 the President signed into law:
H.R. 3403, the “New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008,” which requires Voice over Internet Protocol service providers to: provide 911 service and Enhanced 911 service to their subscribers; interconnect with public safety answering points (PSAPs); and provide call location information to PSAP’s; and
H.R. 3712, which designates the United States courthouse located in Toledo, Ohio, as the James M. Ashley and Thomas W.L. Ashley United States Courthouse.

On Tuesday, July 29, 2008 the President signed:
President Bush Signs H.J.Res. 93, the Renewal of Import Restrictions on Burma, and H.R.3890, the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2008

On Tuesday, July 29, 2008, the President signed into law:
The Clean Boating Act of 2008, which exempts certain discharges incidental to the normal operation of a recreational vessel from regulation under the Clean Water Act.

On Wednesday, July 30, 2008, the President signed into law:
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which authorizes the Department of the Treasury to purchase obligations of housing Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs); reforms the regulatory supervision of the housing GSEs; provides reform of the Federal Housing Administration; provides homeownership assistance and reforms to mitigate recent increases in foreclosures; and contains housing-related tax incentives and other tax provisions.

On Wednesday, July 30, 2008, the President signed:
H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008

On Thursday, July 31, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 4841, the “Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Settlement Act,” which approves and ratifies a water settlement among the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, the Federal Government, and three specified California water districts;
S. 2565, the “Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008,” which establishes a Congressional Badge of Bravery award to honor Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers for performing acts of bravery in the line of duty;
S. 3298, which provides a two year moratorium from National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirement for specified vessels and directs EPA to study the impacts of discharges incidental to the normal operation of vessels; and
S. 3352, which extends programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 for 15 days, through August 15, 2008.

On Monday, August 4, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 3370, the “Libyan Claims Resolution Act,” which facilitates the resolution of pending claims against Libya by United States nationals.

On Thursday, August 14, 2008, the President signed:
H.R. 4040, the “Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008,” which reauthorizes the Consumer Product Safety Commission for FYs 2010-2014 and expands the Commission’s role in ensuring the safety of consumer products, especially those designed for children;
H.R. 4137, the “Higher Education Opportunity Act,” which reauthorizes and makes changes to higher education programs; and
H.R. 6432, the which reauthorizes through FY 2013 the Animal Drug User Fee Act and authorizes a new user fee program for animal generic drugs.

I know! I’ve haven’t been good at posting this every month, but I have a good reason. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.

I fell off from doing this the past couple of months, so I grouped May and June together.

On Friday, May 2, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2954, which extends many authorities provided under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 for two weeks, through May 16, 2008.

On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 4286, An Act to award a congressional gold medal to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma.

On Wednesday, May 07, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5715, the “Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008,” which is designed to provide continued availability of access to the Federal student loan program for students and families.

On Thursday, May 8, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2457, which authorizes the Mashantucket Pequot (Western) Tribe to lease certain land to entities for up to 75 years, rather than 25 years as under current law,
S. 2739, the “Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008,” which designates the 106,000-acre Wild Sky Wilderness in Washington State; designates three new National Heritage Areas; expands several national parks; authorizes funding for specified water projects; modifies two existing energy programs; applies U.S. immigration law to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and grants the Commonwealth a non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, May 13, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2929, which extends programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 through May 31, 2008.

On Sunday, May 18, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 6051, which extends many authorities provided under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 until May 23, 2008.

On Monday, May 19, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 6022, the “Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008,” which suspends temporarily the acquisition of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

On Friday, May 23, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 3029, which extends the authorization of certain Small Business Administration programs until March 20, 2009.

On Tuesday, May 27, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 3522, ratifies a settlement between the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Rio Arriba County, New Mexico; and
H.R. 5919, which makes technical corrections regarding the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007.

On Friday, May 30, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 3035, which extends programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965, through June 30, 2008.

On Tuesday, June 3, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2356, which encourages the display of the flag of the United States on Father’s Day;
H.R. 2517, The “Protecting Our Children Comes First Act of 2007,” which reauthorizes Justice programs related to missing and exploited children through FY 2013;
H.R. 4008, the “Credit and Debit Card Receipt Clarification Act of 2007,” which specifies that certain entities that printed an expiration date on certain credit and debit card receipts were not in willful noncompliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act;
S. 2829, which makes special immigrant visas available for certain Iraqis and Afghans who worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces; or who were employed by the U.S. Government; and
S.J.Res. 17, which encourages the United States to initiate international discussions with other Arctic nations to negotiate an agreement for managing migratory and transboundary fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean.

On Friday, June 6, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1195, the “SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008,” which makes miscellaneous changes to laws relating to the Federal Aid Highway, Mass Transit, and Highway Safety Programs.

On Friday, June 20, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2420, the “Federal Food Donation Act of 2008,” which requires that the Federal Acquisition Regulation be amended to provide that certain contracts includes language encouraging the donation of excess food.

On Thursday, June 26, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 3179, the “Local Preparedness Acquisition Act,” which authorizes the use of Federal supply schedules by State, local, and tribal governments for acquisition of law enforcement and security-related items, including firefighting and rescue equipment;
H.R. 3913, which amends the International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property located in the District of Columbia to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization;
S. 1245, which amends current law related to mutual aid agreements entered into by governmental entities in the National Capital Region to provide support in emergencies; and
S. 2516, the “Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act,” which requires DHS to use the fingerprints provided by an individual at the time of enlistment in the U.S. Armed Forces to satisfy any requirement for background and security checks in connection with an application for naturalization through service in the Armed Forces.

On Monday, June 30, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008

I know! I’ve haven’t been good at posting this every month, but I have a good reason. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by President Bush. It’s good to know what’s going on because some of them may benefit us as a people. It’s important for us to watch every step our government takes. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at whitehouse.gov. For a more unbiased version, I’d recommend doing additional research at govtrack.us. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.

I fell off from doing this the past couple of months, so I grouped March and April together.

On Thursday, March 06, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2571, which makes a technical correction to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, with regard to registration service fees for certain “minor use” pesticide.

On Tuesday, March 11, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2478, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in East Hampstead, New Hampshire, as the Captain Jonathan D. Grassbaugh Post Office.

On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2272, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service known as the Southpark Station in Alexandria, Louisiana, as the John “Marty” Thiels Southpark Station.

On Friday, March 14, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2745, which extends authorities provided under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 through April 18, 2008; and
S.J.Res. 25, which provides for the appointment of John W. McCarter as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

On Monday, March 24, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2733, the “Higher Education Extension Act of 2008,” which temporarily extends programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 through April 30, 2008.

On Friday, April 9, 2008, the President signed into law:
President Bush Signs H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007
Read the Fact Sheet

On Friday, April 18, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5813, which extends many authorities provided under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 for one week, through April 25, 2008; and
S. 550, which increases from 58 to 61 the statutory limit on the number of associate judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

On Wednesday, April 23, 2008, the President signed into law:
H.J.Res.70 – Army Reserve Centennial Commemoration, which congratulates the Army Reserve on the occasion of its centennial anniversary.

On Thursday, April 24, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 1858, the “Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007,” which authorizes through fiscal year 2012 new and existing programs at the Department of Health and Human Services concerning newborn screening.

On Friday, April 25, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 2903, Extends authorities provided under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 for one week, through May 2, 2008.

On Monday, April 28, 2008, the President signed into law:
S. 793, the “Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008,” which authorizes appropriations and makes changes to the Department of Health and Human Services programs that provide grants for State programs for: tracking and reporting of brain injuries; and brain injury rehabilitation.

This is a blurry photo (they won’t let you use a flash) of the United States Constitution. On my trip to Washington DC I made this visit a priority because the last time I’d seen it, I was about five years old. This document and is its amendments are what governs our country and as an American citizen, it’s up to us to make sure it’s properly followed. But how many of us have taken the time to read what it says?

Sure, when it was written, we (black people) weren’t included in “We the People”. We had no input on what it said and we had to fight so these same laws would also apply to us. But today, the wording in the Constitution does apply to us and it’s up to us to have at least a general understanding of what’s in it. So when you get a chance, browse through it. Those before us sacrificed a lot and we owe it to them to make sure we know our rights.

And yes, I will be reading through it also.

What is Photo Phinish?

When I say, Don’t Mess With Texas I mean it. Yesterday I read an article on the Dallas Morning News Website covering the increase in concealed handgun licenses in Texas. With the increase in crime and changes in laws regarding individual gun rights there was an almost 5 percent increase in first-time and renewed gun licenses over the first six months of 2007. The concern over personal protection is rising and over the past couple of months this is the most talk I’ve ever heard about gun ownership. I also want you to check out my post about the open carry debate and how it’s picked up steam with over 18,000 people signing an electronic petition to urge lawmakers to make this an option for gun owners.

I’m interested to see where this all goes. I personally think it will make the local authorities job harder, but at the same time as Americans we have the right to protect ourselves. Where do you draw the line when it comes to protection of yourself or personal property? If a group of black men or even a group of Middle Eastern people (all U.S. citizens) were walking around the mall open carrying legally acquired handguns would people view things differently? Only time will tell.

Guns may be allowed at Texas colleges

For those who watched the Cosby Show, I’m sure you remember Bill getting excited over his favorite cowboy hero Colt Kirby. The Wild, Wild West was a time when you could walk around with your gun on your hip and challenge anyone who offended you to a duel at high noon. Times have changed, but the discussion around the right to carry a gun around in public has not.

I was listening to a local talk radio show and they were discussing the issue of allowing Texans to open carry in public places. This means people, other than police officers, would be able to walk around town with a gun on their hip in plain sight. Their argument was that it would be a deterrent of crime and would allow them to protect themselves if the need arose. One such proponent of open carry policy are the folks at opencarry.org. They are making a big push here in Texas (and around the country) to get the governor and legislature to allow open carry in public. I’m interested in seeing how it goes.

While I do believe every American citizen has the right to bear arms, I have some reservations about open carry. While it might make criminals think twice, it will in my opinion just force them to work a little harder in getting what they want. And imagine me and five of my boys walking around the Galleria (an upscale mall) open carrying our legally acquired handguns. If you think people are already on edge, this will just make things worse. Sure the local hoodlum will not think twice about harming you, but there are other things we can do to curb crime. I like the element of surprise. Concealed handguns allow you to keep that.

What do you think? If you live in a state where open carry is legal, how many people actually participate in their right to do so? Would we be making law enforcement’s job harder?

In a 10-5 vote, Dallas City Council decided that uninsured motorists who are stopped for traffic violations will have their vehicles towed and sent to the city tow yard. There’s been a lot of debate over the issue because a lot of people feel the black and hispanic communities will be affected the most. There’s also concern that the poor will be forced to choose among food, shelter and auto insurance.

I have mixed feelings on the ordinance. In my younger days, I had to get a hardship license and there were times when I drove around without insurance. I was very careful and knew the consequences if I got pulled over, but we were placed in a financial place where insurance wasn’t the priority and the money was needed elsewhere. While I don’t think the city council is targeting blacks and hispanics, I can definitely see how their communities will be affected the most.

On the other hand, I’ve had a car totaled by an uninsured motorist. As I staggered out of the car the person said “no insurance” and drove away (I was able to get a license number). It sucked because the car totaled was paid for and we ended up having to purchase another one, which added an unexpected expense to our budget. We had insurance, but only received enough from them to put a down payment for the other car. You can bet I was pissed about the whole situation, so part of me agrees with the council on their position.

Just note the uninsured motorist ordinance won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2009, so if you’re driving dirty you have time to get insured. Also note that while formal towing guidelines are being developed, the officer will have limited discretion on whether or not towing is necessary.