Proposal No. 0101 Proposal No. 0102

Name: Veronica Gray Name: Crystal Rabizadeh Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro Delegation: Triunfo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Raises minimum credit card payments for young adults, ages 18-25. Abolish all federal Luxury Taxes.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The United States’ average FICO score is 687. While the average FICO score for ages 18- Luxury Tax is a tax on goods or services not considered essential and are usually high in 24 is 630. Keep in mind that the brain does not finish developing until 25 years old. Credit price. Most of the Luxury Tax laws used today were put in place by George H.W. Bush in card companies have a monthly minimum payment of 1-3% of all charges. Just raising the attempt to reap government benefits at the expense of the wealthy. However, the Luxury Tax monthly minimum percentage from 2% to 4% increases the average payoff rate by 3.8%, has the most detrimental affects on the working class that manufactures the luxury items. which means more people will pay off their debt. If there is a credit card bill of $1,000.00 and the minimum payment percentage is 2% and the interest rate is 19%, it would take eight For example, in November 1990, Congress enacted a tax on yachts thinking that the people years and four months to pay off the debt in full. If there was the same bill of $1,000.00 and who could afford to buy a yacht were the ones who could afford to get taxed. Instead of the same interest rate of 19% but the minimum monthly payment percentage was raised to 5.8%, rich buying yachts as the American government planned, those who wanted the luxury items it would take only one year and nine months to pay it off. bought them foreign countries. This destroyed the American yacht industry, forcing yacht workers into unemployment and putting a dent in the American economy. Within eight Credit card companies give out credit cards to students even when they list no income on months after the change in the law took effect, Viking Yachts, the largest U.S. yacht their application. The Federal Reserve Bank and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation manufacturer, laid off 1,140 of its 1,400 employees and closed one of its two manufacturing say that making loans without any regard to the borrowers’ ability to pay represents reckless plants. Before it was all over, Viking Yachts was down to 68 employees. In the first year, lending practice. one-third of U.S. yacht-building companies stopped production. The economy took such a negative turn the law was repealed. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Raise the minimum monthly payment of credit cards to 5% for ages ranging from 18-25. In 2011, Obama called for a luxury tax on corporate jets, believing it would have a different effect than the tax two decades prior. The luxury tax was created to fight federal deficits, but it only skyrocketed the unemployment rate. Today, Congress still poses luxury taxes on jewelry, alcohol, cigarettes, animal skin. The lesson learned is the Luxury Tax does little, but create a larger federal deficit and hurt the American economy.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress and the President will pass legislation that will prevent future federal establishments from imposing a Luxury Tax and remove the current Luxury Taxes put in place.

Proposal No. 0103 Proposal No. 0104

Name: Ella Gmelich Name: Chase Halladjian Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral Better preparation for young adults in regards to becoming self sufficient adults hormonal contraceptives at a federal level. Modeled after bill 287 which was passed in the state of Oregon. JUSTIFICATION: It is important that young adults learn how to be self sufficient. In the current day and age, JUSTIFICATION: many young adults have grown accustom to having others do their work for them or fix their Sixty-two percent of American women of the reproductive age regularly use contraceptives. problems. In the past decade, many young adults have started to find themselves unprepared And roughly 10.6 million American women rely monthly on birth control medication to for the real world. In 2015, only 45.3 percent of the United States population knew how to protect themselves and their partners from unwanted pregnancy. And these statistics don’t file and complete their taxes and only one in three drivers knew how to change a tire on a car. even factor in the millions of teens and adults who rely on birth control to help reduce Without the basic skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the world, future generations hormone deficiencies and imbalances, which affect skin, menstrual cycles, and can even have a higher risk of falling behind, acquiring debt, and becoming unemployed. With the cause diseases such as endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Despite this, birth implementation of a class in high schools that teach these skills, these situations could be control is not as easily accessible as it should be relative to its mass use and effectiveness in a avoided. High school students will be taught basic mechanics, plumbing, and electrical in variety of medical problems. Following the outline of bill 2879 (passed in the state of order to be prepared for problems in the home and with vehicles. They will also be taught Oregen), allowing licensed pharmacist to prescribe contraception to millions of women public speaking and interview skills in order to help gain future employment, and also a class encourages safer sexual encounters and lowers risk for unwanted pregnancy. Increasing on how to file and complete taxes. This class will span two semesters covering a whole access to safe and effective methods of protection promotes sexual safety and health school year. The school year will be divided into four equal portions in order for students to education among American females in a variety of age ranges. practice each skill set that will be taught with this class. With basic knowledge in all of these skills, a strong foundation is put in place that will help build better, more confident, and self ACTION TO BE TAKEN: sufficient adults. Congress and the President will pass legislation that includes licensed pharmacists on the list of drug administers who can legally prescribe hormonal contraceptive patches and self- ACTION TO BE TAKEN: administered oral hormonal contraceptives. Life skills classes must be developed and added to all school curriculums Proposal No. 0105 Proposal No. 0106

Name: Emily Garber Name: Cooper Lyden Delegation: Westside Family Delegation: West Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Every automobile hired for public or private transportation (for example: Uber, Taxi, Buses, Federal Department of Education requiring at least one semester of Environmental Science to and Lyft...) must have a permanently mounted camera with a microphone for public safety. graduate from a public or private high school.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: To have a live stream of the camera installed in every public automobile (which will go to Our world is facing a great environmental crisis that is simply not being addressed. Many their headquarters), will insure public safety. There are multiple known incidents from these ignorant and misinformed citizens and politicians deny and refute the danger or even taxiing companies such as sexual or regular assaults, kidnappings, deaths, imposters, and existence of climate change. This is an issue that deserves attention but is simply being felons. There were over three dozens of reported sexual assault just by the company Uber in ignored. By the federal government requiring at least one semester of environmental science the US, China, and Canada. And, there are even more unrecorded occurrences, which can be to graduate from high school, we can hope to breed a generation of environmentally avoided by the camera system. This appliance will also increase the use of these public or conscious citizens and politicians who together can work to lessen humans negative effects private transportation corporations because of its safety appliance, benefitting the companies on our earth. Currently, no state requires any environmental course to graduate from a public themselves. Because more people feel safe with a source to protect them, it will encourage or private high school. Although elective environmental science classes are offered in some the community to use these transportation services instead of tired or drunk driving. The Taxi schools around the nation they fail to instill in every student the importance of environmental service tested this theory out with a few cars and it helped their customers and themselves in awareness. The closest any state has come to requiring the taking of any environmental class the end. Too many people, especially high school and college girls, have been sexually to graduate is Georgia in which their educational code states, "Eff. Class of 2012: 4, incl. 1 assaulted, coming home late from an event. Too many people are robbed and hurt coming unit biology, 1 unit either physical science or physics, 1 unit either chemistry, earth systems, home late from an event. It needs to be stopped. environmental science or an AP/IB science course, and 4th unit that may be used to meet both the science and elective requirements. " (source: Education commission of the states: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Standard High School Graduation Requirements (50-state)). To prevent the rise in assault, kidnappings, drunk driving, and other crimes, there is a need for cameras installed in every vehicle of hired public or private transportation. The camera Requiring an at least one semester long environmental science course, is also cost and time will be monitored and recorded by the headquarters of that enterprise. On the waver to bill a efficient because most states only require one semester for health usually leaving an open car service, there will be a terms and conditions containing this information on a camera in semester after, this plan is simple because a semester long environmental class would fill that the car, that the customer must sign to approve of all terms. Any disengaging or covering of semester perfectly. It is our duty as a nation and as inhabitants of the world to educate our the live stream by a driver while with a customer, there will be a fine of $300. And if any future generations on the vital importance of environmental awareness. crime caught off camera, a penalty of the crime that they commit will be discussed in court. To solely confirm the protection of every individual during uneasy hours in the night and/or ACTION TO BE TAKEN: day, these measures must be created. The federal government will require at least one semester of environmental science to graduate from a public or private high school. Legalizing prostitution would also impact the use of minors in the sex trade because if people Proposal No. 0107 can legally buy sex from women 18 years or older, it will significantly reduce the use of minors since no one would want to be prosecuted and pay fines. Also, the brothels could Name: Maude Tipton keep a record of clients and workers which would allow the government to get one step Delegation: Palisades-Malibu closer in controlling oversea sex trade, human trafficking, and the workers forced into the industry. Overall, legalizing prostitution gives people that live a live of torture and cruelty a TOPIC OF CONCERN: chance to speak up and have a voice and receive the rights that they are not receiving. Legalizing prostitution could create a safer and more regulated environment for sex workers, reduce the spread of STDs, benefit the government through taxes, reduce the rate of rape and ACTION TO BE TAKEN: violence, allow Legalizing prostitution could be done by requiring brothels and sex workers to obtain a license to act as a business. This would allow for a safer, healthier, and economically greater safety for minors, grant employment rights to the workers, and ensure the ability for substantial industry to evolve and the sex workers would be treated with the rights that they sex workers to be treated as individuals and citizens. deserve as not only citizens but human beings.

JUSTIFICATION: The practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment has been occurring around the world for thousands of years, even dating into the B.C. era, crediting it to be the world’s oldest profession. Many countries have tried to eliminate prostitution completely, but none have been proven successful. By legalizing it, the government gets to regulate the industry and have the ultimate say on what is safe and efficient and what is wrong. Employees in the United States are granted minimum rights by the law, such as safety rights, minimum wage, health benefits, vacation pay, and protection against unlawful discrimination, but since sex workers aren't legally employed they are not protected and granted any of theses rights.

The topic regarding the spread of sexually transmitted diseases is one of the most discussed regarding this issue. According to a new study presented at the International AIDS Conference in Australia, the transmission of HIV among sex workers could significantly be reduced by around 33-46 percent if prostitution were decriminalized. In places where prostitution is illegal, such as everywhere in the United States except Nevada, sex workers are more likely to get STDs because of the lack of necessary healthcare, the dismissal of the use of contraceptives, the absence of proper education regarding the subject and because of the criminalization, the pressure to conform to the clients needs.

Also, recognizing prostitution as a legitimate profession creates a stronger relationship between sex workers and law officials. Legalizing prostitution could also enormously reduce the violence and rape towards those in the industry. According to a study done in Minnesota in 1994, 85% of prostitutes surveyed claimed to have been raped and most prostitutes can expect to be raped at least once a week. By making it legal, you allow sex workers to report cases of violence and rape and you allow people to conduct a safe business.

Legalizing prostitution could also benefit the economy enormously, primarily through tax revenue and the government could charge an annual fee to obtain a business license. The United States’ prostitution industry generates $14.6 billion dollars, proving that it would provide a huge amount of money into our economy. Also, the United States spends more than $120 million dollars a year on prostitution control including: arrest, court, and imprisonment costs, and legalizing it would vanquish that unnecessary spending of tax money. Proposal No. 0108 will be worked out by the Canadamerican government in the years following the merge.

Name: Matthew Chang Delegation: Desert Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: Merging the United States of America with Canada into one unified country named Canadamerica.

JUSTIFICATION: Fear of opposing forces, such as the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), has risen to one of the most important national issues facing the United States in the past decade. Terrorists acts by these sectarian groups have jeopardized the hearts of Americans everywhere, to the point where a third world war seems inevitable. To solve this fear and prepare for the future, the United States of America must merge with Canada. Due to Canada's proximity, war efforts of the U.S. would definitely affect Canada. In turn, Canada would inexorably desire a say in not only U.S. military, but government and diplomatic ties as well. This merge would make the two countries one of the greatest military forces in the modern era while ensuring that neither country makes a decision that hurts the other. Additionally, a greater sense of unity in the face of war would be achieved for Canadians and Americans alike. Aside from the immense national importance of war, many smaller issues would be resolved as well, further unifying the two nations. Territorial and nautical issues would be, for the most part, resolved. Furthermore, U.S. and Canadian policies would be solved on a more inclusive scale, such as the problem of United States pollution harming Canadian ecosystems, allowing both territories to have a say in problems which can ultimately have an effect on both countries. Many U.S. policies already affect Canadians due to the amount of people who migrate from Canada to the United States during the colder months, but this merge would allow this large minority to travel from place to place with ease, without having to worry about border control, taxes, health benefits, etc. Finally, different policies, such as the Arctic Council, will benefit from this increased cooperation.

Many different solutions have been proposed to exactly how the merge shall be executed. Canadamerica would become a democracy with two elected co-presidents. This election would merge Canada's 308 electoral districts with the United States of America's 538 to form a total of 846. Voters would vote for one candidate each in two separate categories, one category of candidates being focused on northern Canadamerica while the other on southern Canadamerica. For further merging possibilities, the federal governments of the U.S. and Canada would work together to combine aspects of the governments, Constitutions, etc. in order to maximize efficiency, cooperation, and public agreement.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Beginning in 2017, residents of the United States would be gradually exposed to the benefits of the merge through government sponsored advertisements. In 2020, the governments of the U.S. and Canada will combine into a single government with two presidents. National policies will affect all territories which currently define the United States of America and Canada. All states and provinces will maintain borders, but all provinces will be treated as states. Each "state" will have it's own governor, capital, distinct laws, etc. Further policies Proposal No. 0109 Proposal No. 0110

Name: Courtney Egenes Name: Dewi Zarni Delegation: Irvine Delegation: Berkeley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Proposing all 50 states make vaccinations for children mandatory within public school or Repealing the statute of limitations on rape cases. daycare facilities and eliminate exemption of vaccines due to personal or religious beliefs. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Every 2 minutes, an American is raped. Because of the stigma and victim blaming that Existing law authorizes an exemption to vaccinate a child due to philosophical, religious, or accompanies rape, a majority (68%) of those assaulted will never go to the police. Hesitation medical reasons- however too many exemptions cause an unsafe environment for the to report the crime can also be attributed to the fact that 4 out of 5 rapes are committed by children of the present and of the future. Researchers have cited these exemptions as someone known to the victim. (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). Later, if a victim contributing to the loss of herd immunity within these communities, and hence an increasing does decide to press charges because they have gained the courage, new evidence has number of disease outbreaks. Herd immunity can ensure the safety of the population as this surfaced, or other victims have spoken out against the original perpetrator, it is often too late idea states that the pathogen will have trouble spreading when a significant part of the for them to seek justice. This is because of the statute of limitations, or a law that dictates the population has immunity against it. For a population to be considered immune, 90-95% of length of time a victim has to prosecute. The time frame around rape limitations ranges from the population must be vaccinated to protect the country as a whole. Mandatory vaccinations 3 to 30 years, depending on the state, while some states have already repealed the law and ensure that enough people are immune so that no sustained chains of transmission can be have no statute of limitations. Murder is currently exempt from the statute of limitations as it established- protecting those incapable of being vaccinated due to health reasons such as age, is such a heinous crime, and for this reason, rape should be as well. allergies, or having received an organ transplant. Data from the Department of Justice indicates that rape and sexual assault are the least Vaccinations can protect children from miniscule sicknesses, but also fatal diseases. The reported violent crimes. When survivors do go to the police, they often fail to investigate the Center for Disease Control stated that 732,000 American children were saved from death and claim, and as many as 70,000 rape kits still await testing. Among the reasons survivors don’t 322 million cases of childhood illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to go to the police, one is the well-founded fear they won’t be believed; another is that they may vaccination. Not only can vaccinations protect children in the present, but can also save be accused of lying or even be prosecuted themselves. future generations. Vaccinated mothers protect their unborn children from viruses that could potentially cause birth defects, and vaccinated communities can help eradicate diseases for If someone gathers the courage to put their attacker to justice, they deserve a trial, no matter generations to come. how much time has elapsed. This has been evidenced in cases against Bill Cosby and Bart Bareither, a man in Indiana who had admitted his rape but never faced punishment as he was As of 2014, about 30% of children in the United States were not vaccinated and an estimated past the statute of limitations. Furthermore, DNA technology has improved drastically in the 18.7 million infants worldwide are still missing out on basic vaccines. These children are past years, and cases once beyond the reach of prosecutors can now be tried. Repealing the susceptible to severe and even fatal diseases without these necessary vaccinations. Not only statute of limitations for rape will allow many women in the future to come forward and put are children without vaccines at risk, but they are also putting others in harm by carrying their attackers to justice. harmful diseases. A mandatory vaccination for children entering schools or care facilities ensures a higher rate of immunity within the population- making the chances of disease ACTION TO BE TAKEN: outbreaks rare. The Federal Government will repeal the statute of limitations on all crimes of rape or sexual assault across the United States. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Require mandatory vaccination in all public or private schools and child care facilities by eliminating exemption of vaccines due to religious or personal beliefs. Proposal No. 0111 Proposal No. 0112

Name: Luke Dengler Name: Gabrielle Pearson Delegation: El Dorado Delegation: Estancia

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Requiring protective head gear for all athletes playing contact sports in public high schools. Tax incentive for restaurants who use biodegradable straws or completely cut their use of straws. JUSTIFICATION: Contact sports are one of the biggest causes of injuries for high school students. There are JUSTIFICATION: more than 3.5 million injuries a year and almost one– third of childhood injuries are Although a single small straw may not have a huge impact on the environment, the multitude sports–related. Out of those 3.5 million injuries, high school athletes suffer 2 million of straws the are used in the United States does. According to research done by the National injures, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalization each year. Obviously some sports Parks Service, in any given day the people of the United States use over 500 million plastic are more dangerous than others. Although death from a sports injury is rare, the leading straws. That is equal to 125 school buses full of straws per day, let alone 46,400 school buses cause of death from a sports–-related injury is a brain injury. Some contact sports already per year. require protective gear, like football. Approximately 8,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each day for sports–-related injuries. Among athletes ages 5 to 14, 28 percent of Most of these plastic straws either end up in the trash or in our environment. They are made percent of football players, 25 percent of baseball players, 22 percent of soccer players, 15 by using our valuable, dwindling oil supply, and they cannot be reused. A more sustainable percent of basketball players, and 12 percent of softball players were injured while playing option would be to encourage restaurants to use biodegradable straws, or to cut their use of their respective sports. These numbers are relatively close and only half of those sports straws entirely. By using biodegradable straws, there would be less plastic that ends up in require some sort of protective head gear. landfills. Of course, biodegradable straws are more expensive than plastic straws, so this proposal would offset that cost by offering restaurants a tax incentive for using biodegradable ACTION TO BE TAKEN: straws or for cutting their use of straws entirely. Congress shall require student-athletes in public high schools to wear protective head gear during any contact sport game and/or practice. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress will enact legislation that offers a tax incentive to any restaurant that uses biodegradable straws or does not use straws at all Proposal No. 0113 Proposal No. 0114

Name: Hannah Craford Name: Claire Steitz Delegation: SVC/El Camino Delegation: SDSC/La Jolla

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The legality of daily fantasy sports. This proposal addresses transgender rights and equal access to restrooms for all genders.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Daily fantasy sports (DFS) are a subset of fantasy sport games. They are an accelerated I propose that all government buildings in the United States built after January 1, 2018 install variant of traditional fantasy sports that are conducted over short-term periods, such as a at least one single-stall Gender-Neutral restroom. A Gender-Neutral restroom is a restroom week or single day of competition, as opposed to those that are played across an entire that people of any gender can use. These restrooms help improve equality, safety, and social season. Daily fantasy sports are structured in the form of competitions (typically referred education. Individuals with genders that do not match the gender they were assigned at birth to as a "contest"); users pay an entry fee in order to participate. Depending on their deserve to have equal treatment and equal facilities and these restrooms would provide that. overall performance, players may win a share of a predetermined pot. Entry fees help Many individuals feel terrified and uncomfortable using restrooms labeled ‘Male’ or fund prizes, while a portion of the entry fee goes to the provider as rake-off revenue. As a ‘Female’ because they don’t fit into either of those categories and face discrimination if sign of their exponential growth, DFS’s were expected to generate approximately $2.6 they use them. This should not be the case. It is not right that people feel scared to do billion in entry fees in 2015. something as simple as use the restroom and they deserve to have a safe space where their gender is accepted. Gambling can be defined as "placing something of value to be won or lost on an event of uncertain outcome in the hopes of winning something greater." Upon deeper exploration, In Doe v. Regional School Unit, the Maine Supreme Court held that a transgender girl had daily fantasy sports clearly meets this definition of gambling. Most online gambling and the right to use the women’s bathroom at school because her psychological well-being and sports gambling in the U.S. is illegal, but under the vast majority of state and federal educational success depended on her transition. The school, in denying her access, had laws, fantasy sports games are exempt because they are technically considered "games of ‘treated [her] differently from other students solely because of her status as a transgender skill," as opposed to "games of chance." People, with enough information, time, girl.’ The court determined that this was a form of discrimination. Similarly, limiting experience and computational power can create a distinct advantage over other players. access to bathrooms for people who identify as non-binary is discrimination. Only having This is not where the controversy lies. The issue lies in the classification of these games. bathrooms for ‘men’ and ‘women’ is ignoring an entire group of people’s existence and Another game of skill that is played for cash prizes is poker, but that is classified as is enormously damaging to their lives. gambling in nearly all jurisdictions throughout the world. Poker is tightly regulated in the United States and legal online poker sites generate tiny revenues compared to daily Students who don’t feel safe at school have an enormously difficult time focusing, learning, fantasy sports. Gambling is not only psychologically addictive, it often leads to financial and socializing. In addition, transgender people who experienced issues in workplace and personal ruin. As a nation, we have seen time and time again that nothing good can bathrooms confirmed that it led to poor job performance, and some even changed jobs or quit come of gambling. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling their jobs to avoid the problem. It is discriminating to put transgender people in worse situations than cisgender people, and that is exactly what happens everyday in when approximately 76 percent of problem gamblers are likely to have a major depressive transgender people aren’t given equal access to facilities. disorder.The NPCG also says children of problem gamblers are at higher risk for a number of behaviors including problem gambling, tobacco use, and drug use. Gambling ACTION TO BE TAKEN: is an issue, daily fantasy sport are just another form of gambling which can cause spikes Congress will pass a Federal law requiring all government buildings built in the United States in financial loss and issues with youth development in the future. This needs to end now. after January 1, 2018 to have at least one single-stall Gender-Neutral restroom. This law will be mandated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Daily Fantasy Sports will be outlawed in the United States in accordance with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006. Proposal No. 0201 Proposal No. 0202

Name: Cathy Tang Name: Jacob Becker Delegation: Diablo Valley Delegation: Sacramento Central

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Establishing socioeconomic-based affirmative action for public colleges and universities and A major problem nationally is low voter turnout and disenfranchised voters. ending legacy preferences JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: A democracy is most effective when the largest amount of people participate. Though, Race-based affirmative action for higher education admissions requires measures to be taken currently the voter turnout is very low. In fact, only 60% of the population participates in the to prioritize minorities in the admission process. It was established to ensure more diversity general elections and only 40% in the midterm elections. Voting needs to be more accessible on campuses and as a compensatory measure for the United States’ history of discrimination so that the voter turnout can be higher. Voting needs to be available online. and economic exclusivity based on race and origin. However, race-based affirmative action is not helping those it originally sought to help. Those who can credit only a small percentage With all of the technology we have it is illogical to rely on these old and outdated methods of of their ethnicity to an underprivileged group can still reap the benefits of racial preference in voting. The majority of the country has access to the internet via cell phone, tablet or a the college admission process without looking like they belong to those groups and thus computer. With voting done online, the votes will be received far faster and in a cheaper avoiding the daily stigma the average person from those groups must face. manner. More people will be inclined to vote because it is faster and could easily be worked into their busy schedules, plus they wouldn’t have to leave their house. Yet for those who are Socioeconomic-based admissions, however, could truly level the playing field while also used to the traditional methods of voting or would prefer to stick to them, the current making way for a diverse student body. Socioeconomic realities can deprive students from methods of voting will still exist. valuable resources. With higher income comes privilege, and thus more time and money for extracurriculars, tutors, and opportunities. Higher class students can focus their time on Another major problem when it comes to voting is voter fraud. If voting was more accessible activities that bolster their college resume while lower-income students may need to worry and more secure our democracy would be more effective and fair. about providing for their own families. As a result, lower-income students are truly at a disadvantage in the college admission process. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Voting will be done over the internet on a government website that is secure and protected According to the New York Times, University of Colorado Boulder’s program for class- using a private account that has your social security number to eliminate the chance of based admission increased the admission rates for both low-income students and minorities, multiple accounts to ensure the identity of who is voting and that they are a United States achieving much more than race-based admission. With 58% of America’s lower-class citizen. This will be implemented within the next year. While this is being introduced consisting of minorities, by prioritizing lower-class students racial diversity can still be absentee ballots and poll booths will still exist yet will become less popular due to the ease of maintained, while breaking the cycle of poverty through more available higher education. online voting. Representation of minorities can be further promoted by dropping legacy preferences, since such preferences superfluously benefit mostly white and wealthy students.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The U.S. Department of Education will require states to drop race-based affirmative action and legacy preferences and adopt socioeconomic-based affirmative action in all public colleges and universities by 2020. For ever year after 2020 in which states fail to meet these requirements, federal funding for research at public universities will be cut by 5%. Proposal No. 0203 Proposal No. 0204

Name: Baylee Burke Name: Scott Fong Delegation: SRV/Valle Lobo Delegation: Albany

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Create a 4 day school week Currently, the federal government is prohibited from negotiating drug prices with Pharmaceutical Companies, resulting in overly expensive drugs. In addition, patients don't JUSTIFICATION: have an official way of telling how the drugs they are buying compare to other drugs in terms It is a well known fact that school is a major cause of stress for students all over the country. of cost and efficiency. Between all the homework, projects, studying, work, after school activities and sports, students may often have difficulty finding any free time. There things such as social and JUSTIFICATION: physical health that are key to a students happiness, but are increasingly difficult to achieve Medicare is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on prescription drugs, negotiation would as schoolwork becomes more time consuming. Many students are pressured to succeed save billions of dollars that could be reinvested into improving healthcare programs. academically and when they feel as if they are not succeeding due to lack of time, that is just another factor that adds to their stress. In America today, high school students are five to In 2014 $297.7 billion dollars were spent on prescription drugs and CMS(Center for eight times as likely to suffer from depressive symptoms as were teenagers 50 or 60 years Medicaid and Medicare Services) projects a 12.6% increase annually in cost of until 2024. ago, according to Psychology today. This is just an example of how stressful our education The federal government purchases Pharmaceutical drugs in bulk and should bargain and get system has become. discounts like many countries such as Britain and Canada who spend less money, yet sell cheaper drugs. Currently, the federal government buys drugs at full price due to the Creating a 4 day school week would lower students stress levels in many ways. Having an Medicare, Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act which prohibits the extra 24 hours of free time would give students more time to get projects and studying done, federal government from negotiating with Pharmaceutical companies and reducing costs with therefor reducing their stress and worries about an upcoming test. According to bargaining power. Because the government does not negotiate with the pharmaceutical theatlantic.com 58 percent of 15 to 17-year-olds regularly sleep less than seven hours each companies, the U.S. drugs costs more than most of the rest of the world. (U.S. consumers pay night. In the 24 extra hours of free time the 4 day school week would provide, students could on average three times more than consumers do in Britain for the world’s top 20 selling catch up on their much needed sleep. There are many other things that could be done during drugs). In addition, the U.S., unlike many other countries, does not have a drug review board this extra time such as working, socializing, athletics and other extra curricular activities. that can tell consumers how the drug they are purchasing compares to others of the same kind on the market in terms of cost and result, which results in Americans spending excessive ACTION TO BE TAKEN: money on expensive drugs when they can get a similar outcomes with cheaper ones. To make this change all schools in the country would remove Friday as a school day and make it part of the weekend. Human life is priceless and the US Government will not negotiate with profit driven companies when Americans can’t afford the drugs they need.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress shall pass a law that permits the negotiation of pharmaceutical drugs bought by the United States government, because as of now it is prohibited. In addition, Federal Drug Administration shall tasked with reviewing and comparing pharmaceutical drugs in the market, for cost-based efficiency and releasing the results of their reports. Proposal No. 0205 Proposal No. 0206

Name: Stephanie Joynt Name: Noelle McHenry Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar Delegation: Irvine

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Every state has a mandatory surprise inspection of the conditions and use of puppy mills Giving territories of the United States, including Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana every three months. Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands, voting representation in Congress and the right to vote to their residents. JUSTIFICATION: It is important to have mandatory inspections of the conditions and the use of puppy mills for JUSTIFICATION: the safety and health of the dogs as well as protection for the consumers who purchase the For over one hundred years, the United States has held American Samoa, Guam, the sick puppies. According to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) no state has a Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands in territorial possession. These mandatory cap on the number of dogs it is allowed to breed. There are also only 27 states that island territories currently have the lowest legal and political standings because of their require inspections of puppy mills. This low number makes it easy for other states to lack of autonomy. Although they are not considered a part of the United States, the overbreed with unhealthy conditions. American government still has control over appointing judges and executive officers, as well as establishing territorial courts within these dominions. Additionally, Congress has Dogs at puppy mills typically receive little to no medical care; live in squalid conditions with the power to pass its own laws governing said possessions. no exercise, socialization or human interaction; and are confined inside cramped wire-floored cages for life. Many states do not have a law protecting dogs at commercial dog breeding Residents of these territories are neglected the right to vote for members of Congress or facilities and the states with a law only require minimal care for the dogs. The United States any other formal elections, and whilst these people are given voting rights in territorial Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires inspection of these facilities but admits to a deficient record in the inspections. There are a greater number of facilities than inspectors so elections, Congress reserves the capacity and authority to nullify any laws passed by the therefore some breeders are allowed self-inspections. Because of this, it is easy for disease to territorial legislatures, as stated in U.S. Code 48 of Territories and Insular Possessions, spread. Chapter 8a § 1423i, Pub. L. 92-271. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Code 48, specified in Chapter 16 § 1171 Pub. L. 92-271, 1731 Pub. L. 95-556, and 1751 Pub. L. As a result of poor inspections, when the dogs are transported to pet stores they carry 110-229, these territories are allowed representation by a nonvoting delegate in the House diseases and have many other medical problems. According to complaints received by The of Representatives, elected in order attend congressional sessions, hearings, and Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) 40% were because of viruses such as conferences in our nation’s capital. These delegates are allowed to propose and vote on Parvovirus, Canine Brucellosis, and Canine Distemper Virus. There were also complaints of legislation in committees, but are denied participation in any final vote, which ultimately congenital defects (34%), death of the puppy (15%) and temperament issues (3%). The silences entire populations of people and essentially creates mock governments within mandatory inspections and health regulations given to puppy mills would decrease the each territory. number of complaints and improve the health of the dog after being sold. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States would amend Pub. L. 92-271, 95-556, and 110-229, ultimately granting Congress will establish a bill requiring all licensed puppy mills to be surprise inspected every delegates of the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, three months in order to ensure the dogs are being treated well and are healthy. If the puppy and the U.S. Virgin Islands the ability to participate in final legislative votes. Additionally mill does not meet the inspection requirements it will be temporarily shut down until the U.S. would admit residents of said dominions to partake in voting for American elections. expectations have been met. The inspector will give the puppy mill owner a deadline for cleanup depending on severity of the conditions. The puppy mill will not be allowed to reopen and continue production until the inspector approves. Proposal No. 0207 Proposal No. 0208

Name: Myles Rothfarb Name: Avalon Edwards Delegation: Culver-Palms Delegation: SVC/El Camino

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Making Super Bowl Sunday a National Holiday. Outlawing state ban on current and former felons’ rights to vote.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Why should we make Super Bowl Sunday a National Holiday? The Super Bowl is one of the 23.3% of African Americans in Florida are banned from voting. These people are legal most watched events in the US every year. Also, the top three most watched events in US citizens who are done serving parole and jail time. Yet, the state of Florida has permanently history were Super Bowls. Ever since Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, the Super Bowl has revoked the right to vote for these 500,000 former felons. In 48 states as well as the District reached over 100 million viewers in the United States. At approximately 319 million citizens of Columbia, felons’ rights to vote are infringed upon in some way; this punishment can vary in the US, almost one third of the United States watch the Super Bowl. from lifetime bans to restrictions until the completion of terms of incarceration. Only in Maine and Vermont may convicted felons vote via absentee ballot from jail. This voting If Super Bowl Sunday were to become a National Holiday, on the following Monday after discrimination disproportionately affects people of color, and has catastrophic affects on the Super Bowl, students and teachers will be excused from schools, and working citizens local, state, and national elections. In 2000, George W. Bush won the state of Florida over Al will be excused from their jobs. As for the financial aspect, it should not cost much to close Gore by 537 votes. Nine out of ten Floridian African Americans vote Democrat, and with everything down for a day. For schools, they will replace the day missed with another one half a million free citizens out of the right to vote, this pivotal election could have easily another time during the year. It will be just like any other holiday. As we all know, the swung the other way. These narrow elections continued into 2014; Republican Rick Scott Monday following Super Bowl Sunday is not a productive day. It becomes a social day, as won the Florida gubernatorial election by a margin of 64,145 votes. This form of civil death most people just talk about what happened during the Super Bowl. Why have a work and is a draconian infringement on the 15th Amendment, and is prohibiting law-abiding citizens school day just to waste it talking about the game? With the day off on Monday, it offers a crimes from participating in our democratic government. "day of reflection" to reflect and discuss Sunday's events. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: All felons, either formerly or currently incarcerated will be given the right to vote. The The change being made is that the Monday following Super Bowl Sunday will be a day Federal Election Assistance Commission will provide those currently serving their sentences where schools and jobs will be closed. The day missed will be replaced by another day put in in jail with absentee ballots. Jails must provide inmates with adequate information on the some other time during the year. candidates and issues through newspapers and/or equal television time on liberal and conservative leaning news stations. The current lifetime voting bans in place will be annulled immediately. This proposal will allow the United States to take one big step towards true representational government. Proposal No. 0209 Proposal No. 0210

Name: Cameron Desnoes Name: Jaewon Yang Delegation: Desert Family YMCA Delegation: West Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Pain Killers in Professional Sports ‘“ in particular professional football leagues Reducing homelessness throughout the US by increasing funding to federal mental health services. JUSTIFICATION: Not only are players beginning to be treated inhumanely, they are being treated as solely JUSTIFICATION: business. Players who are not physically healthy to play are being put in professional football The United States, the country in which we live, has the largest economy in the world. Yet games. Such policy which allows professional football players to use painkillers such as; over six hundred thousand of this great country’s residents are living on the streets. Vicodin, injected local anesthesia, and Toradol increases the chance of long-lasting injury. Addressing homelessness as a whole is a multifaceted issue that will be continue to be These painkillers have been shown to lead to addiction, and in the case of Toradol, an all addressed for generations. However, there are ways that we can help kick start solutions.. purpose pain reliever, a shockingly high number of NFL players inject themselves with it even when they are feeling fine. There have been cases in which players have died from We need to increase funding across the country to mental health clinics in order to help accidental painkiller overdose, and also cases in which players become painkiller addicts. reduce the number of people that are forced to live on the streets due to the lack of care that they can access. Studies show that 20 to 25 percent of the homeless population suffers from Players are not aware of the consequences of playing with serious injuries until after their some kind of severe and persistent mental illness. This means that one-fifth to one-quarter of careers, and in turn players pay the price of their overuse of painkillers later on in their lives; this nation’s homeless are suffering, by little or no fault of their own, from illnesses that thus it cannot and should not be a decision based on personal preference, but rather a national hinder their ability to function in society. If we can help even a fraction of those people in law. According to sources cited by the Washington University researchers, 26 percent of the finding treatment housing, we will have made a dent in the homeless population. general population suffers from some level of pain. But of the 644 former NFL players surveyed, 93 percent suffered some level of pain, and 73 percent described their pain as The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (hereafter referred to as moderate to severe. SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that aims to ‘reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.’ Pressure is put on the player to use these painkillers, as it has become a standard to play on The SAMHSA is an agency that create real impact by increasing access to mental health care the team, you cannot complain because the players are told there is always someone to take and substance abuse services throughout the country. However, they do not receive enough their spot if they don’t perform. The standard of players is to play through the pain. If funding. The 3.7 billion dollars that the SAMHSA has been allotted for the year 2016 argument is given that a problem in professional football leagues is not relevant ‘“ this amounts to a mere 0.61 percent of the annual military budget. By increasing funding to the proposal is the beginning of a movement that shows care for the person rather than a person SAMHSA, we can make a difference in the lives of people who don’t have access to to person bond as solely business. adequate health care.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: There will be obligatory testing before each game to know the extent of painkiller use and This proposal will divert $100,000,000 (6.1%) of the recruiting, advertising, and examining misuse by current players. There will be a regulation of pain medication that a player is section of the federal military budget to the budget for the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and allowed to use prior to games. Penalty will include suspension from the game, fines, and Mental Health Services Administration). greater punishment if the offender misuses painkillers more than once. Proposal No. 0211 Proposal No. 0212

Name: Susana Alvarado Name: Emily Bogartz-Brown Delegation: Corona Norco Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Requiring all incoming 6th graders to get the HPV vaccination. The superabundance of livestock, specifically cattle, in America and in the world, are contributing greatly to the drought and to the collection greenhouse gases, methane in JUSTIFICATION: particular, in the atmosphere. About 50% of all sexually active men and women will contract HPV during their lifetime. This STD is linked to causing cervical cancer in 70% of the women who are affected by this JUSTIFICATION: disease. In 2007, The ACS reported that 11,000 women contracted cervical cancer through The amount of water needed to sustain the crops for cow feed, is one of the greatest HPV, and of those 3,600 resulted in death. contributing factors to the diminishing water supply. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research it was found that agriculture is responsible Although cervical cancers main victims are women, males with this STD contract genital for 80-90 percent of water consumption. 5% of water consumption in the US is by private warts and have long term effects. homes while 55% is for animal agriculture.

Research shows that the vaccine is 100% effective and would reduce the number of cervical In a study conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency, they found that 2500 cancer cases in America. This is already a requirement in 3 states. This vaccination would dairy cows produce the same amount of waste as a city of 411,000 people. The ACSESS not only reduce the percentage of people that are affected with this STD, but reduce the association found that cattle release 250-500 Liters of methane daily (depending on their deaths of women who contract this STD. diet). In a year this roughly equates to 91,250 Liters a year. Ultimately contributing to 18% of all greenhouse emissions (Food and Agriculture Organizations). ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Vaccination against HPV will be required for all incoming 6th graders. There will be an ACTION TO BE TAKEN: option to opt out of this vaccination if it inflicts upon a families religious beliefs. Establishing a quota of how many cows each state, farm, and industrial animal facility can have on their land, will save resources and minimize the negative effects on the environment. In order to oversee this process, a committee will be formed to further establish and carry out said requirements. Proposal No. 0213 Proposal No. 0214

Name: Camilla Zanetti Name: Nico Godinez Delegation: SDSC/La Jolla Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: This proposal regards education reform for all high school in the United States in regards to Topic of Concern: Teachers with tenure who are ineffective. the starting time of schools. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Justification: The reason for teacher tenure is simple: tenure protects teachers from being I propose that the United States government have congress impose a law which makes the fired for poor reasons such as their political views or to prevent nepotism and favoritism in academic school day start later in the morning. This law would concern all high school administrators. While tenure is a good thing and should not be completely removed there are students in public schools nationwide. Schools would start at 9 a.m. and end at around 3Â-4 too many bad teachers who rely on tenure to keep their jobs. Schools are unable to fire these p.m., subjective to the school’s decision. This law would significantly benefit adolescents’ bad teachers as the cost of doing so to a teacher with tenure is simply too high. For example academic performance by making them more physically capable in their classes. in New York City from 2006-2007 the average cost to fire a tenured teacher was 167,142 dollars-a cost many districts are not willing to pay. In another shocking example of the need In over 40 states, at least 75 percent of public schools start earlier than 8:30 a.m., according to weaken teacher tenure Chicago between 2005 and 2008 had a 25.8 percent pass rate for to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reports. The CDC is becoming 11th graders on standardized tests with only 0.1 teacher dismissal rates for performance. more preoccupied with the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation amongst the youth of While tenure is a good thing it has gone too far. To solve this problem the Board of America. Sleep deprivation is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly problematic Education should mandate that schools use student performance on tests to decide which amongst high school students, who often times are unable to obtain the recommended 8.5 to teachers to fire while cutting funding for districts that do not comply. This will mean that bad 9.5 hours of nightly rest. This not only affects their ability to focus and class, hence their teachers will be fired and successful teachers will be retained. school work, but also their overall wellbeing. Low sleep levels have been linked to psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. It also affects the cognitive processes ACTION TO BE TAKEN: such as memory, causing one to forget things that may have been learned the day of. Starting To solve this problem the Board of Education should mandate that schools use student schools later will ensure that students be able to sleep in at least an extra hour each morning, performance on tests to decide which teachers to fire while cutting funding for districts that lowering their risk of developing sleep deprivation. do not comply at a rate of 10% of starting funding every year for ten years

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States congress will pass a law mandating all public schools to start at 9 a.m. Proposal No. 0301 Proposal No. 0302

Name: Alex Jilizian Name: Shayne Bhatia Delegation: Verdugo Hills Delegation: Fremont/Newark

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Violence against sex workers Abolition Of the Death Penalty

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: When we talk about violence against women, one group that is commonly overlooked is Imagine someone you love being murdered by the government. Only later they find he or she prostitutes. Sex workers, both women and men are murdered at over 20 times the national was innocent all along. There are a total 18 states in the United States, that have officially average. 58% reporting being assaulted, and over 20% have STD’s in America. The problem abolished the death penalty and many more should. The death penalty puts innocent lives at is that prostitutes cannot take any protective or safety measure because doing so could result risk. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the United States in 1976, 138 innocent in them being put in jail. Condoms are often used as evidence against sex workers in court, men and women have been released from death row, including some who came within therefore, many of them are forced to have unprotected sex. This has greatly contributed to minutes of execution. No civilian job description should include killing another person. growth in STD’s and unwanted pregnancies. Also, since many prostitutes are alienated by Corrections personnel involved in executions, like our military, frequently suffer PTSD from our society, rapists and murderers use them as targets for various forms of violence and having to kill. There is no reason to place the mental health of our corrections workers at risk torture. simply to pursue vengeance. We pay many millions for the death penalty system where poor quality defense leaves many sentenced to death. In California, cases without the death In addition, I think it is finally time to give women control of their own bodies in terms of penalty cost around $740,000, while cases where with the death penalty cost around $1.26 sex work. Legal prostitution is a victimless crime, and 22 other countries have come to terms million. Maintaining each death row prisoner costs taxpayers $90,000 more per year than a with this fact. It is also something that is incredibly hard to regulate, and gets very technical. prisoner in general population. In terms of arrests, America arrests over 80,000 people a year for soliciting sex. Women of color are very disproportionately affected. Enforcement of the death penalty denies the opportunity for rehabilitation. Many individuals who are charged with crimes that entail capital punishment are mentally and/or emotionally Also, the people who benefit most from the ban on sex work are pimps. Pimps right now unstable. One out of every ten prisoners who have been executed in the United States since make a ton of money, and don’t pay a dime of it in taxes. They don’t have to pay women 1977 are mentally ill, according to Amnesty International and the National Association on living wages, benefit, or give them leave. If they pay them too much, then the women won’t Mental Illness. Rehabilitation efforts vs the death penalty will not only help convicted have to prostitute themselves anymore, which is why they usually pay them less than a living criminals, but will they help society in understanding the motivations behind criminal actions wage or only give them material things, to keep them trapped in the industry. to prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future. There are also better alternatives - for example life without parole - the suspect spends his entire life in jail without a way to get out I say it’s time to give women the right to their own body, protect them from disease and legally. This gives the suspect a second chance - time to think over what they did, try to redo violence, and stop making laws that benefit pimps. By legalizing prostitution, sex workers their life. The death penalty is also proven to be unconstitutional. The Eighth Amendment of could finally get the justice they deserve. In Nevada, prostitution has been legalized in the the United States Constitution states that the use of ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ should form of brothels, and is highly favored among sex workers. Here, customers are forced to be prohibited. wear condoms, and this rule can actually be enforced. Women are also tested weekly for STD’s, rather than having to keep working with them and spreading them even more. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Workers are paid living wages, pay taxes, and are given benefits just like any other average All states must get rid of the death penalty and use the money from the death penalty to help worker. If it is legalized, Pimps with fur jackets and gold teeth would finally pay their fair mentally ill inmates. share in taxes and wages, and they would be subject to laws that would prevent them from underpaying or abusing them. So from here, it is just common sense. Do we keep criminalizing and spending money to helplessly prevent a victimless crime, ore do we give women and men the rights to their own bodies, and protect them in the same way that we do every other worker in America?

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The federal government will lift the ban on prostitution in the United States. Proposal No. 0303 Proposal No. 0304

Name: Brandon Gonzalez Name: Amanda Diehl Delegation: SPPY/WY- Palos Verdes Delegation: SRV/Valle Lobo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Child Protective Services will determine an informed rehabilitation plan for severely abused Comprehensive Sex Education individuals, children or adults, that is relevant and appropriate to each individual. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Sex and HIV education is not mandatory in all states, causing negative repercussions for In 1970, Genie "the Wild Child" was discovered to have spent the first 12 years of her life individuals who do not learn methods for having safe sex. 37 states require that if sex locked up and abused by her father. She never left the room or spoke to anybody. Because of education is taught, it must include abstinence, and of those 37, 26 require that abstinence be this, she had an underdeveloped body and was unable to speak. Since her father committed stressed as the best method (Facts). Comprehensive Sex Education is a k-12 curriculum that suicide shortly after her discovery and her mother was blind and therefore unable to care for teaches about the physical and emotional elements of sexual activities. It also teaches about her, scientists paid to keep her for study on language development. Although they did attempt contraceptives (including abstinence), STD's, and requires the material be medically to raise her with normal family life, the priority was on research, all because there was no accurate. States that have abstinence-only programs or no laws regarding sex education have authority to decide her fate. Giving Child Protective Services the ability to set a plan for the highest rates for teen pregnancies and abortions (results). For example, Mississippi does people in need of unique care rather than common disabilities sets a precedent of how much not require sex education, however when it is taught, it is an abstinence-only an individual's life matters, guaranteeing those in extreme trouble will not be ignored or program.Unsurprisingly, Mississippi’s has the highest rate of teen births in the U.S., with 55 tossed around merely for being in a situation never seen before. Some families with births per 1,000 teen girls. Contrastly, New Hampshire requires comprehensive sex individuals like these do not have the education or knowledge of creating effective care for education, and has the lowest teen birth rate in the country (Beadle). About 50% of sexually them. active people acquire an STD/STI by the time they are 25 (Statistics). The United Stated must take action for the high STD and abortion rates that plague America. My action to be ACTION TO BE TAKEN: taken impacts Medicaid because if states are not taking the initiative to teach about the health Child Protective Services can construct a plan for rehabilitation of abused individuals to be risks of sex based activities, then they should not be receiving money for health services after carried out by the department. the fact.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress will incentivize states to have Comprehensive Sex Education by stopping funding of Medicaid in all states that do not adopt this form of sex education. Proposal No. 0305 Proposal No. 0306

Name: Natasha Hashemi Name: Cody Clark Delegation: Conejo Valley Delegation: Ventura Family

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Creating a section of government that enforces environmental regulations including, but not Federal incentives for plug-in hybrids and electric cars limited to water restrictions that are already in place, replacing the states' enforcement authority. JUSTIFICATION: Today we live in a world where the rate of environmental degradation is at the highest it has JUSTIFICATION: ever been. The earth has lost over 80% of its original forests and the temperatures are rising. The EPA has written in an article, ‘Potential cancer-causing chemicals have been found in If environmental change continues at this rate we will see over â…• of life on this planet trace quantities in New Orleans' and Pittsburgh's drinking water. In Boston, lead from water become extinct in the next 30 years. One of the biggest contributors of climate change is the supply pipes has been found in water drawn from the tap. Viral or bacteriological burning of fossil fuels. Electric vehicles and hybrids are a growing solution to this problem. contamination of drinking water has resulted in communication of disease, often in smaller, These vehicles allow a method for cleaner transportation by using clean energy to get more rural communities where treatment works are outdated or modern techniques are not somebody from one place to another. Even with the ‘dirtiest’ electric grids with energy available.’ This shows that the states are not doing their job in enforcing these much- produced from coal, it is still seen that the carbon footprint is less than that of the average needed regulations. The people are taking the fall for their inefficient job of overseeing vehicle (27mpg). Given that statistic, the number of emissions is significantly less if charged companies such as PC Construction or McCarthy. This section of government needs to be on a clean electric grid such as the ones in Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas. While the created because there are many problems that arise from unclean water or an unsafe sales of electric vehicles are increasing, they aren't high enough to make a significant impact environment in general. Also, people who live in more secluded areas in a state have a on the environment. People are scared away from buying EV’s and plug-in hybrids because greater chance of being overlooked if these regulations continued to be enforced by the of the costs of these vehicles. Providing incentives that save the vehicle owner's time and states. As previously stated, those rural communities are not as advanced nor favorable to money are essential to increasing the use of EV’s and plug-in hybrids. cleaner environments which further conveys the state’s incapability of fulfilling this necessary action to be taken on environmental regulations. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Federal incentives such as free parking, rebates, and the ability to use carpool lanes with only This proposal is not fiscally impossible. Funding could be generated from Congress, carbon one driver shall be provided to any United States citizen with a plug-in hybrid or electric taxation, etc. Right now that carbon tax is used for climate mitigation programs, which this vehicle. section of government can easily be squeezed into. Most citizens will be eager to direct their tax dollars toward this section of government because it is for their complete benefit of having a healthy planet and clean drinking water. Although this proposal will take more money out of Congress' ‘budget’ or out of the tax payer’s dollars, it is definitely a necessary precaution to fund.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: This proposal must be approved by an act of congress. The establishment of this section will include the appointment of a president and chief staff by a group of environmental specialists. Proposal No. 0307 Proposal No. 0308

Name: Luke McGarry Name: Christopher Ruiz Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA Delegation: Anaheim

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: I propose a change to the second amendment of the constitution as to make it a requirement Making it more difficult for young people to obtain vaporizer pens. that gun owners must receive a license for their ability to own firearms as well as to register each one of the firearms they own. JUSTIFICATION: Vaping has quickly become a popular activity among young people, and this is a serious JUSTIFICATION: concern to doctors and health professionals. Vaporizer pens, or vape pens for short, are If you were to combine the populations of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, electronic devices that allow the user to inhale the vapor produced by heating up Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Austria, you would get a population of about fifty whatever is loaded into the pen, most of the time this being concentrated waxes, oils, or million more then the US. At the same time, if you add up all of the gun related deaths per even dry herb tobacco. The waxes or oils used in these pens often have nicotine in them, year in both places, the US would have 30,000 where as the rest would combine for a total of which is the chemical that makes cigarettes so addictive. While users may not inhale 112. The difference is that these countries have stricter policies when it comes to obtaining smoke and tar with vaporizers, the vapor they inhale is still filled with nicotine possibly and maintaining legal firearms. leading to users becoming addicted. Apart from this the second hand vapor let off by

users has been found to contain 10 chemicals that are already on California’s list of Much like the way we own cars, I believe that we should own our firearms and mandate that chemicals that can cause cancer & birth defects. everyone owns firearms in a similar manner. I believe that we should require gun owners to receive license by going through background checks, which include extensive checks of mental health, as well as a simple but effective firearm training course. This would allow us One of the chemicals often found in the oils used by these pens is Propylene glycol, a as a nation to ensure that everyone who is both physically and mentally capable of owning a chemical commonly found in products we eat, like soda, and things we apply to gun may do so. I also believe that in the same way that we renew our drivers licenses for our ourselves, like soap. While research has been done to prove Propylene glycol is not ability to drive every five years and our car registration every year, we should have a similar harmful to the body when ingested or applied, new research shows that it can be harmful process for gun ownership and gun registration. when inhaled. Recent research shows early exposure to Propylene glycol can be lead to the development of respiratory diseases like asthma. In a time where gun violence is at an all-time high with domestic terrorism often being perpetrated by those who are mentally unstable, many people lay slain where these Many argue vaping serves as an alternative to smoking, helping people eventually quit; circumstances may have been avoided with a slightly more rigorous but not fully invasive there has been little research done to prove this is true. However, there have been several process. Now is as important a time as as ever to enact ways to make the streets of our nation publications calling for further research on the harmful effects of vaporizers. safer. After so much work to bring down the number of young people smoking, e-cigarette use ACTION TO BE TAKEN: among young people passed traditional cigarette use. Vape pens might have become the The United States would enact a constitutional amendment to require gun owners to receive cigarettes of our generation, making it popular to inhale nicotine again. license to own firearms and to register each one of their firearms that they own. Also, a requirement to re-register their firearms on a yearly basis and to renew gun licenses every ACTION TO BE TAKEN: five years. The FDA is responsible ‘˜regulating tobacco products’, many states currently have laws in place that ban the use of vaporizers in public and enclosed places. Ban the use of vaporizer pens in public places. Push the age of sale and transfer of e-cigarette devices from 18 to 21. Proposal No. 0309 Proposal No. 0310

Name: Austin McWilliams Name: Kerouac Geffroy-Kearley Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar Delegation: SDSC/East County

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Manufacturing non-lethal weapons to the public Requiring drones and model radio controlled airplanes to include transponders on them.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: All lethal weapons that are carried by a concealed weapon permit will be banned for further Drones and model radio controlled airplanes have become commonplace. Let’s be honest; I use in public. This ban does not apply towards guns or any weapons owned on homeowner can go and buy a small drone for less than $50. And in that increase in sales and property. The manufactured non-lethal weapons shall not require specifically a concealed development, more and more people own them. This development has helped in many ways; weapon permit and will be able to be carried concealed or unconcealed. The citizen shall firefighters can better assess and attack wildland brush fires, as opposed to getting a manned have a permit for the weapon and be registered under the weapon. The gun or any non-lethal aircraft in the air, which costs about $2,649/hour, not including the pilots’ and air boss's will have neon green highlights indicating a non-lethal weapon. There are about 89 guns for salary, and takes around 45 minutes to prepare, Operating a drone costs only about every 100 americans and to be allowed to carry a gun in public requires a concealed carry $200/hour, and they can be deployed immediately. permit. According to Washington CBS news a report finds that 11.1 million Americans now have permits to carry concealed weapons, which are up from 4.5 million in 2007. This 146 Recently I met a young man who built a homemade drone for as low as $300, but being percent increase parallels a nearly one-quarter (22 percent) drop in both murder and violent aware of federal regulation, he was smart and registered it. He is not an exception, but there crime rates during the same time period as of 2014. Manufacturing non-lethal weapons to are quite a few hobby drone builders that fly, not just unregistered, but near potential risk citizens of the public can be the step towards greater safety in society and limiting the areas. An example can be pointed out, once again with firefighting; Cal Fire and other amount of crime and terrorist acts within the United States and will provide protection and be firefighting aircraft cannot fly with hobby drones in the air. A recent example in the Cal used for disabling without the terms of death. Fire’s policy, and public awareness campaign using the slogan, ‘If you fly, we can’t.’

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: While drones are identified as aircraft, RC models are not, and unregistered drones pose a The United States shall pass a law banning concealed lethal weapons and manufacture non- very real and increasing threat to these manned aircraft, not only financially, but quite lethal weapons for carry in public used for defense. literally. As sales of hobby drones have increased, so have the close calls between manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft. Although there haven’t been any actual collisions yet, the number of close calls keeps increasing, with more than 900 close calls that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received reports for in the last 2 years. The FAA took action, requiring that commercial drones be registered (December 14), but although they may be registered, they still pose a risk for manned aircraft.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Although the FAA is requiring commercial drones to be registered, their regulations do not cover hobby aircraft. This proposal would identify drones and RC model airplanes as aircraft, and require transponders to be included by drone manufacturers and hobbyists. This regulation would make pilot’s licenses required for operators above the age of 12. Some form of advertising on the packaging to inform drone and RC fliers that their aircraft must registered would also be included in this regulation. The Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Aviation Administration (Department of Transportation) would be in charge of regulating this. Proposal No. 0311 Proposal No. 0312

Name: Carla Gonzalez Name: Robby Ackles Delegation: Westchester Delegation: SDSC/Magdalena Ecke

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Sales tax on feminine sanitation products such as pads and tampons. The United States Department of Labor does not currently regulate whether employees that work for larger and/or more profitable businesses are granted a set amount of paid vacation JUSTIFICATION: days on an annual basis. In the United states, women are taxed for purchasing a necessary product: pads and tampons. While the sales tax varies state to state, only the residents of Minnesota, Pennsylvania, JUSTIFICATION: Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have chosen not to tax the female reproductive According to the European Union, mandates were established to provide employees with system. The remaining forty five states charge sales tax on feminine sanitation products. A ‘paid annual leave of at least four weeks per year.’ This fell under the organization’s recent report by the Fusion Media Network highlighted the responsibility of local Working Time Directive as part of the Social Affairs, Employment and Inclusion policies. governments to reform a tax code that charges nearly 50% of the population taxes for a The purpose was to ‘constitute rules of Community social [standards] of particular necessary product. In New York, there is no sales tax on clothes, but the tax on pads and importance, from which every worker must benefit.’ In the United States, employees of tampons persists. certain companies have more financially advantageous benefits than others. It is currently not

a requirement for employers to issue any paid vacation days on the national scale, which has For low income households the price of these products can add up. As of January 26th, a created unevenness among many businesses. The U.S. Department of Labor states that common price of a box of 18 tampons is $5.49. The City of Inglewood maintains a 9.50% ‘workers have no right to statutory vacations.’ The current policy in place is under the Fair sales tax, and would charge a customer an extra $0.52 per box. Women with a healthy and  regular menstrual cycle will pay $6.24 in tax over the course of a year. However, this price is Labor Standards Act, which states that all details regarding work contracts should be on the low end of the price range for similar products. Many pads and tampons range around negotiated between the employer and the employee. $10-$14 per box of 18, and many customers are wary to use cheaper products that can affect their health. Every penny makes a difference in the finances of impoverished women and Without paid annual leave for American workers, the middle class is suffering, and the states should not be generating tax revenue on products that women need to maintain their current plan is unjustified. After a study by three individuals from the Center of Economic health. and Policy Research, it was revealed that the average number of vacation days offered to workers in the private sector was about sixteen days, which is still four days under the The state government need to stop taxing the female reproductive system. minimum requirement set in the member countries of the European Union. In addition, less than half of low wage American workers have a substantial amount of paid vacation days. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Finally, Forbes stated that according to the study, ‘job-related stress contributes to Because each state has it’s own laws regarding sales tax, the Department of Health and absenteeism, lost productivity, and health issues, and these factors cost businesses Human Services will create a committee tasked with lobbying legislators within the 45 approximately $344 billion annually.’ The lack of annual paid vacation in this country state in which there is currently a sales tax on feminine products, such as pads and does not give workers much time (if any at all) to spend with their families and come back to tampons, to amend their tax code to eliminate said tax. work with a healthier mindset.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Department of Labor needs to enact a federal policy mandating that all businesses of 100 members or more and/or making more than $2.6 million in annual revenue provide their employees with at least twenty paid vacation days annually. (Statistics determined based on data collected by The U.S. Small Business Administration). This would ensure increased productivity among medium-sized and larger companies, but would maintain the stability of small businesses. Proposal No. 0313 Proposal No. 0314

Name: Avani Johnson Name: Mayali Nelson Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada Delegation: SFY/Mission

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To eliminate the sales tax on feminine hygiene products and reduce federal funding for states To reduce the accessibility of tobacco products. that continue to apply sales tax to such products. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that is in all tobacco products. These products can be In all states but a mere few, a basic sales tax is applied when menstrual products are purchased at the young age of eighteen. Although nicotine doesn’t have the effects of purchased. Whereas other ‘necessities’, such as groceries and even candy in some states other substances, like alcohol or cocaine, it is more addictive than both. Many people (including California), are exempt from such sales tax, female hygiene products are not. By seem to skip over the fact that nicotine is a drug. With any type of addictive substance, not including tampons and sanitary napkins, among others, within the list of exempt the younger you start the worse it’ll be. Eighteen is too young to legally buy a highly necessities, the legislature implies that these items are to be charged as ‘luxury goods’. addictive drug, and the young age makes it easier for teenagers to get tobacco products When asked if such products (and the cause for needing these products) is ‘luxurious’, under the age of eighteen. The average state cigarette tax is currently $1.60 per pack, but most women would most likely say no. Recently, even President Barack Obama has gone on rates vary widely from 17 cents in Missouri to $4.35 in New York. In places where the to say ‘I have no idea why states would tax these as luxury items’ when questioned about tax is lower, the smoking rate is significantly higher than in other states. In the United the sales tax inclusion of such products. Although despite earning 77 cents to the dollar that States, the rate of tobacco use was at 16.8% of all adults in 2014. Missouri, has the lowest men make (with minority's earning even less), women in California collectively pay $20 tax on tobacco products and the rate of tobacco use is the sixth highest in the union, at million annually in sales tax on menstrual products, and a women will pay approximately 66 22.4% of all adults. cents in sales tax each time she buys such products in Tennessee. A women on average will spend $7 a month for a period over nearly 40 years in order to supply herself with the basic ACTION TO BE TAKEN: menstrual necessities, adding up to an astounding $3360. For women struggling financially, A federal tax on all tobacco products at 40 percent in addition to existing tax and the legal this is an enormous burden. At what point is state revenue more important than the health of age to buy tobacco products changed to 21 years of age. The additional tax will be use to its citizens? If the federal government decreases state grants in proportion of the revenue fund research and rehab facilities for addiction. created by feminine hygiene products, each state will be discouraged from including such products in the group in which sales tax is applied to. It is a fact that such a burden, as the one described above, is out of a woman’s control. It is a fact that such a burden bears a striking disadvantage to the women within this state and country. It is a fact that the government, and the principles our government were founded upon, are obligated to alleviate the burden and disadvantage imposed upon its people or a group of of its people, much like the burden on women.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: For every state that continues to apply sales tax to feminine hygiene products, federal funding will be reduced in proportion to the revenue raised through such products. Proposal No. 0315 Proposal No. 0401

Name: Amelia Shaw Name: Gabriel Lizer Delegation: SVC/El Camino Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Tracking objects printed on 3D printers by the year 2025. Implementing Eye for an Eye Punishments

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Today you can buy a high end 3D printer for approximately $800 and you can print anything Our criminal justice system is merely kindergarten for grown ups. In kindergarten, when you you can imagine. All you need is something to make the object out of, which can range from hit your classmate you are put in the time out corner for an appropriate amount of time. In the plastic to gold. 3D printers will continue to fall in price and improve in speed and quality as criminal justice system, when you are charged with assault you are our in prison for an all thing technology have. With metal being one of the more affordable materials, metal- ‘appropriate’ amount of time. But why is that fair? What makes that fair? When you related objects can be printed and shared on the internet for people to recreate a potentially commit an unlawful act there several ways to be punished: imprisonment, exile, shunning, dangerous situations. fining, and retributive justice. Our nation has chosen to incarcerate and fine as punishments for crime, but who says that’s the best method? The best punishments for a crime is the crime The system will work like a pass/fail test. It will work by looking for code that helps create done back on the criminal. The punishment is therefore not cruel or unusual, thus still being parts of the object; it has been trained to look for. It will look for the I.P. address on the constitutional. What better way to give victims the full justice they deserve then to put the computer and will find the location so that if you are printing a dangerous object, the criminal through all the strife and pain that the they originally put them through. authorities can find you. If the object you are printing is safe it will stay in the systems memory for 24 hours and then be deleted. The tracking system will be in all federal buildings This new system embraces the golden rule that we were taught as kids: treat others as you and businesses will not be exempt. wish to be treated. If you burn someone’s house, doesn’t it make sense to have the punishment be the same to you? You’re house would then be burnt down. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: By the year 2025 have an object’s code scanned for safety by a system in all federal By enacting this legislation we discourage criminals from committing crimes. Potential buildings near by. criminals will ultimately think about their decisions a lot more if the realize that whatever harm they enact on someone else will be done directly back to them.

Overall, the biggest thing to remember when it comes to retributive justice is that the victims of the family want to feel like they got the justice they deserved. There is no better way to make sure that victims of these horrendous crimes see true justice

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Congress and President shall pass a twenty-eighth constitutional Amendment thus implementing retributive justice for Arson, Assault, Homicide of the 1st degree & 2nd degree, Destruction of property, Mutilation. For the crimes not listed above, the current state designated punishment will be in place. No other punishments shall be placed on the accused other than that of the crime they committed. A designated court ‘Hangman’ is in charge of administering these punishments. If for some reason, the eye for an eye punishment cannot be placed on a criminal then standard prison punishments will be administered. EX: If a criminal who destroy property has no property, then they will be sentenced to jail. Proposal No. 0402 Proposal No. 0403

Name: Lyla Trilling Name: Jake Mehari Delegation: Westside Family Delegation: Albany

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: A proposal to ban the production of sunscreens that contain the harmful chemical Adjusting minimum wage to be equivalent to the cost of living, by using the Living Wage oxybenzone Calculator.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Each year, over 14000 tons of sunscreen end up in coral reefs around the world. A common According to the Pew Research Center, an approximate 3.3 million people earn $7.25 per component of sunscreen, oxybenzone, has been proven to be a grave danger to the natural hour (the Federal minimum wage) or less. There are four states with minimum wages lower ecosystems of coral reefs. It can cause DNA damage in young coral, or outright kill it. It also than $7.25, and five states that have no minimum wage at all. If the government mandated contributes to a process called coral bleaching, where coral will lose its color and its ability that every state make the minimum wage equivalent to its living wage, it would boost the to partake in mutually beneficial relationships with other organisms. economy, decrease poverty and increase living standards across America. In order for this to happen the government must use technology such as the Living Wage Calculator, made by ACTION TO BE TAKEN: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This technology finds the living wage of any eginning one year after the passage of this proposal, any sunscreen produced or sold in the county in America by weighing in factors such as, housing, transportation, food, medical, United States may not include the chemical oxybenzone. etc., to find the living wage for different counties.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Starting in 2017, the United States Department of Labor, will mandate that all states will have their minimum wage, set to their living wage. The Department of Labor will also update the minimum wage every five years to compensate for inflation. Proposal No. 0404 Proposal No. 0405

Name: Alexis Beatty Name: Cameron Melillo Delegation: Verdugo Hills Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: For the state to stop providing public defenders for the appeals process for death row cases. I want to allow for college student athletes to be paid a small certain amount of money.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In 1989 in Murray v. Giarratano, the Court held that state habeas petitioners were not College players have generated billions of dollars for the schools and the NCAA yet these entitled to representation provided by the state. There is no obligation for the states to players receive none of the money. With many former players including Jadeavon Clowney, provide representation during death row appeals at the state or federal levels. The the number one overall pick, saying they would have stayed it is about time that the NCAA decision is widely understood to require only that inmates have access to adequate prison and the Universities give into this because it will create greater revenue for them. Also while law libraries. The Fifth Amendment allows everyone the right to a trial, and a right to a yes their free education is valuable under the current NCAA rules their parents have to pay lawyer during that trial. However, nowhere does it guarantee a defendant a court for their own ticket. Why when your working more hours then the average American,in appointed lawyer during the appeals process. practice time alone, while still going to classes why do your parents have to pay to come see you when you are helping generate billions of dollars. Plus this would help the STUDENT- athletes because graduation rates are dismal at just 21 percent for college basketball players In California alone, The Office of the State Public Defender and the Habeas Corpus and by paying college athletes we will incentivize them to stay and hopefully increase the Resource Center spend a total of $22.3 million on defense for death row inmates’ graduation rates leading to a better life after college. So if you want more money for the appeals. There is no way to justify taxpayer money going to inmates already deemed universities, better student athlete graduation rates, and more competitive games pass this guilty in a court of law. Those wrongfully sentenced to death row are a miniscule proposal percentage of the population. Appeals, in the majority of states, are optional but unlimited. Should those on death row decide to pursue additional legal pathways in the ACTION TO BE TAKEN: form of appeals, the burden to provide a lawyer, if they so choose, should fall on the By requiring that all organizations that have over 25,000 athletes playing would have to pay defendant. their players 1,000-7,500 dollars and if they do not comply both the NCAA and the University will receive substantial fines and if they continue to not cooperate threat of Court appointed public defenders are notoriously ineffective. There are cases of suspension of the school's team. defenders even falling asleep in the middle of trial. According to official records, people who were found to be innocent after they were convicted and put on death row were mostly defended by privately hired lawyers or organizations like the Innocence Project or Amnesty international that decided to work on their case. So not only is the government wasting millions providing representation for those already on death row, but those appointed are doing little to nothing to help. The tax-payers should not have to pay for redundant and useless counsel. Most private organizations, while extremely busy, provide extremely helpful and efficacious counsel free of charge. Private lawyers dedicated to taking on death row appeals are compensated at about $145 per hour.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The public defenders currently assigned to death row inmates in the midst of the appeals process will carry out their cases. Any new death row cases will not be provided a public defender for anything after the initial trial. In the future those who would like to undergo the appeals process will be provided with resources, and a list of private defenders or organizations. The extra money will be re-allocated. Proposal No. 0406 Proposal No. 0407

Name: Rebecca Polaha Name: Jorge Santiago Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar Delegation: Ketchum-Downtown LA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Implementing sharps disposals in all public restroom stalls. Increasing amounts of food are being thrown away as a result of confusing expiration date syntax. JUSTIFICATION: Disposing of needles and sharps the wrong way can cause needle sticks and injury that may JUSTIFICATION: result in transmission of disease. In many countries, and in some states in the US, used sharps According to a study performed by Harvard University 40% of all the food we produce are a biohazard waste. That means they must be handled and thrown out separately from the yearly is never eaten, instead, it is trashed, perfectly edible food just thrown away. Our world household trash. But unfortunately in most cases, they are not. The risk of needlesticks, cuts cannot be exploited any longer; our unsustainable ways have got to stop. This bill is aimed at and punctures from needles and other sharps is high in facilities such as airports, hotels, addressing our lack of conservation with a relatively simple action. Nationalizing the restaurants, and office buildings. In these places, people are more likely to throw their used expiration date would rid the country of confusing expiration dates that make the consumer needles and sharps into the trash. Staff at the Bush International Airport reported that throw away perfectly edible food. Currently, the only regulation behind expiration dates is syringes were most commonly found in the toilet seat cover dispensers and feminine that it has to be there on the product, other than that, the expiration date can be placed in all products disposal units inside the restroom stalls. Syringes were sometimes seen protruding different sort of ways. Examples of this terrible practice are the following syntaxes: through the plastic bags. These unsafely discarded syringes put custodial staff and solid [MM/DD/YYYY], [DD/MM/YYYY], and [MM/YYYY/DD]. This might not seem like a waste workers at risk for needlestick injuries and bloodborne infections. Hepatitis B is the huge issue to you, but across the country, there are countless families who are unnecessarily most likely infection from a needlestick injury. Already implemented in Australia, these throwing away edible food and spending more on groceries than they should. sharps disposals not only help workers and individuals, they also prevent sharps from being re-used or shared, which can also spread diseases. Although some may say that this would ACTION TO BE TAKEN: encourage drug use, the goal here is to protect the health and safety of employees, travelers, Mandate the FDA to establish [MM/DD/YYYY] as the national expiration date syntax, and individuals of the public by disposing of needles in the safest way possible. which has to be clearly seen and distinguished from other codes/serial numbers.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Department of Health and Human Services must implement sharps disposals in all public bathrooms to ensure the health and safety of all individuals using or cleaning public restrooms. Proposal No. 0408 providing them with diagnoses, therapy, and medication.

Name: Grace Kirschbaum Delegation: Westchester

TOPIC OF CONCERN: Increasing funding for mental health care for homeless people by using 2% of the budget for federal prisons

JUSTIFICATION: Though the government has taken many steps to combat the epidemic of homelessness in the United States, there are still an estimated 2.3 to 3.5 million homeless people in America(National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty). While homelessness is a complex phenomena with many causes, the central issue hindering people from rehabilitation is the lack of mental health care available to those in need. Approximately 20 to 25% of America's homeless live with severe mental illnesses, while only 6% of all Americans suffer the same chronic mental illnesses.

Even when homeless people are provided with food and shelter, stability is rare without mental health care such as counseling and medication. Efforts to decrease the amount of people on the streets repeatedly fail to make lasting impacts because they are not funded enough to be fully implemented. Nan Roman, the head of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, agrees that, "We clearly know what to do. We are just not doing enough of it.". Though it has been proven that providing adequate mental health care is a necessary step to helping people get back into normal functioning lives, the lack of federal funding has made such leaps in rehabilitation impossible. Despite politicians' apprehensiveness toward spending money on the homeless, investing in their futures would actually save money. In a 2002 study, Dennis P. Culhane examined 4,600 mentally ill homeless people over the course of nine years and found that the government spent twice as much money incarcerating and hospitalizing the ones on the streets than it did on the homeless that had been placed in supportive housing. If the government invested more money into rehabilitating America's mentally ill homeless population, they would spend less money on the homeless than the amount that they currently spend on them. This would not only save money, but also potentially save a tremendous amount of American lives and decrease prison overcrowding, since many mentally ill homeless people self medicate with illegal substances that lead them into violent lifestyles. By investing in the treatment of mentally ill homeless people now instead of spending double that amount later when their illnesses drive them into illegal activity, the government inevitably saves money. This would prioritize helping those in need rather than punishing them when their illnesses drive them into a life of crime.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The federal government will take 2% of the budget for prison systems and redistribute that money into programs for mentally ill homeless people. That would total approximately $168 million dollars of the total $8.4 billion spent on federal prisons annually. The funding will be spent on Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), Services in Supportive Housing, and Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI), so the those programs will be able to fully treat the mental illnesses of homeless people, by Proposal No. 0409 Proposal No. 0410

Name: Clara Saab Name: Daniel Fertelmeister Delegation: Palisades-Malibu Delegation: SVC/Northwest

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Many people don’t survive while waiting for transplant because of a low rate of organ Mental health testing by general physicians donation. More people need to be an organ donor. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Mental health is one of the biggest issues that our nation faces. Every time there’s a story in Organ transplantation is for many people definitive treatment of acute and chronic life the news about a mass shooting somewhere in the country or a stressed student committing threatening medical conditions. Not only is organ transplantation associated with improved suicide, people point to mental health as the issue. However, nothing ever gets done. Mental quality of life but also survival. Health care utilization increases because of the management illness is common in this country ‘“ it is estimated that 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental of disease complications in patients waiting for organ transplantation. Unfortunately, the illness in a given year ‘“ and it is both underdiagnosed and undertreated. And while many success of organ transplantation has out paced the organ donor pool. illnesses can pass without issue, undiagnosed and untreated mental illness is a problem that affects millions. Mental illness, when untreated, increases the likelihood of dropping out of A common reason for transplantation is liver failure. For instance, there are over 15,000 school, becoming homeless, going to prison, becoming violent, or committing suicide. people a year waiting for liver transplantation in the United States, while only 2,000 are actually transplanted. This means that a significant number die unnecessarily waiting for a Anxiety disorders, which include Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety, are among the most transplant. The current policy for organ procurement is a health care worker must approach a common mental illness in the country ‘“ 18% of adults are affected ‘“ yet they can be very family after the death of their relative. The family must consent to allow the harvest of dangerous. People who suffer from anxiety disorders are up to 6 times as likely to be healthy organs to be used for transplantation. This meeting with the grieving family is hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than non-sufferers. Commonly seen in conjunction with sensitive and emotional. Few families can rationalize and agree soon after the time of death. anxiety is depression. It is estimated that around 17% of the population will become Barriers to organ donation occur because of racial, cultural, ethnic, and religious depressed at some point during their lives. Depression is linked to over 67% of US suicide misconceptions and differences. cases, and untreated depression is the number one suicide risk for people under the age of 24. Treatments for both anxiety and depression have been extremely successful ‘“ almost 80% of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: those treated show signs of improvement within 2 months of beginning treatment ‘“ and are The current policy is that at the time of obtaining or renewing your drivers license, people are relatively easy to employ, which medicine and therapy being the most common forms. given the option to opt into being a potential organ donor. I would like to change this to a However, only around a third of sufferers of depression and anxiety actually seek treatment. new policy in which rather then opting into becoming an organ donor, one must opt out of Both anxiety and depression are often linked to more serious mental illnesses, such as being an organ donor. I would also prevent people who are not donors from being on the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and the symptoms are often very similar. Serious mental donor list. In other words, one must be a donor in order to have a transplantation. illnesses cost the nation almost $200B in lost earnings last year. The more serious illnesses can be extremely dangerous when untreated, so diagnosing anxiety and depression is key to Because of the significant limitation of organ donation, a new policy is desperately needed. diagnosing them. Without a new policy people will continue to die unnecessarily waiting for transplant. This new policy will not only save lives, but will be cost saving. I propose a policy in which If we want to keep people off the streets and out of jail as well as to prevent unnecessary everyone is considered an organ donor unless otherwise specified. This will increase violence and suicides, we must make it easier for people with mental illnesses to receive available organs, prevents death, and save money. diagnosis and treatment. Right now, people who want help must take the steps to get it. This is dangerous and ineffective for 2 reasons: many people don’t know they need help and many that do are afraid to reach out or may not have the opportunity to do so. It is vital that everyone is checked for mental illness so that no one is missed and left to fight their sickness on their own. If doctors took the initiative and checked all their patients, the patients who needed help wouldn’t have to take their own initiative, and would thus be less likely to avoid the help that they need.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The federal government will categorize 5% of state Medicare and Medicaid grants to go specifically to training general physicians to test patients for mental illness, as well as creating and implementing systems of physiatrist referral and treatment for mentally ill Proposal No. 0411 patients. If a state refuses to create and implement systems of training, testing, referral, and treatment, then the federal government shall cut both the Medicaid and Medicare grants Name: Marcus Luebke given to the state by 10% every year. Delegation: SFY/Peninsula

TOPIC OF CONCERN: Optimizing resource use (water, energy, etc.) in commercial and residential buildings

JUSTIFICATION: Today, climate change is a problem felt all around the world. Drought, melting ice caps, massive storms, ecosystems destroyed are only some of the effects, with fears of more to come, even potential for mass extinctions and destruction of life on Earth. The evidence is overwhelming. 97% of the scientific community agree that human activity is the driving force behind climate change. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report showed that human-generated greenhouse gases have driven a 0.73 °C increase in our planet’s surface temperature over the past 100 years. While this might seem insignificant, it drastically impacts our world. Residential and commercial heating (47% of the world’s energy usage) alone produces up to 33.5% of total greenhouse gas emission. The American Physical Society states, "The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now." We must implement policies and programs to address this problem, or risk a catastrophic acceleration as we increasingly approach the point of no return.

There is an opportunity to address this issue via holistic programs that enable optimization of multiple resources to ensure conservation, efficiency and minimization of waste. Specifically, this proposal addresses implementation for commercial and residential buildings. New requirements would take into consideration system effects. For example, heating & cooling of homes (and water) would incorporate insulation, optimized positioning of heating, heat collection/storage/reuse, as well as architectural design to utilize environmental factors (e.g. ground heat sink, solar positioning). Water use would incorporate separate drinking versus non-potable water, reuse of grey water, rainwater collection, and technologies to conserve/minimize use. Energy production opportunities could include solar panels in all structures as well as energy collection from sewage, wind, and other sources. Sensors would automatically regulate usage and optimize based on the system as a whole. While some of these applications would become requirements (e.g. solar panels), others would be encouraged through incentives and penalties. In addition, to ensure success of the program, resources would be allocated for education and implementation.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: I propose legislation for the State of California that puts the following into place to encourage resource-efficiency in commercial and residential buildings:

‘¢ Requirements on how energy, water, and other resources are managed and optimized in all buildings built after these laws are enacted to enable a better use of resources. These requirements would become tighter every 5 years.

‘¢ Incentives to companies to invest in developing and commercializing sustainable Proposal No. 0412 resource technologies, and for property owners for resource-conservation and installation of technologies to optimize resources and increase efficiecy and reduce waste. Name: Abigail Mighell Delegation: Desert Family YMCA ‘¢ Penalties to companies and property owners for building/owning resource-wasting homes that that undermine the requirements. TOPIC OF CONCERN: Reducing animal abuse by enforcing Federal penalties for animal-abusers. ‘¢ Educational programs to teach people about resource-efficiency. (What it is, why it’s important, how they can adopt an efficient lifestyle, etc.) JUSTIFICATION: Animal cruelty is a prevalent and horrific injustice that occurs daily in all areas of the United ‘¢ State and local resources to manage implementation of the program and Enforcement. States, in rural and urban communities alike. Unlike most fields of crime, animal abuse crosses the socio-economic boundaries of income level, surrounding crime rates, and social class. These despicable acts pervade into every area of the United States, often going unnoticed and almost always unreported to officials.

In addition, animal abuse is proven to be closely linked to other kinds of abuse, such as domestic violence and even homicide. A study conducted by the Chicago Police Department concluded that of the individuals arrested for animal cruelty, 65% had also been convicted of violence towards another person. (Humanesociety.org) A separate ‘gold-standard’ study held in 11 major cities nationwide named animal abuse of one of the four major predictors of domestic violence (Journal of Community Health), and 71% of domestic violence victims have claimed that their abusers had began by showing violence towards their pet(s) (Humanesociety.org).

Animal Injustice and Protection Laws are currently determined at the state level, with many states such as Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, and Pennsylvania only enforcing felony charges after the second recorded offense by the perpetrator - with Idaho only federally enforcing third- offense charges. However, since animal abuse is one of the most inadequately patrolled and recorded crimes, the majority of abusers are never even charged with one count of abuse, let alone the two or more counts needed to be convicted. This inconsistency in convictions leads to a dire lack of justice that must be corrected. The most effective way to ensure proper justice is to federally enforce laws against animal abuse.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Federal Government will enforce a minimum penalty for individuals convicted of animal abuse. This minimum penalty will be enforced after the first offence and will include a $500- $5000 fine based on the extent and nature of the abuse. This money will be paid to the State. States may decide upon a larger fine or further punishment (i.e. community service hours, jail time, etc.) by popular vote, but the State decisions may not be less than the Federal minimum. Proposal No. 0413 Proposal No. 0414

Name: Ryan Ackles Name: Skye Downie Delegation: SDSC/Magdalena Ecke Delegation: SRV/Valle Lobo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The following is a proposal regarding the unification of all behind-the-wheel driving test and The United States should remove daylight savings and switch to Standard Time. training requirements in the United States of America. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Daylight savings has grown out dated and has no use in the modern word. Daylight The steps that must be taken to receive an official driver’s license in the United States of savings was first used by Germany in World War I as a mechanism to try to conserve America are nothing short of difficult and time-consuming. It is a lengthy process that fuel. The United States did not use it until World War II but it was only used in some includes studying for the driver’s permit assessment, earning a driver’s permit, practicing areas of the country It was not put into full affect until the Uniform Time Act of 1966 proper driving techniques with an adult, and finally passing the behind-the-wheel driving was passed. test. Although every certified driver on the road is required to pass the driver’s permit test, (a written test that assesses a driver’s knowledge of road signs, laws, and rules of the road), not When daylight savings was first put into action the main arguments in its favor were every state in the U.S. requires drivers to demonstrate their ‘on-the-road’ skills to an reduced energy, crime and car accidents. Since this daylight savings has not shown to be approved DMV examiner at the time of earning their driver’s license. In addition, not every very affective in any of these areas. The biggest pro now is still its energy saving driver in our country has to work with a licensed instructor when preparing for their road test. although in many studies it has shown still to have little affect and some show that it These driving standards must change. Currently, nine states in the United States do not increased their energy use. Several States including Arizona have already dropped require drivers to take some form of driving lessons with an instructor, including Tennessee, daylight savings and many others are soon to follow in its footsteps. Ending daylight Virginia, Missouri, Washington, and Arizona (DMV.org). With this proposal in place, every savings would leave people with one less thing to worry about when thinking about driver, even those in states who already require drivers to participate in training courses, will changing all of their clocks back or forward another hour. be mandated to drive ten hours with an authorized instructor.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: To put it simply, car accidents are the most common cause of death for fifteen to twenty year The United States government would simplify to standard time by proposing it in Congress olds (‘National Center for Health Statistics’ ) By requiring every driver to complete ten  then the President can pass it. hours of behind-the-wheel training, driving errors and fatal crashes will be significantly reduced. As previously stated, some states do not force drivers to take the behind-the-wheel road test with a DMV examiner in order to receive their provisional license, with a few of these states including Kansas, Utah, and North Carolina (‘DMV USA’). Although some of these states require drivers to take their road test in order to obtain their driver’s permit, the right to drive without an adult can be earned approximately six to twelve months after their initial permit certification. This means that their driving knowledge and skills could be forgotten, making for potentially unsafe situations on the road at any given time. With this plan put into action (which could potentially be as soon as January, 2017), all drivers will have to take their behind-the-wheel driver’s test at the time of trying earn their official driver’s license, not in order to simply drive with an adult.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: To fully adhere to the guidelines of this proposal, the Departments and Divisions of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Administration, etc. for all fifty U.S. states will have to make small amendments to their existing driver’s education and driver’s license policies. This proposal would not be enacted through the U.S. Department of Transportation due to the fact that states currently have differing polices in terms of this pressing issue. Proposal No. 0415 Proposal No. 0501

Name: Jake Caldeira Name: Annie Pogosyan Delegation: Central Coast Delegation: Verdugo Hills

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Transgender hormone suppressors for minors. United States will replace Black History Month with Multicultural Month

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Due to unsupportive parents or lack of any parents at all many transgender youth are forced Black History Month first originated as ‘Negro History Week’ in 1926. Since then, the to go through puberty of their natal sex causing distress and dysphoria along with a great deal United States has dedicated the month of February to the learning of African American of depression and anxiety. If young transgender individuals were to have access to puberty culture, as did Great Britain and Canada. Designated to promote awareness of culture and blockers (hormone suppressors) they could suppress their natural hormones (testosterone for race, Black History Month remains controversial in today’s society. Some believe it should males, estrogen for females) and experience no repercussions to their overall health. If these be dropped, as Morgan Freeman says ‘Black history is American history.’ However, Black minors were to go off their puberty blockers their bodies would begin puberty again in match History Month arose from oppression of a culture in the United States and the attempt to with their assigned sex. ensure survival of tradition and race. With that being said, Black History Month should be

replaced with Multicultural Month to further enrich the US with significant cultural history. This is a national issue as the rate of suicide transgender minors is over 40% and violence Instead of educating society on the history of one oppressed race, America should against the transgender community as a whole was the highest it has ever been in 2015 with acknowledge every culture it has once persecuted and abused on a large scale. 30 transwomen murdered and many transmen sexually assaulted. Helping these children start their transition will help their mental health and their future safety. ACTION TO BE TAKEN:

Multicultural Month will entail Black History, Native American History, and Japanese ACTION TO BE TAKEN: History nationwide. It will remain as the month of February in respect to its origins. Other Congress shall enact legislation allowing transgender minors to consent to their own medical cultures will not be represented in Multicultural Month unless evidence of large scale care relating to hormone suppressors if they are of the age 12 and above, and if they meet the oppression is provided. the psychology standards for GID or Gender Identity Dysphoria. The care for these minors shall be paid for by the US Department of Health. Proposal No. 0502 Proposal No. 0503

Name: Jeffrey Sardina Name: Dylan Pastor Delegation: SDSC/Magdalena Ecke Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Adding aging to the FDA list of treatable diseases Take steps to reduce the adverse effects of producing electricity on climate change.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The reversibility of many aspects of the biological aging phenotype and the development of Climate change is one of the most significant challenges our nation faces. The release of novel drugs which reliably reduce or undo aging make the consideration of aging as a greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is a main cause of global warming and the production treatable disease of paramount importance to our generation. Scientists have been ever-more of electricity in the United States is a major contributor to this problem. According to the active about the establishment of aging as a disease because it would foster further growth in Environmental Protection Agency, in 2013 the burning of coal to produce electricity was the the scientific and biological community (‘Anti-ageing pill pushed as bona fide drug’- largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. Electricity contributed 37% nature.com). Moreover, a recent study by the Cochrane Institute of Primary Care and Public of the emissions while transportation produced 27% of the total. Finding clean renewable Health found that a popular diabetic drug, Metformin, gave non-diabetic patients increased sources of energy could significantly reduce this contribution to climate change. lifespan relative to non-treated controls. Another account published by the Harvard Medical School delineated one pathway which was experimentally shown to reduce aging, and other According to the EPA, 39% of our electricity is generated by burning coal, 27% from natural studies revealed that the use of Sirtuin activating compounds reduced or eliminated some gas, 19% from nuclear sources and only 13% from renewable non polluting sources like effects of aging in mice and humans. Shockingly, the overwhelming supply of evidence has wind and solar power. A gradual shift toward solar and wind produced electricity has several produced no change in policy by the FDA. advantages. Both sources of power produce no greenhouse gas emissions, both are renewable. In addition they are becoming more cost effective. On his State of the Union The United States government has the FDA to ensure the quality and truthfulness of drugs address, President Obama stated that in some states wind power is already cheaper than coal sold to the public. However, when it fails to acknowledge the efficacy of novel drugs which or natural gas. These new industries will provide many jobs as they expand. In addition to treat previously incurable diseases, it does that public a disservice by denying it the being clean, renewable, cost effective and producing jobs, these sources of energy are low treatments it needs and wants most. We live in an era of exponentially increasing medical risk unlike the nuclear option. abilities; the long-held opinion of the past can no longer inhibit our progression into the future of longer, healthier life. Finally calling aging what it is’”a disease’”will benefit our ACTION TO BE TAKEN: elderly community, as well as our younger generations. Congress will require utility companies to include at least 30% renewable sources such as solar and wind in their electricity mix by 2016. If funds are needed for the initial setup of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: these solar and carbon wind systems, the costs will be offset by a carbon tax. The FDA will consider aging as a medically treatable disease and allow the production and sale of pharmaceuticals specifically as anti-aging treatments. Proposal No. 0504 Proposal No. 0505

Name: Hayley Isobe Name: Samantha O'Keeffe Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Bans artificial food dyes in the United States. Create a government program to alter the College Applications and transcripts of high school students who went through therapy for depression during their high school years. JUSTIFICATION: In the United States, anything ranging from sports drinks to cereal all have one thing in JUSTIFICATION: common - they all contain food dyes. Artificial dyes are made from chemicals that are driven The National Institute of Mental Health describes depression as a ‘common but serious from petroleum. The food industry dumps over 15 million pounds of this toxic threat into our mental illness’. They then define major depression with more detail as ‘severe symptoms foods each year. CSPI(Center for Science in the Public Interest) charges that the Food and that interfere with your ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life’. Drug Administration (FDA) is aware of the health risks present in these dyes, but has not done anything to protect consumers. Artificial food coloring is banned from many countries According to a report published by the U.S Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services including Norway, France, Austria, Finland, and the UK. Artificial food coloring has been Administration (SAMHSA), 8.5 percent of teens have experienced a major depressive linked to neurological problems, brain cancer, ADD, ADHD, and hyperactivity in children. episode. 48.3% of the adolescents surveyed who suffered from major depressive episodes

said that it greatly affected their day to day lives. TeenHelp.com explains that these teens are In the US, children can drink beverages made with Red Dye No. 40, and eat Mac and Cheese less likely to take advantage of opportunity for careers and education because are more likely with Yellow Dye No. 5 and No. 6. Due to health problems, Europe has taken products with to ‘have trouble at school and in jobs’ . Unfortunately, the peak of depression is also the these dyes off their shelves, or have put warning labels telling them of the potential effects  these could have on their child's behavior or attention. These synthetic chemicals do nothing age where student’s school work begins to matter most. Colleges look closely at students’ to improve the safety or nutritional quality in foods, but spark behavior problems in children grades all throughout high school and a depressed Sophomore year could damage a student’s and possibly cancer in anybody. entire future. But teen depression should not doom any young adult’s career or even impact the rest of his or her lives as much as it currently does. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Under the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, also known as the Delaney Amendment, According to teendepression.org, 80 percent of teens who seek help for their depression can artificial food dyes would be banned because they have caused cancer or have been linked to be successfully treated. By this logic, we should encourage teenagers to seek help instead of cancer causing contaminants. treating them like outcasts. Unfortunately, our society is so achievement-oriented, that anyone who falters for a few months is suddenly shut out from their dream universities and consequently careers.

Many US universities are beginning to see the flaws in their application requirements. A recent Harvard University comprehensive effort called the ‘Turning the Tide’ is already showing the initiative to move past our society’s often too strict transcript requirements and instead looking for motivated students who show concern for others. In a Harvard University article about the ‘Turning the Tide’ efforts, University of Michigan’s associate vice president for enrollment management Kedra Ishop is quoted: ‘Escalating achievement pressure is not healthy for our youth. Young people are suffering from higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse as they juggle the demands of their lives’. While the universities are proving to be prepared for change, no efforts are being made to help the depressed youth that Kedra Ishop refers to.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The US Department of Health and Human Services will allocate a small portion of its funding for a Post-Depression Transcript Alteration (PDTA) program. This program would certify qualified students with PDTA certification and an PDTA transcript that would block out this student’s grades from a period of time no longer than 5 months during which the applicant was diagnosed as going through a major depressive episode that affected his/her Proposal No. 0506 grades. Applicants must submit their transcripts, a personal statement and a statement from their therapist. The PDTA certification is only applicable to the universities who have agreed Name: Logan Beck to participate in the PDTA program. Delegation: Miller

TOPIC OF CONCERN: Food establishments must list all of the major allergens on their menu using a symbol system.

JUSTIFICATION: Food establishments must visibly post major allergens in their food because people with allergies could be unaware of allergens in their food. By making food establishments display the major food allergens on their menu, it will greatly reduce the growing issue of allergic reactions in restaurants. An estimated 9 million adults and nearly 6 million children have food allergies. That is 4% of adults and 8% of children. While in the past allergies were often outgrown, the chance of a child outgrowing his or her allergy is diminishing as the amount of people with allergies is on the rise. The CDC reports that food allergies among children increased approximately 50% between 1997 and 2011.

If a food allergy occurs, common symptoms depending on the severity of the reaction include but are not limited to: tingling or itching in the mouth; hives; itching; eczema, or skin inflammation; swelling of the lips, face, tongue, throat, or other parts of the body; wheezing, nasal congestion, or trouble breathing; abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting; dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. These allergic reaction symptoms can sometimes be serious, resulting in loss of consciousness, injury, or even death. Every 3 minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department, and every 6 minutes the reaction is one of anaphylaxis, or a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Right now, the lack of knowledge on food content creates an unsafe situation for people dining out. Research suggests that close to half of fatal food allergy reactions are triggered by food consumed outside the home. Eight foods account for 90% of these reactions: milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. This will prevent most if not all allergic reactions in public food establishments.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The CDC will make food establishments list the top eight food allergens (milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish) on their menu with symbols for each allergen (ex: milk*, egg+, peanut^, tree nut~, etc.). These symbols must be shown next to an item on the menu that includes the respective allergen in order to prevent allergic reactions from happening in public restaurants. Proposal No. 0507 Proposal No. 0508

Name: Sofia Rupert Name: Isabella Donato Delegation: SRV/Valle Lobo Delegation: Berkeley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Increased regulation within the food industry to ensure the safety of our nation and what we Lowering the Age for Legal Consumption of Alcohol eat. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In the United States, we have found ourselves with a drinking age that is over 4 years Animals have no rights when it comes to our food. One would think animals should be higher than the international average. And while alcohol consumption is something that treated like royalty when they will eventually be eaten by the public. The food products that comes with great responsibility, this lack of cohesion with other national standards has are being sold at restaurants and grocery stores are making America sick. Soda, added sugar, taken a toll. The current consumption age, 21, is much too high and should be lowered to artificial coloring and flavoring, poorly treated meat, are all factors contributing to the 18 years old to match the nation’s current age of adulthood, right to vote, and numerous obesity epidemic in America. The meat being sold at the market right now is allowed to have other formalities that are granted. This decrease in the legal age will not only address the rat hairs in it according to the US government. These animals are pumped with antibiotics to issues previously stated, but other more severe legal misconducts that currently arise with make them grow at a much faster rate than what nature intended. The manufacturing the consumption age of 21. Such misconducts include citizens acquiring false companies like Tyson and Foster Farms are hugely contributing to the problem of mistreated identification that states they are of or over the age of 21. The penalty for this crime and genetically modified chicken. Just imagine how many chickens one would need to feed ranges from 90 days to ten years in prison, or up to $1000 in fines. Another common 300 million people, also they need to do it quick and cheap. There are many negative extranalities when it comes to the production of factory farmed meat. The emissions and occurrence is the theft of alcohol, which can result in incarceration and fines. This law pollution generated from these farms are contributing to 90% of all pollution in America. The not only puts the people of the US in danger, but has also managed to turn them into manure from all the animals sit in a "lagoon" and eventually seep into the town's water undeserving felons. supply contaminating it. Why isn't the government doing something about this? It's hard to fight multi-billion dollar companies with teams of lawyers also having workers of the ACTION TO BE TAKEN: company while working for the US government. These businesses pay out government The United States will add a constitutional amendment lowering the drinking age from 21 to officials to keep their practices unregulated. 18.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Increase regulation to keep our country safe and healthy. Increase local farming to make sure the source of your meat is reliable. Increase clean eating and reduce the amount of harsh chemicals in our food. Proposal No. 0509 Proposal No. 0510

Name: Areeta Asgharzadeh Name: Ajay Merchia Delegation: Conejo Valley Delegation: SVC/Northwest

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Lowering the age limit on the sale, purchasing, and/or possession of pepper spray’”or other Petitioning Department of the Interior to require all public-private partnerships (PPP) variance’”to the age of 14, or when the individual enters high school, without parental concerning water utilities to change the nature of the PPP from a concession to a consent.’¨ management contract.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: According to the Rape Crisis Center, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted every 2 The government tends to utilize a very specific form of privatization through public-private minutes. 44% of rape and/or sexually assaulted victims are under the age of 18, where 29% partnerships (PPPs): a concession. In a concession, the private operator is entirely responsible of them are between the ages of 12 and 17. According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National for running the system. Investment and finances are completely controlled by the private Network, girls between the ages of 16 and 19 are 4 times more likely to be victims of rape operator and, therefore, there is a quick and easy opportunity to profiteer off of this human than the general population. In certain states such as California, one must be over the age of right. The quality of the water declines as corporations cut costs to maximize profit. The 18 to purchase and/or possess pepper spray, and if one is a minor over the age of 16, they federal government, however, still pays these companies to manage a public utility. The may purchase/possess pepper spray with a parent or written consent from one. ‘¨’¨This federal government already faces a serious debt, but as a result of water privatization, they proposal is intended to lower the age limit on the purchasing/possession of pepper spray, so have to issue $500 billion worth of IOUs over the next 20 years. Keep in mind that this is those who are in danger can use it as a form of self defense. Almost half of all rape money that the federal government could be making to combat instead of exacerbate the victims’”including both men and women’”are under the age of 18 and do not have a form of budget deficit. self defense that could prevent the assaults from happening. This nonlethal form of self defense will provide the individual with an opportunity to escape the attacker. With this Beyond a financial issue, there’s also a serious social issue with water privatization. Water is proposal, the amount of rapes will decrease.’¨’¨ The purchaser must have a state or a high considered a basic human right, but by ceding it to capitalism, the disenfranchised are school ID to purchase the pepper spray. Irresponsible use of pepper spray’”such as fooling deprived of water. Water from a privatized company costs an estimated 33% higher than its around, spraying the product in people’s eyes for fun, etc.’”by an individual will result in public counterpart. Municipal taxes increase upwards of $600 due to the nature of the fines and confiscation. The fine shall be $100 for the first offense, and increase by $100 for payment in California’s system as demanded by statutory law. California newspapers include every sequential offense.’¨ stories of people selling their cars simply so they have enough water to get through their lives. On top of this, the companies, when trying to maximize their profit, lay-off workers ACTION TO BE TAKEN: and increase unemployment. The United States shall implement a law that will lower the age limit on the purchasing/possession of pepper spray to the age of 14, or when the individual enters high These companies also participate in bulk-water exports, transporting water from water-rich school, without parental consent. companies to water-poor companies. While this may seem as a social service, as seen in California, it has disastrous consequences on the watershed. Disrupting aquifers by over- extraction often damages the environment and socioeconomic standards. Groundwater is being over-extracted as it is, and once aquifers are emptied or polluted, they are almost impossible to restore. By depleting the aquifers of their water, these private entities decrease the water supply. Following simple laws of supply and demand, this will both increase the cost of water and decrease its use. As a result, the cost of water will only continue to rise as bulk water exports continue, and fewer people will able to use the water.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: These privatized companies need oversight. The nature of these public-private partnerships needs to shift to a management contract, where the private sector is carefully inspected by the public sector and given money by the public sector based on the quality of its performance, not its execution. Countries such as Japan utilize management contracts rather than concessions, there’s no reason a nation such as our own shouldn’t. Proposal No. 0511 Proposal No. 0512

Name: Leobardo Gonzalez Name: Nate Rudman Delegation: Gardena-Carson Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Raising CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards To create an Agency in order to educate and aid recovery from the disastrous effects of Climate Change. JUSTIFICATION: First enacted by Congress in 1975, the purpose of CAFE is to reduce energy consumption by JUSTIFICATION: increasing the fuel economy of cars and light trucks. In following, raising CAFE's standards Climate Change is an imminent threat. We are already beginning to feel its effects, and would improve fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution ultimately reducing the impacts of it’s only going to get worse from this point on. According to the National Aeronautics climate change. The benefits would not be temporary but rather exponential. and Space Administration (NASA), there will be between a 2.5 degree to 10 degree temperature increase in the next decade, which may cause large changes in precipitation, ACTION TO BE TAKEN: drought, more intense Hurricanes, a sea level rise, and the Arctic to become ice-free. A memorial insisting that congress legislatively raise CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards While the Federal Emergency Management Agency is set up to deal with emergencies, it is not prepared to deal with multiple, severe, national environmental issues. It’s staffers are more adept with handling singular events, such as cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina. It’s simply not ready to deal with nation-wide drought from the contamination of water sources, while dealing with famine from California being flooded, as well as managing near constant evacuations of towns and cities.

Of Climate Change’s effects, the dislocation it causes could be the most disastrous. Dislocation as a result of land becoming unfit to live on will cause mass amounts of internal and external migration. We’re looking are numbers that can range from the hundreds from a single event, to tens of thousand from a single event. Overall, millions will be forced to migrate within a relatively abrupt frame of time.

This mass dislocation will cause large, American cities to become overpopulated. Overpopulated cities are more at risk of spreading diseases, of fire hazards,. and seeing an increase in crime. In addition, areas that face a large influx of migrants, regardless of their previous home, will create backlash against immigrants. This was especially proven in the Dust Bowl, where migrators in the U.S. faced prejudice and closed doors. At the moment, America does not have the proper infrastructure to hold millions of people travelling inward from the coast, while also potentially dealing with drought, famine, and rampant disease. State governments will be reluctant to take in refugees without proper infrastructure or public support.

A new agency will be more suited to handle this national threat. An agency that has the infrastructure to handle hundreds of thousands of volunteers, with multiple bases set up in every state, and a strong leadership position. An agency that can provide order, prosperity, and hope for the people across this nation who will be affected by this terrible crisis.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress will authorize the creation of the Climate Change Preparation and Recovery Proposal No. 0513 Agency (CCPRA). The CCPRA will be under the management of the Department of Defense, which will fund it and provide necessary training. The CCPRA will also offer free Name: Kent Seeberger public training on, but not exclusively, mitigation of Climate Changes’ effects, and will Delegation: Culver-Palms promote cooperative spirit while under duress. It will primarily be made of well-trained volunteers, lead by leadership based both nationally, and by state. The CCPRA will act as an TOPIC OF CONCERN: Emergency Response Agency on a national level when cases of large scale disasters occur. In Topic of Concern: The functioning of our Country. cases of insufficiently cooperative, state governments, the CCPRA may be granted control of said state governments by the currently serving President. JUSTIFICATION: Since its inception, our country has been divided on many issues, ideologies, and preferences in general. This taken alone would not be unacceptable, as some division among a people is usually good, because it brings different opinions to light and creates a more intelligent government. However, we are an extreme case which requires an extreme remedy. We have gone so far as to conduct a civil war, both literally and figuratively. We fought for four years, totaling the highest death count for Americans in any war. We have fought for over a century and continue to fight for the rights of women and minorities, and many still disagree, even violently, disagree on principles and issues of human rights.

A confederacy is a union of a number of states for purposes of political power while maintaining their own ideas. With this type of government, the states that want it get more autonomy, are allowed to make more of their own decisions. Those who want to abide to the central government may. Because the majority of the states share common ideals, with some obvious differences, making decisions and improving the state will come more easily. Because a central government cannot override states in this scenario, having national disputes over issues will not be an issue. And, because of the nature of a confederacy, if citizens of one state do not like their current home, moving between them would be simple.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Action to be taken: Congress will create a Constitutional Convention who will rewrite sections of the US Constitution. This new constitution will serve to reassign power from the central government to the states. Proposal No. 0514 Proposal No. 0515

Name: Diego Montoya Name: Devyn Zavala Delegation: San Gabriel Valley Delegation: Southeast Rio Vista

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Topic of Concern: To institute a law for public colleges, that penalizes the consumption, I have a problem with how racism is today. I have decided to focus on racism because it is a purchase, or the act of being intoxicated on campus and its associated off-campus fraternities. key problem in our world today. People think that because people are Muslim then “oh they must be here to bomb us.” Yes that is an exaggeration but some people will think that. Some JUSTIFICATION: people need to come to our country in order to escapes the chaos of theirs. Not every Muslim Justification: Despite the 1,825 deaths, 690,000 assaults, and more than 97,000 reported date- person comes here to be a terrorist, some may actually need a new life. We need to start rapes within the 18-24 age demographic for college students, disciplinary actions and changing the way the world views different cultures because people will be misjudged deterrence methods to regulate the negative effects of alcohol on campus has been little to whether it’s the color of their skin or their culture. none. According to the NIAAA, four out of five college students report consuming alcohol and about half of those report binge drinking. While some experts may claim that alcohol JUSTIFICATION: should be dealt with in terms of drinking in moderation, but regulation of each other’s blood The first idea that came to my mind was to let internet networks of other countries allowed in alcohol concentration is not exactly a priority of the average college student in the midst of the USA. The reason I thought of this was because all the other countries in the world has an intoxicated rave. After all, it was college students who lobbied for the 18-year-old access to everything in the US. For example they can listen to our music, they see our news, minimum to drink during the sixties. While the 18-24 year old demographic felt they have our products, and more. But when it comes to America you don’t see news from ‘liberated,’ they were also dying at significantly higher rates, in particular related to Iran, or Korea, or Russia even. America has secluded its people in a world where no one vehicles, than before the minimum was lowered. This prompted states to adhere to the 1984 knows what the outside is like. No one knows how things are going in another country. passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which withheld 10 percent of federal America needs to start being more open about the information it has and give it to the people. highway construction funds from states that did not set a minimum drinking age of 21. As a result, alcohol-related injuries and deaths, particularly vehicular, dropped. It is only within ACTION TO BE TAKEN: reason to enforce such a law in public campuses, where alcohol abuse is frequent.That’s not Another thought that came to mind was making an education system that allows there to be blaming the victim; that’s trying to prevent more victims. Within our age of increasing rape teachings of other countries. Where students can learn about the origins of other cultures and culture, it is essential to teach youth that consent between two sober parties. Websites like learn about other countries history. With doing this we allow a new generation to come into womenshealth.gov themselves concede that ‘alcohol is the drug most commonly used to help our world. And with each new generation this effects, there will be more understanding of the commit sexual assault.’ That’s not blaming the victim; that’s trying to prevent more world. There will be more understanding of people of every culture. Make the racism stop! victims. In fact, at least half of all violent crimes occur after the perpetrator, the victim, or both have been drinking alcohol. As a whole, the idea of harsher punishment for alcohol abuse is in no way popular, some say it undermines the entire experience of college. But, college campuses have the obligation to provide safety and education, both of which are undermined by alcohol.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Action to be Taken: All public universities will establish a two-strikes law which prohibits the consumption, purchase, or act of being intoxicated on college campuses including off- campus fraternities. Upon the second strike, the public university will be mandated to expel the any students caught in violation. Proposal No. 0601 Proposal No. 0602

Name: Sierra Messer Name: Austin Lynch Delegation: El Dorado Delegation: Miller

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Banning the use of palm oils not certified as deforestation and peat-free A proposal to address the issue of the use of the death penalty in the United States.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Palm oil is the most popular form of vegetable oil on the market today. It is used in food In the United States, capital punishment’”also called the death penalty’”is a legal sentence in products, shampoos, detergents, cosmetics, and biofuel. Global production of palm oil has 31 states and the federal civilian and military legal systems. Its applications are limited by the doubled over the last decade. In 2006, palm oil accounted for 65% of all produced and traded Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution to aggravated murders committed by vegetable oil. Worldwide demand for palm oil is expected to double again by 2050. mentally competent adults. The fifth Amendment of the Bill of rights states that,’No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a Today, large areas of tropical forests and other ecosystems with high conservation values presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, have been cleared to make room for expanded palm oil production world-wide. This or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger.’ The founder expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests ‘“ a critical habitat for a large number of clearly meant for the death penalty to be used when they wrote the constitution, yet times are endangered species, such as rhinos, elephants and tigers. Some expansion has even led to the always changing. The United states is not the country that it used to be. eviction of forest-dwelling peoples. Other potential environmental impacts of palm oil expansion include soil erosion, air pollution, soil and water pollution and climate change. Today,, the death penalty, both in the U.S. and around the world, is discriminatory and used disproportionately against the poor, minorities and members of racial, ethnic and religious ACTION TO BE TAKEN: communities. Since humans are fallible, the risk of executing the innocent can never be The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will ban the use of palm oils that are not eliminated. why is it that: certified as deforestation and peat-free by 2019.

Over two thirds of the countries in the world, around 141, have abolished the death penalty. But the U.S., a world leader politically and economically, still has yet to do so.

Since 1973, 140 people have been released from the death penalty because they have been found innocent.

Since 1977, the overwhelming majority of death row defendants(77%) have been executed for killing white victims, even though African-Americans make up about half of all homicide victims.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: To end the cycle of violence created by a system riddled with economic and racial bias and tainted by human error, I propose that the supreme court of the United States of America will add a constitutional amendment to rewrite policies regarding the use of capital punishment within the country so that only the mentally sane people who have been accused of murder can be accused of the death penalty and the decision to execute the accused must be made by two separate committees so that the decision is fair and not racially biased. Proposal No. 0603 Proposal No. 0604

Name: Micah Tyler Name: Augustin Marcin Delegation: SDSC/Magdalena Ecke Delegation: Sacramento Central

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Ensuring the safety and yield of future research on nuclear fusion as a renewable energy Limited access to physicians in different regions and states. source and the discontinuation of the use of nonrenewable and polluting energy sources. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: If someone takes the California Driver’s Test and obtains a driver’s license, they are able to Even if you put aside the possible issue of climate change, the other pollutants from dirty drive to any city in the continental United States. Why is this not so for medical licenses as energy cannot be ignored. For example, in the industrial powerhouse of China, the pollution well? Why can’t they provide services to a patient living in a different state, especially if the has gotten so far out of hand, the average visibility has decreased 93% from 1980-2012 from patient has limited or no access to other physicians? the constant haze that lies over its cities. While we have developed other forms of clean renewable energy, such as solar panels, wind farms, hydroelectric dams, and nuclear fission Currently, there is an unequal distribution of physicians from region to region and state to plants, they each have their own drawbacks, solar, water, and wind being location and state. If a physician wishes to provide care to a patient in another state, he or she must go climate factors, and fission being the dangerous nuclear waste. Fusion, on the other hand, can through the process of obtaining a new license that complies with that state’s medical board. be deployed anywhere and has one byproduct: pure water. Not only is this a massive People living in states with a limited number of general and specialized physicians have untapped source of energy, it also generates clean water. There are only three issues: the lack limited access to the care they need, posing a critical problem in our nation’s healthcare of general knowledge, lack of funding to scientists ironing out the final technical details, and system. the dirty energy industry which has become a drug that almost every nation can’t kick. Developing nations need the cheap energy and developed nations are dependent on it from With the advancements in video and telecommunication technologies, physicians are now years of abuse. There have been wars over the resources that are slowly killing the planet. able to use videoconferencing to evaluate and manage patients living across state lines within The US is currently subsidising dirty energy corporations who already have massive profit the current standards of medical care. This is referred to as ‘telemedicine,’ a practice that margins and don’t require any more than they already have. The US needs to set an example connects doctors to patients across the country. Physicians are limited by what they can do by dropping the habit and moving to rely on fusion by funding and spreading awareness for out-of-state patients due to these state license requirements. By mandating a federal about the benefits of it over current energy solutions. minimum requirement for state medical licenses, there would no longer be barriers for patients wanting to access a physician’s expertise across state lines. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congressional action to gradually divert funds from subsidies for oil and natural gas ACTION TO BE TAKEN: companies to the US Department of Energy who will be tasked with raising awareness of This proposal mandates the Federation of State Medical Boards to create a minimum fusion and to bring together nuclear physicists with the goal of creating a fusion reactor to be standard for medical licenses. State medical boards are required to recognize other state replicated and put into use in a new national energy grid. Due to its low upkeep, the medical licenses within the U.S. While a physician’s medical license from one state will remaining capital can be returned to the people as a tax break. The research developed will be valid in another state, the licensed physician must comply with medical board policies be made public to allow further advancement of the technology to spread past this field and of the state where the patient is located. into others such as transportation. candidates will want to conserve as much money as possible. By doing this, the candidates Proposal No. 0605 are no longer accountable to special interest groups or a large corporation instead they are only accountable to the American people for it is the people’s money that they are using. The Name: Rishi Sharma tax will be a .5% tax on all income with exception to those living below the poverty line. The Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA funds from this tax shall be evenly split up and distributed to the eligible candidates running for different positions. There will also be an optional donation pool in which any citizen may TOPIC OF CONCERN: put money in a non-partisan democracy pool that gets evenly distributed among all the Making All Campaigns for Elected Office Publicly Funded Through Taxpayer Dollars and a eligible candidates. This democracy tool will be a tax write off also. This proposal will bring Donation Pool While Banning Direct Donations to Candidates all the politicians onto the same playing field and no longer will the one with the most money win but now the one who will most likely be an effective leader and voice of the constituents JUSTIFICATION: will win. Studies have shown that voters tend to have beliefs that align more closely with The United States of America is in a dire health crisis as there is currently an epidemic of third party candidates and independents but they do not vote for them because they believe in corrupt politicians and policies favoring only special interest groups instead of the the two party system will reign and they will be wasting a vote. Because of the limited representative’s constituents.With the apathetic voters we have in today’s society usually the capital, the candidates will have to be clever to use the money wisely and it will promote the politician with the most money wins the office due to the fact that they are able to get their voters to learn about the candidates for themselves and make an educated decision rather than name and policy positions out to the general public on a much broader scale and because have the candidates spew their propaganda in the voter’s faces. By making all the candidates more often than the name that voters hear most often is who they end up voting for as long as equal, the candidates themselves will have to prove why they should hold the position they the candidate falls behind party lines. Obviously wanting to these win elections, this leads the are running for and this invested look at the democratic process will serve the country very politicians to try and secure as many donations as possible with an emphasis on large well in the long term as it will soon just be a part of our country’s nature to be politically donations so they spend more time trying to maintain their position versus actually doing active and aware of the issues. This proposal gives people a voice in their democracy. This is their job.This leads the politicians to pander to big corporations and special interest groups just the price we must pay for a just democracy. where a lot of capital is available. This is unfortunate because the special interests groups and big corporations end up controlling the politicians and the decisions that the politicians make. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: and the politician who took money from them in now out in the office working for them and The United States Department of Health and Human Services will enforce a new law their interests instead of the country and the constituents.There is something vitally wrong raising the legal age of purchasing and smoking tobacco to 25, beginning January 1, with our democracy when the concerns and pains of the constituents in not of the forefront of 2017. the politician's mind and instead of being occupied by the special agenda that they are now trying to help get passed in order to repay those generous donations that bought them their job. A recent example of this corruption is Tom Corbett a former Governor of Pennsylvania. He was known to be very pro-fracking in which hydraulic fracturing of the Earth is done in order to get oil deep in the ground.Although this has been proven to be detrimental to the Earth and an enabler of climate change he pressed forward trying to open more and more fracking sites. It was recently revealed that he has received over 1.7 million dollars in the forms of gifts and campaign donations in from the oil and gas companies.

I am proposing that in order to take back our democracy we must ban all donations large and small to candidates running for elected office. Instead, from the municipal to the state to the nation levels there will be a set tax on income and a donation pool dedicated to keeping the campaigns clean of corruption. Every candidate that fits the eligibility for their respective office and has garnered enough initial support in the form of signatures (number of signatures varies for each office with 3,000 being the requirement for mayor and city council, 12,000 for state assembly or senate, 25,500 for House of Representatives, 30,500 for Senate and 50,000 for President of the United States) and has a legitimate platform shall receive a set amount of money. This money is limited and once the candidates run out of money then they run out. All the eligible candidates shall also have equal airtime on all the major media mediums free of charge but this is also limited although the candidates may use their money to buy airtime later on in the election cycle. Because of the limited capital held by the candidates, this will really decrease the number of negative ads due to the fact that the Proposal No. 0606 Proposal No. 0607

Name: Payton Ellis Name: Arushi Gupta Delegation: Diablo Valley Delegation: SVC/Palo Alto

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Only people aged 25 and older should have the legal ability to purchase or smoke tobacco Reducing fossil fuel emissions in the United States. products In the United States. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The issue of climate change must be at the forefront of our minds as the devastating Currently the minimum age to legally purchase and smoke tobacco products is a mere 18 environmental and economic impacts mount. As the largest emitter of greenhouse gases years old. For many this means children still in high school or new graduates have the in the world, the United States has a responsibility to take action now. We have all heard option to harm their body in a serious way. However, it’s proposed that only people 25 about the threats of ocean acidification, rising temperatures, extreme weather, and sea years of age and older should have the ability to make this decision. level rise, however, the economic impacts are often ignored. Growing food will become harder, coastline communities will have to relocate, and natural resources will become Research led by Beatriz Luna, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University scarcer. Those already struggling to make ends meet will be disproportionally impacted of Pittsburgh, shows that the human brain is fully formed at the age of 25. The adolescent by rising costs, and poverty will only grow. Extreme weather will tear apart homes and pre-frontal cortex of the brain, controlling reasoning skills, is dominated by dopamine, a livelihoods, creating an ever growing mass of Americans stripped of their homes and hormone triggering feelings of happiness when risk-taking. There is evidence that the possessions. younger a person is the higher risk of addiction they will have if they start smoking. Additionally, there is a strong relationship between youth smoking and depression, The federal government’s response to this global crisis has been inadequate at best, and anxiety, and stress, not to mention genetic factors that make quitting more difficult for this criminal inaction will have lasting repercussions. Fossil fuels release greenhouse younger people. With this in mind, how can we let children make such life-altering gases when burned, which drive climate change, so it is imperative that these fuels stop decisions without proper judgment skills? being used if we want to combat climate change.

Hawaii is a good example of steps being taken to fix an extreme problem. The Campaign This bill intends to create a market solution to fossil fuel emissions by driving up costs for Tobacco Free Kids claimed that about 1,400 people die annually in Hawaii from for those who use fossil fuels, mainly corporations, discouraging the use of these harmful either first- or second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke. Recent studies show around 86% energy sources. The increasing cost of fossil fuels will also be reflected in products that of adult smokers across the state reported having their first cigarette before the age of 21. use fossil fuels, pushing consumers to buy green products. These taxes will be Starting January 1st, 2016, Hawaii increased the minimum age to purchase tobacco redistributed to each household, ensuring that households do not suffer financial strain. A products to 21. study from REMI shows thats in 20 year this policy will reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 52% below 1990 levels, prevent 230,000 premature deaths from air pollution, and add These governing bodies have the right ideas, but with the help of the U.S. Department of 2.8 million jobs. Health and Human Services, it can be assured that anyone under 25 will be far more protected from the extreme risks of tobacco than they have ever been before. Steps are ACTION TO BE TAKEN: being taken at the City Council and state levels to fix the tobacco problem, but now the Every ton of fossil fuels in the United States shall be taxed upstream at the mine, well, or port focus must shift to a federal standpoint. It is unfair to the young adults and youth of our of entry, depending on the type of fuel. Each year, the amount taxed per ton will increase. All nation to allow them to ruin their life when they did not have the correct tools to save the taxes collected shall be distributed to each household equally, on a monthly basis. Import themselves in the first place. Therefore, it is proposed that the minimum legal age to fees from countries without a carbon tax and rebates for exports to countries without a carbon purchase or smoke cigarettes and other tobacco-related products be 25 years, to protect tax, shall both be enacted. the well-being of the nation.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Department of Health and Human Services will enforce a new law raising the legal age of purchasing and smoking tobacco to 25, beginning January 1, 2017. Proposal No. 0608 Proposal No. 0609

Name: Avery Richardson Name: JT Russell Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Regulation of taxes on pharmaceutical drugs. Self-balancing electric scooters ("hoverboards") in public areas, particularly shopping malls.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In today’s day and age, there are copious varieties of prescription drugs on the market. It The "hoverboard", or self-balancing electric scooter, was one of the most purchased is crucial for the patients to be able to receive their medication. Unfortunately, a great consumer products of the 2015 holiday season. The hoverboard has been sensationalized in percentage of prescribers do not have the insurance or coverage to help pay. Since there recent social media outlets via celebrity endorsements, entertainment videos (ex. Vines, is no regulated tax on such drugs, the price can spike and cause patients an inconvenience music videos, etc.) and various other forms of publicity. However, these hoverboards have due to high prices. Regulating the tax on pharmaceutical drugs will allow people with proven to be very dangerous despite safe practices. According to Consumer Reports, the terminal illnesses to purchase medication. The penalty for not having insurance starts at Consumer Product Safety Commission identified 39 emergency room visits related to $95 and gradually rises until $695. The majority who cannot afford the high prices are hoverboard falls since last August. New York City has already attempted litigation to obviously incapable to secure their medication which is a serious threat to their well- prohibit the use of hoverboards in question on all city streets. Litigation currently being addressed across the U.S. includes bans on hoverboard use under the age of 16 requiring being. This regulation will prevent debt by granting patience the medication they need helmets, and restriction of use on school campuses. The use of hoverboards in shopping with an affordable, regulated tax. This will protect people from life threatening situations, malls has skyrocketed in recent months, so they should be outlawed in these areas in which medicine is a necessity. specifically. Shopping malls should be defined as developments containing 20 or more retail stores and/or restaurants. With imminent danger due to the instability of the hoverboard and ACTION TO BE TAKEN: accidents involving lithium-ion battery flammability, action should be taken to restrict the The United States Federal Government will set a regulation law on pharmaceutical drugs to use of such products. lower the tax and allow more people to afford their medication. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The use of self-balancing electric scooters should be outlawed in shopping malls across the U.S. as they have proven to be dangerous in terms of product quality and physical use. A $500 fine should be charged to any violation of this law. Proposal No. 0614 Proposal No. 0610

Name: Peter Davis Name: Jake Nelson Delegation: SRV/Vista Diablo Delegation: San Gabriel Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Student athletes should be paid. The elimination of permanent police presence and school resource officers on public high school campuses. JUSTIFICATION: The NCAA makes 6 billion dollars a year annually. But the players themselves don't see any JUSTIFICATION: of that money, even as they risk career-ending injuries every time that they step onto the The issue of police and government overreach often comes up in analyses of events such as court, field or rink. As Forbes' Chris Smith wrote, CBS Broadcasting makes more than $1 the Ferguson, MO riots over the death of Michael Brown or exposed data collection by the billion off the games, "thanks in part to a $700,000 ad rate for a 30-second spot during the NSA to counter terrorist activities. Less known incidents bring this problem to light: a water Final Four." All of this money being spent during a collegiate sporting event in which the balloon fight intended as a senior prank in North Carolina ended with eight students arrested student athletes have everything to lose, but no money to gain. Their names and likenesses on and the presence of twenty-four officers on campus and a 4 year old with ADHD was merchandise such as jerseys and video games are generating millions of dollars that they will handcuffed and driven to the sheriff’s office in a squad car. Police overreach does take place never see. Without athletes, the big money in college sports disappears. Collegiate athletes at a local level and affects communities and families with children in public high schools. In should be payed for their efforts and contributions to the NCAA. 2009, The New York Times estimated that around 17,000 police officers were posted in U.S. schools. More than three quarters of high schools have armed security staff, but low-income ACTION TO BE TAKEN: schools are the highest percentage of schools that have k-12 campus law enforcement. The NCAA to grant student athletes 25% of the money made as a result of their performances. The Student Athletes of America fund will be set up and regulated by the Police presence on school campuses began as an effort to create ties between the local youth federal government. All proceeds are to be equally split among all athletes even if their and law enforcement officers. ‘School resource officers’ (SROs) were to act as role models images are not used. for the community of high school students around them, but since the 1990s, the number and funding of SROs has resulted in policies that negatively affect high school students. Many new recruits were trained by conventional police methods, and began being used for school discipline, jurisdiction traditionally set aside for administration members and school staff. The arrest rates of low-income minority students have increased since the Department of Justice’s ‘COPS in Schools’ program. These arrests often result in an increased chance of a student ending up in the juvenile justice system, and therefore adult prisons.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress/Department of Justice is to ban the permanent presence of police officers on public high school campuses except in a time of need that suits the safety of the student body. Funds granted to high schools to pay for campus police are to be redistributed for other purposes as the administration sees fit. Proposal No. 0611 Proposal No. 0612

Name: Miles Pangelina Name: Eirin Combs Delegation: Albany Delegation: Verdugo Hills

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The use of hydraulic fracturing in the United States To implement self defense courses in middle school physical education.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Do you want your drinking water to be poisoned? A recent study conducted by the EPA According to the Child Trends DataBank, adolescents are the victims of violent crime at concluded that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, leads "to impacts on drinking water much higher rates than adults. Adolescents who have been violently victimized are more resources, and contamination of drinking water wells." Fracking has also been linked to likely to have physical health problems, suffer from substance abuse, and struggle in school. earthquakes. Science for a Changing World, a website for the US Geological Survey, has Sexual assault and physical assault victimization are also associated with higher rates of confirmed that hydraulic fracking causes earthquakes. A Cornell study shows that hydraulic mental health problems during adolescence, including depression, anxiety, and post- fracturing is a large contributor to global warming - even more than coal. An Albany State traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, adolescents who are the victims of violent crime may University study showed carcinogens around areas where fracking occurs are much higher. be more likely to commit violent criminal offenses themselves. The time has come to These pollutants go into the air, which means everyone who lives in areas where hydraulic implement self-defense courses into the education system in order to put an end to this cycle fracking occurs breathes in these toxic chemicals. of violence, and provide our youth with the knowledge to keep themselves and others safe. This self-defense course would pull from teachings of the lesson plans of the professor of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: physical education at California State University at Sacramento, Dr. Joan Neide. This lesson The President will issue an executive order declaring all hydraulic fracking in the United plan will help students think critically and make sound decisions about their homes and States illegal. Companies will be given three years to shut down all fracking, the EPA will personal safety, learn the motor skills and movement patterns they need in order to defend enforce that they are shutting down. themselves, develop poise and confidence to react effectively in dangerous situations, and define their own limitations as they apply to self-defense. Enacting this proposal could potentially change the culture of violence, and develop a more safe and informed generation. The benefits of this proposal can be seen in such cases of that in Nairobi, Kenya in which 522 high school girls, ages 14 to 21, received 12 hours of self-defense training over six weeks. Rape is unfortunately very common in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Approximately one in four adolescent girls are raped each year. According to a study conducted by Stanford University and an organization called No Means No Worldwide., a self-defense course can dramatically reduce the girls’ vulnerability to sexual assault. The senior author of the study claimed, ‘Self-defense training taught these young girls to stand up and say ‘˜no’ with confidence, and empowered them to escalate their own defense to a higher level, if necessary.’ In the ten months after receiving self-defense training, more than half of these girls reported using what they had learned to fend off would-be attackers. The proportion of them who were raped fell from 24.6 percent in the year before training to 9.2 percent in the 10-month period after. With this proposal, similar results could be achieved in the United States.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Federal Department of Education will implement the self-defense course into middle school physical education. This action will not change the curriculum, as this would fall under the National Physical Education Standard 5 that states, "Demonstrates responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings.’ The lesson plans of Dr. Joan Neide can be found in her paperback manual for $21. The benefits of implementing this course will truly exceed the cost of purchasing one manual per school and training the physical education teachers. Proposal No. 0613 Proposal No. 0615

Name: Ethan Brisley Name: Alex Jacoby Delegation: Conejo Valley Delegation: SFY/Marin

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To require timber and lumber companies in the US to practice selective cutting instead of Ending industrialized agriculture and ranching clear cutting. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Today’s economy of industrialized food has produced far more consequences than solutions. Nature is very precious and we can find immense amounts of diversity and beauty in forests While food has become more available, it has been produced at a higher cost. At our current and woodlands. The current foresting techniques can potentially destroy species and damage rates we will not have the soil to produce enough food for ourselves in 50 years. With top the ecosystems greatly. Deforestation also leads to soil erosion, water pollution, and climate companies making billions a year they’re not only destroying the environment they are killing change. Selective cutting allows for companies to obtain their wood in a more manageable the average farmer in America as well. These companies pay for lobbyists to own our congress and ecologically safe way. This method prioritizes cutting trees that are dead or infected with and have created a surge of subsidies to stress revenue, not yield. These subsidies make it disease, which protects the rest of the forest from being infected. impossible for an average farmer to practice sustainable methods without going out of business. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Develop a Forest Plan for the US to maintain a good balance between preserved land for ACTION TO BE TAKEN: wilderness and timber land. Further, enact a policy mandating that timber companies practice My proposal is to limit farms to a size of 500 acres, all farms larger than that shall be seized selective cutting and provide fixed tax breaks for such companies. by the government and distributed to citizens willing to pay for it. The land shall be subsidized. Proposal No. 0701 Proposal No. 0702

Name: Reni De La Nuez Name: Josh Magpantay Delegation: West Valley Delegation: Miller

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Require condoms in pornography by law. A proposal to address the issue of Having Funds to Continuously Support the Education of Undocumented Youth to reduce the use of taxpayers’ money. JUSTIFICATION: Pornography, though less advertised than other forms of recreation, is one of the most JUSTIFICATION: prevalent sources of entertainment in America, with a demographic largely made up of The Dream Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) is a common- teenage boys. According to Covenant Eyes Pornography Statistics, 9 out of 10 boys view sense legislative proposal that allows students who were raised in the United States a chance pornography before they turn 18, and the average age of initial exposure to pornography to contribute to our country’s well-being by serving the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a amongst men is 12 years old. For most 12 year olds, the pornography they view online, higher education. The act is accepted by both major political parties because of how it whether it be on purpose or unintentional, becomes their first introduction to sex, thus temporarily suspends the deportation of young people illegally living in the U.S. who were creating the mindset that their sexual relationships should be similar to those featured in adult brought to the country as minors; therefore, they may finish their studies here. To be an films. With this being said, it should be incredibly concerning that only 17% of performers in eligible ‘Dreamer,’ the person must be in one of three groups: pornography use condoms while on camera, and that the Free Speech Coalition, a nonprofit trade association of the adult film industry, strongly opposes condom usage with the belief 1.) Between the ages of 15-30 who are either currently in high school or already have high that condoms will "ruin" pornography. Teenage boys who hear that condoms will be so school diplomas. detrimental to the porn industry immediately fall under the impression that condoms will ruin their personal sex life as well, and the lack of protection in their initial exposure to sex is just 2.) Between the ages of 5-14 who will be eligible for this action at some point if the deferred one primary reason that upon being surveyed by the CDC, almost 50% of teens admitted to action initiative remains in place. having not used a condom during intercourse. This is a statistic that does not only reflect the idea that safe sex is viewed as inferior to unprotected sex, but also directly correlates to the 3.) Between the ages of 15-20 who are not yet in high school or don’t have a high school spread of STDs and the frequency of unwanted pregnancies. Condoms must be used in diploma. These members may be eligible for the deferred action if they get a GED (General pornography for the benefit of both the actors in pornography and their young viewers. Education Development.)

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Currently, there are an estimated 1.8 million immigrants in the U.S. who are eligible for the As a law, condoms will be required in pornography. A government-funded agency will be Dream Act. Under the Dream Act, undocumented youth are supposedly only eligible for created with the responsibility of removing all pornographic films accessible via internet and federal student loans (which they must pay back), and federal-work study programs in which further regulating the publication of such films by fining companies or individuals that post they must work for any benefit they receive. The Dream Act is different in every state, the pornography featuring unprotected sex. 70% of money made in fines will go toward national state-level laws provide various benefits for undocumented students, such as access to in- sex education. state tuition rates or eligibility for certain scholarships or state financial aid. However, ‘the way it operates and who qualifies can vary state to state and college to college.’ To add on: On average, each illegal immigrant who attends a public institution will receive a tuition subsidy from taxpayers of nearly $6,000 for each year he or she attends, for total cost of $6.2 billion a year, not including other forms of financial assistance they may also receive. The above estimate is for the number who will enroll in public institutions. A large share of those who attend college may not complete the two full years necessary to receive permanent residence.

The goal of educating all the youth in this country, is really great. However, in the present political turmoil and still unstable economy, we need to think more and plan better.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: I propose that whatever tuition subsidy or financial assistance, state or otherwise, given to these undocumented youth should be paid back. This does not only minimize the impact on the economy, meaning denting taxpayers' money, but also will give documented youth and Proposal No. 0703 citizens' what is rightfully theirs. If the beneficiaries of the Dreamers will be obliged to pay back, they will be providing continuous funds for the needs of future undocumented Name: Adam Forest immigrants, until the government has come up with a better immigration policies. Paying Delegation: Berkeley back gives a sense of responsibility and perseverance to both the undocumented parents and the youth. TOPIC OF CONCERN: An act to grant veterans automatic eligibility for health care at VA and non-VA facilities at their own convenience.

JUSTIFICATION: For years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has run an inefficient, corrupt and unaccountable bureaucracy that has resulted in the death of thousands of brave American lives, as well as the waste of billions in taxpayer money. This year, 168.8 billion dollars were allocated to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Despite this, and numerous reforms intended to improve veterans' access to care, whistleblowers and internal documents reveal VA facilities continue to grapple with appointment wait times of several months, and massive backlogs. In August, more than 8,000 requests for care had wait times longer than 90 days at the Phoenix VA. This is not an isolated issue. VA hospitals across the country are struggling to meet demand.

Currently, a United States Veteran must apply to determine whether he or she is eligible for health care benefits. They then must contact their local VA to receive their ‘Veteran Health Identification Card’, allowing them to make appointments and be identified as eligible at VA hospitals. Only then can they start making appointments. A recent report revealed that out of the 847,000 veterans on the waitlist for VA health care, 307,000 have died (VA.gov). Today, the average wait time for a veteran seeking health care is 50% higher than it was in 2014. The VA has increased their patient visit capacity by more than 7 million per year in 2015, yet it has still been unable to meet the soaring demand of veterans requesting health care. The VA introduced the VA choice program, which they claim would allow veterans to seek care at non-VA facilities. The VA Choice program does not allow for true choice because VA still determines who can access the program. As we have seen, the VA’s inefficiency and wait periods do not truly allow for veterans to seek health care at non-VA facilities. This is unacceptable, and something needs to be done! My proposal would automatically make eligible anyone who is serving in the military, or has served, for health care at any facility they choose. Instead of using funds to hire more physicians and doctors at the overcrowded, overwhelmed VA hospitals, the funds would go towards allowing veterans to seek care at their convenience, not at the convenience of the VA.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Automatic eligibility and enrollment into private and VA health care services for veterans seeking care. Department of Veterans Affairs funds would pay for veterans who seek care at non-VA facilities to allow real choice. Re-Allocate funds from the Department of Defense to Department of Veterans Affairs. Proposal No. 0704 Proposal No. 0705

Name: Jessica Saucedo Name: Sam Senaldi Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar Delegation: SRV/Valle Lobo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Banning import and breeding of exotic animals in the United States College Students Choosing Major After One Year

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In every state many exotic animals escape and roam free and risk the chance to attack many While a handful of schools allow students to go into their first year of college humans and other animals. Exotic tigers and snakes in multiple states have attacked both ‘undeclared’, the majority of schools (non-liberal arts colleges) require that applicants children and adults. In addition to safety, many animals risk health problems. Macaque declare a major before admission. However, with students choosing a major upon entry, a monkeys are 90% infectious and risk infecting those around them. Salmonella is also large portion of them will likely either change majors or be unhappy with theirs. A survey associated with exotic animals as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates over done by the College Student Journal established that main deciding factors for students were 90,000 cases caused by exposure to exotic animals each year. The CDC reports that peer and family influence and assumptions about classes and potential jobs; students choose salmonella causes approximately 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, 450 deaths, their major based on assumption and outside influence instead of deep reflection and thought. and an estimated-$365 million in direct medical costs in the United States. Lastly when private parties own these animals they do not receive the care that they need. These animals Requiring all students who are attending public schools to declare a major going require specific care, housing, maintenance, and diet that these private owners cannot into their sophomore year would provide more opportunities for incoming students and provide. would also take unnecessary pressure off of them. Due to a number-related concern,, larger schools may require that students choose a GENERAL AREA of study (i.e. a college within Sandra Herold let her 200 pound chimpanzee, Travis, escape. Herold asked her friend for a university) upon entry. It has been proven that when choosing majors, especially before help to round up the chimp, however while putting him into the cage Travis brutally attacked their first year of college, most students are both underdeveloped and unprepared; allowing her face. Along with the physical damage, Herold faced a $50 million civil suit. them time at school before declaring their major would help them to be more sure of their decision rather than selecting prematurely. Only 40% of declared major students graduate To grandfather this proposal, banning the practice of breeding will slowly decrease the with the major they originally declared. Larger amounts of declared students change their population of exotic animals in the United States. In addition, banning the import of these majors more than twice compared to undeclared students. Each major change results in an exotic animals will limit the amount that are in the United States. extra half a semester; this extra time not only puts a financial burden on students but also delays their entry into the workforce, which hurts the economy as well. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The U.S. Department of Agriculture must ban any import or breeding of exotic animals to ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ensure the health and safety of all United States citizens and animals. he US Department of Education will enact a law mandating that all students at public universities choose a major upon entering their sophomore year of college. Proposal No. 0706 Proposal No. 0707

Name: Joselyn Vidaca Name: Sullivan Barth Delegation: Weingart East Los Angeles Delegation: Culver-Palms

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: End gender marketing toys to stop limiting children's capability by promoting toys suitable Federal ban on Hydraulic Fracturing. for certain genders. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Hydraulic Fracturing, more commonly know as Fracking, is a method to extract oil and gas If you look in the toy section of a store you'll see that it is separated by gender with barbie from underground rock. Pressurized fluid is injected to fracture the rock and allow for oil and dolls and pretend make-up sets on one side and construction and engineering based toys on gas to flow more freely. The fluid is made of water, sand, and chemicals such as hydrochloric the other. Marketing toys for a certain gender limits children's imagination. Young girls grow acid. This method is inefficient and has major consequences. up believing they are only capable of being princesses and mothers while boys grow up believing they can be engineers and scientists. At a very young age, girls lose interest in math Hydraulic Fracturing has significant impacts on the environment. The chemicals injected into and science. Many believe that by biology girls are just not good in math and science. the ground can be poisonous and contaminate groundwater. This can kill wildlife and Around the world on the same science test, girls outperformed boys, buy not in the U.S. This residents near wells have complained about contaminated tap water. Gases can escape from is not a biological thing, it's a cultural thing. The pink aisle is the culture where girls are drilling sites as well. Methane clouds have been discovered around drilling sites and taught they want to become princesses. The deprivation of playing with construction toys neighbors have experienced nausea and headaches. Methane levels have been high enough causes underdeveloped spatial skills. This skill is needed when majoring in something in for tap water to combust. In addition Hydraulic Fracturing destabilizes faults and creates STEM. These type of microaggressions make math and science feel like an unwelcoming earthquakes. Earthquakes as large as 4.6 on the Richter scale have been caused by Hydraulic environment to women. We need a female perspective. If we end gender marketed toys, we Fracturing. In Oklahoma before the Fracturing boom of 2008 there were on average one to can have a higher number of women in STEM. two earthquakes greater than 3.0 per year. In 2014 there were 585 and in 2015 there were 842. Progress has already begun with Germany, France, Bulgaria, New York, and Vermont ACTION TO BE TAKEN: banning Hydraulic Fracturing. To stop limiting children's capability, boys and girls signs will be removed from their stores and any form of advertisement will include both genders for toys. Commercials will include ACTION TO BE TAKEN: both genders playing with the same toy so the toy won't be targeted at a specific gender. The Environmental Protection Agency will prohibit Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States. Drill operators will have until January 1, 2017 to cease operations and close wells. Proposal No. 0708 Proposal No. 0709

Name: Kalen Yamashiro Name: Molly Nolan Delegation: Albany Delegation: Westchester

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Improving Our Current Foster Care System Limiting discrimination within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blood donor deferral guidelines and increasing blood surveillance. JUSTIFICATION: According to ABC News, ‘taxpayers are spending $22 billion a year -- or $40,000 a child -- JUSTIFICATION: on foster care programs.’ Yet we still see 30% of our homeless and around 25% of those There is a constant need for a safe and reliable blood supply. The FDA has released a series incarcerated in the US originating from the foster care system. Obviously, we are doing of guidelines and recommendations for blood centers to reduce the risk of Human something wrong. Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission by donated blood. However in December 2001, there were an estimated 14,262 persons diagnosed with AIDS as a result of transfusing The general definition for foster care is ‘a system in which a minor has been placed into a blood or blood products (University of California, San Francisco). Since then this number ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver referred to as a foster has declined, but the blood surveillance and donor deferral system remains flawed. All donated blood currently undergoes an HIV Antibody Test which detects the presence of parent.’ According to ABC News ‘520,000 children end up in foster care each year -- antibodies produced in reaction to the presence of HIV. However it can take up to three double the number 25 years ago -- and approximately 800,000 children come in contact with months for the immune system to produce sufficient antibodies for a positive Antibody Test the foster care system every year.’  result. Therefore the FDA suggests that organizations defer donors with a ‘high risk for HIV infection." These include gay and bisexual men who are sexually active, regardless of The effects of our current foster care system can be incredibly detrimental to the growth of whether these individuals practice safe sex or have tested negative for HIV in the past. the children in the system and even after they leave, as much as 30% of them are diagnosed Contrarily, there are no restrictions for heterosexuals who have had unprotected sex and with post-traumatic stress disorder. This problem is largely due to the fact that many foster similarly pose a risk for transferring HIV. As a result, many consider the deferral system to parents are simply not fit to take care of children, there are constantly cases where parents are be discriminatory, as it promotes biases associated with the 1980's AIDS panic, when there abusing foster children for years and years before being caught, creating a negative was little understanding of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and perception of the foster care system. Prevention ‘From 2008 to 2010, new HIV infections increased 22% among young (aged 13-

24) gay and bisexual men and 12% among gay and bisexual men overall.’ Reducing Finally, In Los Angeles county, which houses the largest foster child population in voluntary deferrals and enforcing a more thorough test for blood donations will not only California, ‘A study focused on foster care alumni in Los Angeles County showed that about broaden the donor pool, but minimize the risk for HIV transferal. 65% leave foster care without a place to live and 25% are incarcerated by age 20.’ In  addition to this, only about 50% graduate from high school and less that 10% graduate from Unlike the routine Antibody Test, the FDA-approved HIV RNA Test detects the existence of college.’ 25% of foster children in California are incarcerated before the age of 20 and on the virus in the blood and shows positive results within days of HIV contraction. This test average they stay in and out of jail for around 40 years, with another 40% joining them for 20 can immediately prove the eligibility of a donor deferred on the premise of sexual orientation years; between them you end up with 990,000 hours of jail time for each cohort. The prison or similar ‘at risk’ donors. Proper use of this more effective test will increase the costs in California have been steadily rising and if there was a way to cut down that number, quantities of safe blood donated annually. even if it was only half-way, we could save bucket loads of money as a state. This money plus all the extra money we spend annually on foster care can be saved while simultaneously ACTION TO BE TAKEN: creating a better future for hundreds of thousands of children across the nation. The Department of Health and Human Services will require blood centers to offer an FDA- approved HIV RNA Test to any deferred donor who believes they are eligible to donate ACTION TO BE TAKEN: blood. The Department of Health and Human Services will run advertisements to make it clear who we want to be foster parents. These campaigns will cost an average of $100 million dollars for the first 5 years and then drop to $50 million for another 5 finishing at about $10 million/year for an undecided amount of time after. The ad campaign costs include Television, Magazine, Newspaper, and Online advertising. Proposal No. 0710 Proposal No. 0711

Name: Jenny Chang Name: Milan Perry Delegation: Ventura Family Delegation: Greater Long Beach

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Promoting a sustainable, economically-friendly food source Removing the use of bail as a defendant accountability system.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Want to find the answer to world hunger? Start by looking under a rock in your front Bail is the system used to supposedly ensure that people charged with crimes who maintain yard. Ever since the UN came out with a report in 2013 recommending insects as food, their innocence appear in court for their trial. The theory is that the court is holding their many environmentalists, entomologists, and entrepreneurs have been further researching money hostage, and once the defendant attends all court appearances, the money will be and investing in this burgeoning market. returned. But in reality, bail is unconstitutional, ineffective, and hurts the poorest and most disadvantaged Americans. The advantages of more bugs on the food market are tremendous. Insects are much more environmentally friendly and sustainable, as they require less feed, emit less greenhouse The 14th Amendment states that all Americans must have equal protection under the law. gasses, use much less water, and less land. Insects are also highly nutritious, with less The Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that the government under the 14th Amendment is required to guarantee a public defender if a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, fat, more iron, more calcium, and an almost perfect omega-3 to omega-6 ratio; these so the same principle applies to bail. The bail system violates this equal protection by health benefits are beneficial towards a range of consumers, from the rich westerner effectively requiring low-income defendants to either go to jail and face the consequences of trying to achieve a healthier, less-carcinogenic diet to the nutrient and iron deficient being out of society, or take a plea deal for a crime they did not commit, thereby putting that populations in developing countries struggling to stay alive. Lastly, insects are crime on their record. The ramifications of both of these options can be catastrophic for a economically friendly, as they provide nine kilograms of edible meat per 10 kilograms of poor defendant, who may lose their job because of their detainment or plea deal, and feed as opposed to the cow’s meager one kilogram. Though insects present so many therefore increase the likelihood that they actually will commit a crime in the future. This overall benefits, the main issues of the moment are the prices and the inexplicable only serves to limit the social and economic mobility of those who were born poor, which Western cultural ‘ick’-factor. These issues can both be solved by the federal only confirms people’s belief that the American Dream is dying. In addition, holding people government incentivizing insect cultivation for farmers that meet USDA regulations and who have not been convicted is no more effective than other methods of accountability, and break even/generate a profit at least 3 out of 5 of the first years of business. only serves to cost the state money. Sixty percent of people in U.S. jails have not been convicted, which costs American taxpayers $9 billion per year. Instead of bail, the justice ACTION TO BE TAKEN: system could use other accountability mechanisms such as monitoring and reminding the Congress shall add insect-farming economic incentives to the 2018 Farm Bill. These defendant of court dates, allowing the $9 billion to be spent helping people instead of hurting incentives will be in the form of a one-time startup stipend of $4,000 and yearly non- them. refundable tax credits of up to $1,000 to businesses that meet the aforesaid standards. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Remove the use of bail in all federal and state crimes through constitutional amendment. Instead, defendants who plead not guilty and do not pose an extreme flight risk will be released until their court date. In cases of capital crimes and extreme flight risk, defendants will automatically be placed in county jail. There will be an assessment system in order to determine flight risk, analyzing previous record, severity of the charge, etc. Other defendants will be monitored frequently and reminded of their court date. The money saved from not jailing defendants will be used for the monitoring system. Proposal No. 0712 Proposal No. 0713

Name: Mackenzie Dreizler Name: Audrey Valbuena Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro Delegation: San Gabriel Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Requires beer companies to list the ingredients in their products on the bottles or cans. Requiring military personnel to be tried by both military and civilian court procedures.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The FDA requires that all food and drinks must have a label listing the ingredients in their In 2012, a group of Navy SEALs, stationed at an outpost in the remote town of Kalach in product, however beer does not need to have this label. This is not because the FDA gave an Afghanistan, were found to be abusing several Afghani detainees. Four United States exception for beer. It is because the FDA does not regulate beer; the U.S. Treasury Army soldiers reported the SEAL teams members when they saw them ‘kicking several Department does. The only time the FDA will get involved is if it is brought to their attention detainees, dropping heavy stones on their chests and firing guns near their heads.’ This that a batch of beer could have possibly been adulterated. It is important to have ingredients maltreatment resulted in the abuse of several detainees as well as the death of one. listed on beer bottles so people could make an informed decision on if they would like to drink Propylene Glycol, which is an ingredient found in anti-freeze, if they want to drink The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) sets up the rules and processes that guide several dyes that relate to asthma, or if they want to drink natural flavors that can come from the military criminal process. Encompassing all branches of the military, the UCMJ sets anywhere on an animals body. Fifty-two percent of Americans drink one to seven beers a up precedent for dealing with military offenses such as mutiny, sedition, failure to obey week, and all of these consumers should be able to know what they are drinking. an order, and insubordinate conduct. The court-martial system, which encompasses all

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: the military courts, rests completely outside the influence of civilian courts, dealing with The U.S. Treasury Department should give over the regulation of beer to the FDA so they matters clearly related to military-specific offenses. will be able to regulate the ingredients in beer better and more easily. In the instance above, the Navy SEAL men were tried in a military court, and though a Navy lawyer recommended they be charged with assault, the team ultimately only faced the disciplinary process used for minor infractions, defended by a SEAL commander. According to the UCMJ, this minor offense trial, called a summary court-martial, consists of either 30 days of confinement, 45 days of hard labor, or forfeiture of two-thirds’ pay per month for one month. The case, reviewed years later, has been re-opened, as it was deemed the men were unjustly tried.

While perhaps this instance seems a simple case of corruption, this sort of mistrial could have been prevented if the SEALs had been tried by both civilian and military court laws. All active military members are tried in court-martials. Only some cases span the two legal systems, tried in both the military system and civilian courts. Because the military courts reach their verdict by the opinions of military officials, instead of civilian trial, it seems that sympathy for inhumane actions extends further than the normal civilian might deem appropriate.

While crimes committed in a war zone differ from civilian crimes, it should not be the standard that human rights be ignored. Abuse and misconduct cannot be passively accepted. To remedy the bias of court-martials, military crimes should be tried by both civilian and military juries, so as to ensure that these men are tried by a jury of their peers, as both members of the military and as citizens of the United States.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Active military members are now subject to be tried by both military and civilian court procedure, regardless of the realm or circumstance of the crime. If the crime is solely Proposal No. 0714 military, the civilian jury will rule innocent at the discretion of the court-martial system, and anything beyond receives a compromised penalty that satisfies the punishment of both court Name: Jeremy Stark systems. Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: The definition of Corporation per the citizens united ruling.

JUSTIFICATION: Corporations are currently allowed to make political expenditures under the First Amendment. Why should a corporation be able to take shareholder’s money and spend it on campaigns?

Some critics, like Pollman, see a difference between for-profit and non-profit corporations. A nonprofit corporation formed to advance particular political views is one thing, she says. A large for-profit corporation is something else entirely. And shareholders and employees, Pollman observes, have no real recourse if they disagree with how corporate money is spent in campaigns.

Another issue with the definition is that corporations have rights outlined in the first amendment. This allows corporations to, on religious grounds, refuse to comply with a federal mandate, and as a mandate is meant for all companies and entities are meant to force them to listen to a rule, with a quick religious excuse out, it is no longer a mandate. One instance is Hobby Lobby, where 16,000 employees will not have access to certain kinds of contraceptives that the owners view as abortifacients. Justice Alito said that the issue is not the size of the company, but the fact that it's a closely held corporation because if the closely held corporation were required to do what the Obamacare law requires, it would be put to a cruel choice between its religious beliefs and having a business that is a thriving business.

As corporations are made up of employees and shareholders, and are not a single person, they should not have equal rights! Especially if they don't face the consequences. As former press secretary Bill Moyers said, "I'll believe a corporation is a person when Texas executes one.’

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Government would redefine corporation under a Constitutional Amendment. The definition would be split into non-profit and for profit. Both would not be included in the definition of persons. These definitions would include the specific rights granted to each type. Non-profit corporations will be able to have political expenditures, unlike for-profits. Neither would be allowed to refuse a federal mandate. Other rights would be decided by the legislature at the time, with the aim to keep these groups out of the individual rights section. Proposal No. 0715 Proposal No. 0801

Name: Clay Watson Name: Trenton Rhodes Delegation: SVC/Palo Alto Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Poverty Zones, unemployment, regional poverty clusters Creating laws to decrease the amount of wasted food in the United States.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: As a result of the global recession, flattening wages and a decline in the industries that drove An astounding 40% of food is thrown away in America. This is equal to 32% of the total America to economic hegemony in the 20th century, many cities and neighborhoods have amount of freshwater used in the US that is wasted, along with 4% of the country’s energy experienced high unemployment and poverty rates. The global recession caused the largest budget. In fact, the energy that goes into making the food that will be abused and uneaten is gap between the real average wealth of the top 1% vs. the top 90% in modern American enough to power over one billion homes. These figures are on the rise year by year. France, history, and steps must be taken to address this rampant and immoral inequality that stifles our facing a similar problem, has already passed multiple sets of laws mandating the prosperity and hurts our families. supermarkets, where a majority of food passes through, to give away the food that has reached its expiration date. In reality, an expiration date is a suggestion. Most foods do not This proposal would aim to offer relief to citizens and economies of cities or regions which become dangerous until up to weeks after reaching it. The United States throws out much rely primarily on declining industries by increasing investment and decreasing burdensome more than France, nearly 200,000 tons of edible food each day. Clearly, reforms must be government regulation on those to whom we ought to provide a helping hand. Many of these made in the US to curb this expanding problem and set the precedent that this misuse cannot focused economic zones have failed to replace old failing manufacturing operations with new continue while millions of people go without food daily. Also, numerous large-scale fast businesses, necessitating government intervention. Oftentimes, prospective business owners food chains are reported to have waste rates at nearly 15%, adding to the problem avoid opening new establishments in these poorer areas due to perceptions of danger or a significantly. scarcity of consumer demand. While abstract actions can be taken in hopes of economic recovery, policy focused on specific areas offering instantaneous relief prove timely and long ACTION TO BE TAKEN: lasting. By putting money back in the hands of the working class, we will stimulate consumer The government will adopt laws similar to France’s: all supermarkets will be forced to work spending and improve the livelihood of all Americans. with local food banks and give away their food when it reaches the sell-by date, rather than throwing it out. Costs will be split 50/50. Also, fast food chains with annual sales of 2 billion ACTION TO BE TAKEN: or above must reduce their waste to 2.5% or less by 2017, supervised by the Department of Adopt tax free economic zones and utilize block grants to increase public investment in cities Health and Human Services, or pay a monthly fine of 1 million dollars. and neighborhoods whose GDP per capita fall below the poverty line and/or whose unemployment numbers have not seen substantial improvement since the recession. Proposal No. 0802 Proposal No. 0803

Name: Bella Bress Name: Brittany Steinway Delegation: Torrance - South Bay Delegation: SFY/Stonestown

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: As a highschool student, we do not have the privilege of certain standard human rights. Assuring minors who run away, a better opportunity and a safe environment where they can Schools have the authority to override our 1st, 4th, and 9th amendment rights. address certain issues.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: We are told that from birth we inherit certain indivisible and inalienable rights. But as a We see this everyday growing in our communities but don’t seem to address where the highschool student, they put a kibosh on said rights. In the case of Tinker v. Des Moines problem is coming from. We seem to only try to amend what we see on the streets in hoping Independent School DIstrict, the Court said how students and teachers ‘don’t shed their a person can pick themselves up and fix their own situation without very much support. constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.’ In the These people on the streets are being made up of the youth who run away. As of 2002, case of of Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, the principal refused to let an editor send between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in the United States every year and between out her stories. She went to court claiming their First Amendment right to freedom of 2005 and 2008, the National Runaway Switchboard saw a 200% jump in youth who were expression had been violated. The Supreme court went against the girl, deeming school reasoning running away. In most states a police officer who detains a minor who runs away platforms not a public forum where anyone can voice an opinion. Now it is agreed that can return them to their parents or place them in a homeless shelter without their consent. threats made onto students should not be tolerated but mere speculation of thought isn’t Once a child runs away many legal issues arise and after only a few times the child commits something to be tried. to this act they are put into a foster care system. When a social worker is involved, the situation isn’t professionally taken care of as it should be with a psychiatrist. When there are ACTION TO BE TAKEN: clear issues that are not being addressed, the problem will never be completely fixed and This proposal does not ask for any new laws to be given. Just the restoration of the ones we when one decides to run away from something they feel is truly an issue; these minors put were promised at birth. Schools should not have the right to punish you based on off campus themselves at a high risk of abusing substances, human trafficking, mental health issues and activities that don’t impede on another student’s learning environment. Students should also probably death due to suicide, illness or abuse. be given their rights to expression so long as it poses no direct threat threat to any school party involved. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Registration for grants will help fund this proposal and help provide run away housing and human resources for those to run away to. With this we can reduce the amount of criminal acts, homelessness, human trafficking, drugs, and even save lives. Varying on the population per city will determine how much housing will be provided for those who run away. In every house there will be at least a couple people staffed 24/7 and housing will also provide food. Proposal No. 0804 Proposal No. 0805

Name: Izzy Westerman Name: Bella Cimarusti Delegation: SRV/Valle Lobo Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Authorizing the guillotine as death penalty for the US Government Brining online classes to juvenile detention centers.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: States that offer the death penalty have their own independently authorized methods of Juvenile detention centers, like the rest of the Department of Corrections, is meant for execution, such as lethal injection, electrocution, firing squad, hanging, and gas chamber. rehabilitation. However, the education quality for juvenile delinquents is less than desirable. However, the US Government only has one authorized death penalty, which is lethal At detention centers, juvenile offenders are placed in the grades which they are supposed to injection. This applies to those in federal prisons who are sentenced to death. By authorizing be in based on their age, not necessarily the ones in which they should be based on their the guillotine to federal prisoners, it gives them an alternative to lethal injection with a lesser knowledge. In other words, you could have a class filled with kids of ninth grade age, with chance of going unexpectedly wrong. There have been 47 botched executions in the United one student who is at a third grade reading level and another one at an eighth grade reading States since 1982; 36 lethal injections, 10 electrocutions, and 2 asphyxiations resulting in level. This flawed system allows students to easily fall behind, leaving them at a huge slow, painful deaths. Not only would the guillotine be fast, simple, and painless, but it would disadvantage when they’re finally released. also be less costly to other options for the death sentence. Based on the 44 executions Florida had carried out since 1976, approximately $24 million were spent on each execution. A way to combat this is through online education. Online schooling allows for a personalized Building a guillotine costs about $1200, making it a cheaper alternative to lethal injection or education that can help students accelerate their learning. An all online education system was electrocution, both of which are execution methods currently offered by the state of Florida. implemented in a detention center in San Diego, and juvenile offenders were leaving with their GED’s. Implementing an all online system will also relieve the burden of finding a ACTION TO BE TAKEN: sufficient amount of teachers for the 55,000 youth incarcerated nationwide. This form of The guillotine is to be an authorized method of execution for the US Government. All federal education is beneficial to both the states and the juveniles incarcerated. With the prisoners who receive the death penalty would be given the option between lethal injection implementation of online classes in these facilities, we can truly say that the purpose of and the guillotine. juvenile detention centers is to rehabilitate our nation’s troubled youth.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: .03% of the U.S. military budget will be reallocated to the states, with the necessary amount of money being given to each state based on incarcerated juvenile population for the purpose of enrolling and establishing online classes that will be chosen by the states . The facilities will then have until the fall of 2018 to fully implement this system into each detention center. Facilities that fail to meet this deadline will have $10,000 taken out of their annual budget for each year they fail to fully implement an online education system. Proposal No. 0806 Proposal No. 0807

Name: Deven Matthews Name: Emily Fern Delegation: Westchester Delegation: Mission Viejo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Cannabis seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. border protections, and U.S. Combat the American foreign language deficit. customs shall be sold, by auction, to licensed dispensaries doing business within states that have legalized the medicinal and/or recreational sale and use of cannabis. JUSTIFICATION: According to the 2010 census, only 10% of native-born Americans have achieved JUSTIFICATION: proficiency in a second non-English language. U.S. secretary of education Arne Duncan In 2014 4,330,475lbs of cannabis was seized by U.S. border protections and customs. reports that only 18% of American students have mastered a second non-English language. 1,596,896 pounds of cannabis was seized by the D.E.A. in 2010. The federal government While in 2006, 25% of American adults reported an ability to speak a language other than disposes of the vast majority of the seized plant material by burning it. With more and English, only 43% of them report that they speak English ‘very well.’ Further still, only more states voting to legally grow and sell cannabis for medicinal and recreational use, 7% of people who speak ‘very well’ cited school as their main source of language the Federal government could gain immense profit by selling these seized substances to acquisition, and 89% learned primarily in their childhood home. Contrarily, a 2012 report licensed dispensaries and retail businesses. If all the cannabis seized in 2010 was sold at from Eurostat recorded that 53% of all Europeans have achieved proficiency in a second the current Colorado wholesale price an estimated $17,782,114,200 would be generated language. More than 20 European countries require at least one year of study in a second for the U.S. government, depending on the THC levels in the cannabis. foreign language, many of students having started their first foreign language at as young as 6-9 years old. The U.S. has no nationwide foreign-language mandate, and often foreign Because the D.E.A. is required to test the cannabis for other unwanted or illegal harmful language requirements can be met without taking a language class or without reaching a level substances, the use of seized cannabis is just as safe as legally grown cannabis. The costs of basic proficiency in any second language. Worldwide, countries report higher language of transportation, storage, and testing of seized products would be paid for using the language proficiency rates than in the U.S. immense amount of revenue that would be produced by these sales. Also, the government would no longer have to fund the disposal of these huge quantities of Both Duncan of the U.S. Department of Education and a 2012 Senate Homeland Security cannabis. Environmentally safe and legal means of disposing of cannabis is priced at subcommittee declare America’s foreign language deficiency as a threat to national security, approximately $22,000 per 10,000lbs. $13,040,216 could have been saved if all the citing U.S. inability to communicate in less commonly taught languages as detrimental to cannabis seized in 2010 was not disposed of at those costs. The percentage of generated U.S. strategic and economic interests worldwide. Proficiency in a foreign language opens revenue that is allocated back to the DEA will support more cannabis seizures, creating a career opportunities for young adults in a wide variety of fields and allows for steady exponential increase in the annual revenue produced. This proposal will produce communication with international correspondents in the same field. If American universities an entirely new revenue stream that is unprecedented in the amount of capital that could develop ample opportunity for their students to learn second languages, their students will be generated for the federal government. have greater access to tools for research in their fields of study. The U.S. has traditionally been called a cultural ‘melting pot,’ and by providing Americans with a deeper ACTION TO BE TAKEN: understanding of languages spoken in many households nationwide, America can bridge the The Drug Enforcement Administration, US border protections, and US customs will gap between those whose first language is English and those whose is not. Therefore, not submit all seized marijuana to the Drug Enforcement Administration to be documented, only does second language proficiency benefit the U.S. on an international platform, but it tested for illegal or unwanted substances, and have THC levels determined. If illegal also betters communication within the diverse nation. chemical compounds or unwanted substances are found in the cannabis, those plants of will be disposed of in a manner in accordance with current law. Cannabis found to ACTION TO BE TAKEN: satisfy the standards required for legal and safe use and sale for both medical and By 2025, U.S. corporations employing greater than 300 employees must have 25% of their recreational purposes, will be auctioned off to dispensaries doing business within states domestic employees proficient in a second non-English language. In order to reach this that have legalized the medicinal and/or recreational use of cannabis. The DEA will percentage, the companies must either hire employees who are already proficient in a second facilitate the transportation or shipment of the purchased cannabis to the dispensaries. language or fund language and culture classes. Such funding would tax deductible. Of the new capital generated: 20% will be allocated to the DEA, 40% will be allocated to the Department of Education, and 40% will be allocated to paying off the nation’s debt and after the debt is paid the 40% will be allocated to the Federal Treasury. Proposal No. 0808 Proposal No. 0809

Name: Jessica Prettyman Name: Angela Kang Delegation: El Dorado Delegation: Verdugo Hills

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Establishment of national vaccination requirements Lower the corporate tax rate to 25%

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Currently, each state in the U.S. has a different state law that requires students to receive America currently has the highest federal corporate tax rate in the industrialized world at vaccinations for several different illnesses. This causes confusion among parents and legal 35%. With the state tax, the corporate tax rate averages to around 39.1%. Taxing over guardians as to which vaccines they need to ask their physicians for. This can also be 35% of their revenue creates less of an incentive for the businesses to expand or invest in confusing for families that move often because they never know which vaccines are needed their companies. for their children. The all-time high corporate tax rate is encouraging businesses to escape the rate ACTION TO BE TAKEN: altogether. According to an article on the Wall Street Journal, there is an estimate of $2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will establish national vaccination trillion of American companies’ profits we will never earn back because of a process requirements for all states. called tax-inversion. This process allows companies to buy a foreign company in a country with a lower corporate tax rate to significantly reduce the tax burden. Just recently, Burger King bought the Canadian fast-food chain Tim Hortons, and as a result, moved its headquarters to socialist Canada, with a federal corporate tax rate of 15%.

Businesses respond to incentives, and taxing them at 35% only slows job creation and wage growth. Lowering the corporate tax rate just by ten percent will benefit both the people and the government. With a greater after-tax profit, businesses will have more incentive to create jobs, invest in greater capital, and pay the government its fair share of revenue. As a result, businesses will want to stay in the US and the government will be able to, in the long run, gain back the $2 trillion it lost overseas.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The IRS is to reduce the federal corporate tax rate by 2% every year until it hits 25%.

Proposal No. 0810 ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Bureau for International Democratic Reform will be established under the Department of Name: Nicholas Sweeney State, and it will use the strategic dissemination of physical and online materials (as directed Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA by the bureau and the Department of State) to promote peace, liberty, and tolerance, and democracy as a means to inspire hope and action within countries facing oppression and TOPIC OF CONCERN: political turmoil. It will be funded $10 million by the budget of the Department of State. Proposal to establish the Bureau for International Democratic Reform (BIDR) under the Department of State, which will spread democratic ideals within nations undergoing oppression and political turmoil.

JUSTIFICATION: Our world is rife with violent sectional conflict. The situation in the Middle East, which grows only more troublesome with time, displays such conflict most notably. Extremist military groups continue to seize territory and gain influence. The Taliban, from Afghanistan, is now estimated to control or contest 70 districts in Afghanistan as of October 2015. The ruthless Islamic State has expanded its influence far outside of Syria and Iraq; according to an estimate from The New York Times, the IS has recruited tens of thousands from over 100 countries worldwide (including the United States) to join their forces in the past four years. Organizations such as these, the Hezbollah, and many others wage constant civil war in their respective countries. As these organizations gain control, they place their citizens under uncompromising authoritarian rule. However, they still win support by claiming religious and moral authority in their actions and sometimes romanticizing their causes as such. Violent authoritarian regimes are not unique to the Middle East, of course, but this pattern remains the same worldwide.

The United States has traditionally sought to undermine oppressive regimes with violence of its own. In recent years, the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been the most notable examples of this. Despite the time, money, and lives we have invested into these wars, Afghanistan and Iraq are hardly better off than they were beforehand. The Taliban, as aforementioned, has seen a resurgence since we removed it from power in 2001, and violence only increased in Iraq with the power vacuum left over by the U.S.-led deposition of the Ba’ath Party. In the meantime, the wars cost the United States $6 trillion (according to a study by CSIS), and the Iraq War alone resulted in hundreds of thousands of lives lost.

We need a new approach toward challenging foreign rule. We cannot expect to stamp out violence and oppression simply by picking a side to fight for. Such violence is ultimately fueled by hostility and prejudice toward opposing sects, and it can only be conquered by a shift toward acceptance of others with a system of government to support it. Ultimately, the capacity for long-term improvement in any society depends on the ideological and social climate of its people. The mission of the Bureau for International Democratic Reform will be to promote peace, liberty, and tolerance on the basis of a democratic government within countries that suffer from a lack of these values. The BIDR does not only offer a peaceful and inexpensive solution to government injustice worldwide: it is also the best shot we have at eliminating it definitively. It is already a goal of the Department of State to ‘Promote democracy as a means to achieve security, stability, and prosperity for the entire world.’ The BIDR will do so directly by exerting influence among the masses, where it ultimately counts. Proposal No. 0811 Proposal No. 0812

Name: Natalie Shaffer Name: Ben Coombs-Perez Delegation: Conejo Valley Delegation: Culver-Palms

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Requiring federal government to mandate that all cities with a population of 250,000 or more The most informative form of media, the newspaper, is going out of business and has led to will implement Green Infrastructure. an apathetic electorate.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Green infrastructure is infrastructure in cities that helps to stop water runoff pollution by One of Americas first major traditions is under attack. capturing rain water to store it or allow it to filter back into the ground to replenish vegetation and groundwater supplies. An exorbitant amount of untreated storm water (an Thomas Jefferson famously said, If I had to choose between government without estimated 10 trillion gallons) runs off roofs, roads, parking lots, through sewage systems newspapers, and newspapers without government, I wouldn't hesitate to choose the latter. and into waterways, which supply drinking water. This excessive runoff and pollution The newspaper is an American tradition that has informed voters since the nations inception, increases health risks, destroys ecosystems, and damages the economy. With but with the rise of mass media, newspapers in Denver, Oakland, and Seattle have recently implementation of green infrastructure, handed down by state governments, green roofs, gone out of business, leaving hundreds of hard workers without a job. Newspapers in street trees, green space, permeable pavement, rain barrels and gardens will be put in Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis and Los Angeles, among others, have recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy leaving big newspaper junkie Barack Obama frustrated. The cities. Although this will make neighborhoods more aesthetically appealing, more American Political Science Organization has conducted studies and agrees that "newspaper importantly this new infrastructure will clean and cool the air, reduce asthma and heat- readers are better informed and more likely to vote." correlated illness, lower heating and cooling energy costs, boost the economy, and support American employment. In 2014, just 36.4% of eligible voters turned out to cast ballots, the lowest since WW2. The Age of Information that we are experiencing through the rise of social and mass media has Fourteen, diverse cities have already undertaken the green infrastructure project across extreme benefits, yet "newspaper reading and good citizenship go together." In the last 20 the United States, and the results of these respective experiments were all conclusive. The years, 30% less people are reading newspapers and I believe this has contributed to an results showed that this was beneficial to the economy, reduced pollution, beautified the uninformed electorate. By allowing newspaper companies to be exempt from paying taxes cities, and more. The green infrastructure plan is a long-term type of plan and cannot be on any advertising or subscription revenue they generate, similar to PBS and NPR, more done without proper state and federal support and patience. The wait is worth the benefits citizens can gain access to enlightening information while those who work for newspaper's to be reaped. This green infrastructure, if spread across the United States, from city to can hold their careers. city by law, has the capability to save a lot of money, jobs, ecosystems, and the world’s supply of freshwater and groundwater. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from income taxation a newspaper corporation ACTION TO BE TAKEN: or organization if: (1) it publishes on a regular basis a newspaper for general circulation; (2) Congress and the President will pass legislation that requires green infrastructure be built in its newspaper contains local, national, and international news stories of interest to the general urban/metropolitan zones with a population higher than 250,000. The Department of public and the distribution of such newspaper is necessary or valuable in achieving an Agriculture will reallocate department funds to pay labor and material costs of green educational purpose; and (3) the preparation of the material contained in such newspaper infrastructure implementation. follows a methodology generally accepted as educational.

Exempts the advertising income of a tax-exempt newspaper corporation or organization from taxation as unrelated business income and allows a charitable tax deduction for contributions to such newspaper corporation or organization. Proposal No. 0813 Proposal No. 0814

Name: Henry Amir Name: Sofia Fulgoni Delegation: San Luis Obispo County YMCA Delegation: SDSC/Mission Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Topic of Concern: The bulk collection and surveillance of American calls, texts, email, and Private prisons must be shut down. data by the National Security Agency. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Everything wrong with private prisons In 2013, it was revealed that the United State’s own National Security Agency was spying not only on the world’s citizens, but also blatantly violating the First and Fourth These companies operate on a for-profit basis. This $70 billion company milks their inmates Amendments by searching through and collecting domestic citizen’s information. The in every way possible. They keep their inmates in for longer, extending their sentences for an PATRIOT Act, and its surrounding legislation, allowed for nearly unlimited surveillance of average of two to three months. This extra jail time adds up to an increase of about $3,000 in all sources of domestic and foreign data, whether that be calls, texts, emails, search data, and additional profit per prisoner. These prisons also put quotas in place in order to fill up their personal information. Almost every piece of information put through any piece of technology prisons. Not only the prisons but also the local governments enforce these quotas as part of the is collected, analyzed, and stored by the National Security Agency. private prisons’ contracts. The private prisons try to fill up their prisons, not only because of the quotas but also because in some places the more inmates they have the more money they Furthermore, while the NSA’s PRISM program already required all major internet companies get. States such as Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Virginia have occupancy requirements (Facebook, Google, Apple, Youtube, Skype, Verizon, Microsoft) to comply for unlimited of 95 to 99 percent written up into their contracts. Some prisons (3 to be exact) in Arizona access to their databases, the recent CISA provisions passed into law require security even operate with 100 percent occupancy requirements. These outrageous requirements create backdoors into these companies encrypted databases for ‘various purposes’ of government a system that is not trying to keep people out of jail, but instead is putting them in jail and surveillance activity. Encryption backdoors are a massive security breach: vulnerable to setting them up for failure. Especially when these petty sentences are racially biased and are almost all cyber attacks and hacker intrusion. Data accessible by a backdoor is essentially not focused on colored youth. This issue is especially prominent in California where 89 percent of protected in any way. the inmates in the private prisons are youth of color. This is why I am moving to abolish these ridiculous quotas and occupancy requirements in the private prisons’ contracts and requesting While the safety of the American people is of absolute importance, mass surveillance that private prisons be paid a same amount no mater how many people are in their prison. guarantees no such thing, it’s been proven time and time again that bulk data collection and These prisons are profiting from pain and we need to do everything in our power to stop them. analysis is extremely ineffective. Officials from the NSA claim that they have stopped a total of 54 terrorist plots since 9/11. An independent study in 2014 found after investigating the ACTION TO BE TAKEN: 227 Al Qaeda-affiliated people or groups that have been charged for committing an act of These prisons will be shut down and it will take 5 years to shift responsibilities to state terrorism in the US since 9/11, just 17 of the cases were found to be stopped by any kind of prisons. surveillance, and just one conviction came out of the NSA’s practice of spying on its own citizens. And that charge, against a San Diego cab, was for sending money to a terrorist group in Somalia. There was no threat of an actual attack.

There will never be a perfect balance between safety and freedom. As American citizens, we will always have to give up some liberties to live in a secure country. However, the scale and scope of the National Security Agency’s spying and the blatant violation of our rights to freedom of speech and privacy are not justifiable when examining the evidence, and are not effective ways of protecting the people of the United States.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Repeal the CISA Acts and the USA Freedom Act to no longer allow for cyber-encryption backdoors and the bulk collection of metadata. Restrict the powers of the PRISM courts to no longer demand warrantless searches of major internet companies. Substantially lower the data ceiling and storage period for information held by the National Security Agency. Proposal No. 0901 Proposal No. 0902

Name: Noah Scott Name: Michael Orellana Delegation: Westchester Delegation: Santa Ana

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Reallocating a percentage of military capital to the exploration and colonization of Mars Allow scientist to achieve more accurate results by testing on prisoners with life sentences or through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. on death row in order to preserve the continuity of the human race.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Annually, the world’s population grows by roughly 80 million people. Every 12 years, a net There is unnecessary suffering that is happening to humans because of inaccurate test results. total of around 1 billion more humans will inhabit the Earth. As it currently stands, the It is possible to find a cure for lethal diseases much sooner by testing on prisoners. Medical human race is already beginning to feel the effects of overpopulation, with food and water experimentation on prisoners could save massive amount of human life. Testing on prisoners shortages becoming rapidly apparent in the next few years. Poor air quality, deforestation, has been done before with successful results. For example, through observations and and global warming have all been effects of overpopulation, along with conflicts over experiments at Southern prisons, Dr.John Goldberger found that Pellagra was not an resources, like the Rwanda genocide of 1994. Overpopulation is a major issue and, infectious disease, but instead was cause by a deficiency in the diet. unfortunately, is almost unsolvable without drastic action. For a solution, the human race must look to the skies. In California it costs $47,100 to house one incarcerated criminal. Over two-thirds of these costs are for security and inmate healthcare that is going to waste on inmates who are on The planet of Mars, roughly 34 million miles away at its closest distance to Earth, is the death row or on life sentences. Prisoners with life sentences and on death row should most logical and plausible choice for colonization. As of September, 2015, NASA has contribute to society by taking part in experimentation. Any healthy inmate with a life confirmed the existence of liquid water flowing on Mars. As of October, 2015, NASA has sentence or on death row is subject to experimentation, but prisoners must be selected confirmed that Mars does contain the macronutrients and micronutrients necessary for plant randomly from a group of available prisoners who meet the characteristics needed for that growth. These are the building blocks for life on Mars and proof that human life can be particular research project. Prior Institutional Review Board approval and review is necessary sustained on the planet. before starting an experiment. Experiments must satisfy Department of Health & Human Services regulations and Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding the protection The inevitably hefty price tag would be drawn out of the United States’ exorbitant military of human subjects research. spending, which received almost $600 billion in 2015. Each year, for the next 20 years, $100 billion would be reallocated to a NASA program to explore and colonize Mars. The new ACTION TO BE TAKEN: science-based focus would also promote a more education-focused America, where military Congress pass a law that allows doctors to experiment on prisoners with life sentences or are ventures would take a backseat to intellectual discovery and development of new on death row. technologies.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Congress would add a stipulation to the annual government budget that would reallocate $100 billion of annualized military spending to a newly established NASA program to colonize Mars, each year, for a period of 30 years, with the goal of establishing the first permanent human habitat by 2030. Proposal No. 0903 Proposal No. 0904

Name: Nicole Lee Name: Parker Wespiser Delegation: Verdugo Hills Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Allowing minors to have an easier access to the "Morning-After Pill" as an over the counter Distracted walking in unsafe scenarios. drug. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: This article proposes to limit distracted walking by criminalizing and preventing the factors The Morning-After Pill is a form of contraceptive that decreases the possibility of pregnancy that contribute directly to distracted walking and related harm or injury. Today, many people up to 4 days after unprotected sex (duration of effectiveness depends on company). In 2013, are distracted and unaware of their environment, leading to unsafe circumstances and the FDA did lower the age at which the drug could be purchased from 17 to 15; however, instances of serious harm. Distracted walking is defined as any form of walking while not accessibility of the pill varies with each company and the store it is being sold at. Although paying full attention to your surroundings. This includes technology related distractions such individuals may be legally permitted to buy these drugs independently, the age authorized by as being on your phone or tablet, drawing your attention from other potential threats. It also each vendor is inconsistent. If minors are allowed to obtain birth control without parental includes human distractions such as other people limiting one’s ability to focus on what is consent, the same rule should apply for emergency contraceptives. The Morning-After Pill going on around him or her. Distracted walking accounts for or was related to 4,200 does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases and is not a form of abortion, but rather is a pedestrian deaths and 70,000 injuries in traffic crashes in 2010 alone. And this is 6 times the procedure to decrease the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy. number of people as in 2005, showing how this is growing and affecting more lives each year. And the injuries are not limited to automobile accidents. In December of 2015, Joshua ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Burwell fell off a cliff to his death in San Diego while trying to capture a picture of the Have all companies that sell emergency contraceptives print the same age at which the drugs sunset. Many people recognize this as an issue that needs to be addressed due to the harm it can be purchased, as determined by the FDA. is causing. In New York City, 86% of people viewed distracted walking as a serious issue, demonstrating the support for a change. The National Safety Council has noticed the effects In addition, allow all "Morning-After Pills" to be sold over the counter. of distracted waking too and has begun reporting on the statistics and accounts nation wide. As newer technologies are developed, there are more factors that contribute to distracted walking and that is why this issue is so pertinent. As technology becomes both more mobile and accessible, more people will be distracted more often, leading to an increase in injuries. This issue applies to people around the world, as there is always an environmental threat, with so many cars and natural obstacles that threaten every individual’s safety while walking. People need to be aware of their surroundings to prevent themselves from injury and serious harm such as an automobile accident or walking into potentially dangerous areas.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Legal action should be taken to prevent the harm and injury of pedestrians by criminalize acts related to distracted walking. These acts would include: crossing the street while on the phone, crossing the street while texting, crossing the street while one’s hearing is completely impaired by headphones or ear buds, and crossing the street while looking down at one’s phone. These acts would become a violation of pedestrian traffic laws and fall under jaywalking, which is defined as violating pedestrian traffic laws. Distracted walking would be treated as jaywalking and, depending on jurisdiction, would be either an infraction or a misdemeanor usually resulting in a fine defined by the same jurisdiction and would increase with repeated offenses. The police would enforce this law similarly to how they currently enforce jaywalking, and would issue citations to any observed offenders. Proposal No. 0905 Proposal No. 0906

Name: Isabel Musselman Name: Danielle Lord Delegation: Culver-Palms Delegation: Berkeley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Duty to Aid the Endangered and Good Samaritan Law Elimination of feminine hygiene products made with plastic, replaced with products that meet eco-friendly guidelines and that have plastic free applicators. JUSTIFICATION: On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed and killed outside of her New York JUSTIFICATION: apartment. Her death could have been easily prevented if any of the thirty eight eyewitnesses The environmental impact of many feminine hygiene products has come to light in recent had chosen to act. However, no witnesses chose to call the police until after Kitty had years. Plastic synthetic materials leave harmful effects on the environment and on human already died. This event demonstrates the necessity for ‘Good Samaritan’ laws that health. The chemicals added to plastic applicators are absorbed into the human body. Some require compulsory assistance to citizens in peril. Such laws would help to ensure that of these chemicals like dioxin and bisphenol A (BPA) have been found to alter hormones, ordinary citizens that are witnesses to a crime or see another person in physical distress (i.e. cause breast cancer and have other harmful health effects (Environmental Working Group: having a heart attack) will take reasonable steps to ensure that the authorities are promptly Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors). Plastic chemicals in landfills also leach into notified and that persons in physical distress will receive help. groundwater. People tend to use plastic as a single use item because of how inexpensive it is. This creates large amounts of waste. Over 300 tons of plastic is produced each year. To The United States has an societal interest in promoting the moral and ethical obligation of combat environmental and toxicology problems people must cut back on plastic use. citizens to aid others in distress. Reports show that between 2006 and 2010, 3.4 million violent crimes went unreported[1], an issue that must not persist. Many times, a bystander’s A typical women may use between 8,000 to 17,000 tampons in her lifetime, which is failure to offer help is caused by fear of retaliation or fear of being sued for doing the wrong throwing away approximately 300 pounds of waste (Flow: The Cultural History of thing. Enacting federal compulsory assistance laws that provide legal safeguards to persons Menstruation). Plastic tampon applicators (a plastic device used to insert a tampon) are the acting as ‘Good Samaritans’ would ensure that citizens help one another. Such legal main problem. In coastal cleanups thousands of plastic tampon applicators are collected each year. It can take 25 years for these applicators to break down in the ocean. Plastic applicators protections would include immunity from civil liability and security. By implementing such laced with chemicals are often ingested by marine animals and can injure or poison wildlife. laws, the United States would ensure assistance to those in need and help promote civic Also, floating plastic waste can serve as a transportation device for invasive species. A box unity. Not encouraging its citizens to help each other is contrary to the best interests of the United States and society as a whole. No one reasonably able to aid a person in distress of 36 plastic applicator tampons costs $8.19 while a box of 40 cardboard applicators cost should be permitted to stand idly by and watch them die, when the police or emergency team $7.29 (.23 vs .18 cents each). The production of feminine hygiene products made with plastic must end. Instead tampons and pads must meet eco-friendly criteria: produced with 100 is only a phone call away. percent certified organic cotton; free of synthetic materials, like rayon, and chemical

additives; and non-chlorine bleached. The applicators and wrappers must be made [1] The Augusta Chronicle, Aug. 17, 2012 biodegradable, from 100% recycled paper, free of harmful chemicals, or produced with no

applicators at all. This will save marine life, cut back on waste and reduce women’s exposure ACTION TO BE TAKEN: to harmful and unnatural chemicals in their bodies. The United States Congress will enact a law, to be enforced by the department of Justice, to be known as the Good Samaritan and Duty to Aid the Endangered Law. This law will state that a person who knows another is exposed to grave physical harm shall, to the extent that ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress and the President will outlaw the production of plastic used in the production of the same can be rendered without danger or peril to her/himself or without interference with feminine hygiene products. By 2020 all feminine hygiene product companies must meet important duties owed to others, give reasonable assistance to the exposed person unless that environmental friendly guidelines set by and regulated through the Department of Health and assistance or care is being provided by others.[2] Furthermore, anyone who acts in Human Services. compliance with this legislation shall not face civil liability unless their actions constitute gross negligence, or they expect to receive monetary supplementation for their actions.

[2]Vermont Good Samaritan Act; http://www.cprinstructor.com/VT-GS.ht Proposal No. 0907 Proposal No. 0908

Name: Benito Velasco Name: Tristan Burton Delegation: Greater Long Beach Delegation: SDSC/East County

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Federal Crime Tax for S.T.E.M. Limiting the use of confidential informants, and protection of confidential informates.

My proposal is simple and straightforward. Every instance a federal crime is committed, a JUSTIFICATION: $50 surcharge will be added. These funds will be allocated directly to S.T.E.M. programs of Confidential informants do a lot of good in communities with helping police catch drug the Education Department of the State where the crime is committed. I have chosen Federal dealers, but they are sometimes overused by police and sent into situations that even the most Crimes because of the severity of these violations and their natural distribution nationally. veteran cop would find intimidating. These informats are sent into potentially dangerous This also helps facilitate the application and incentives Federal, State and local situations making small and sometimes very large drug buys. Now this may not be a problem implementation. for experienced drug dealers who deals with situations like this every day, but it is for your small time college campus drug dealer, as well for most of the younger CI’s. Now police say JUSTIFICATION: that these dealers have dealt with this every day and know how to handle themselves in these My reasoning for this proposal was not specifically to hurt lawbreakers but more importantly situations, but was Rachel Hoffman a small time weed dealer able to handle buying 1500 to directly help out S.T.E.M. programming at the elementary and secondary levels. I ecstasy pills, an ounce of cocaine and a firearm. The answer is no, Rachels body when the strongly believe in the importance of S.T.E.M. studies and its future benefits. Elevating our deal went south was found 50 miles away dumped in a roadside ditch. There have also been learning of the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math will better prepare instances where an offender is almost pressured into becoming a CI because of the charges my fellow students and I for our eventual entry into the workforce. they face, and the fact that they are not read their right when brought in because they have not been formally charged. This proposal has no obvious down sides except to the lawbreakers. Even the lawbreakers will hardly feel the difference of tacking on $50 to an already heavy fine. However, the ACTION TO BE TAKEN: amount of money raised will make a significant difference to S.T.E.M. programs nationally. The United states will pass a federal law that would, set an age requirement at 25 to be a CI. In the United States around 80,000 Federal crimes are committed each year. That they must be given the option to see a lawyer even if they have not been formally charged when given the option of becoming a CI, and while performing their duties as a CI Schools could receive around $4,000,000 dollars each year for S.T.E.M. curriculum in their one cannot be sent to buy an item or substance deemed worse,or more dangerous than what schools. The best part is that America will benefit from people breaking the law, making a they were caught with, for instance if one is caught selling marijuana, they cannot be sent out positive potential result from a negative action. to buy heroin.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: My intention with this proposal is to make a simple solution to enhance S.T.E.M. studies in schools across the country. Proposal No. 0909 Proposal No. 0910

Name: Parsa Yazdi Name: Jordan Nickell Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar Delegation: Murrieta/Temecula Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Making it mandatory for agricultural product companies to place what pesticides are used in The Regulation of Animal Poop. the growing of their said product. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas that is found in our atmosphere. It is With the new rise in people’s interest in the food they put in their bodies and the effects it has more efficient at trapping radiation in the atmosphere than carbon which leads to quicker on them, people deserve to know what they are putting in their bodies. Some pesticides can increase of global temperature. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), be harmful to us in the long-run, others we don’t even know. What we do know is people methane, compared to carbon, has a 25% greater impact on the environment and climate have a right to know what they are eating. Then people can do their own research and justify change. The EPA also shows that 10% of all greenhouse gas is methane. Around the globe, for themselves if they want to eat it or not. While pesticides might be wreaking havoc on 60% of all methane emissions are from human activities. The main sources are industry, brain chemistry, there’s also evidence suggesting they cause pregnancy complications. agriculture, and landfills. Ethylene thiourea (ET) is a compound found in the fungicide Mancozeb. A recent report found that ET could affect brain development in an unborn child. Exposure isn’t that 10% of all methane emissions are created by poor management of animal manure. One of the difficult, either. Mancozeb is sprayed on bananas, watermelons, and potatoes and other most common ways of dealing with the manure is dumping it into a lagoon. The manure then common fruits and vegetables. Also it is unreal how little regulation there is on pesticide use. sinks to the bottom and then begins to leak methane through the water and into the air. If Even more depressing, there are no federal laws that require growers to report pesticide use those lagoons are not properly maintained, they cause irreversible damage to the ground and to surrounding schools. These pesticides are contaminating other food and we don’t even bodies of water around the lagoon. This damage and the methane emissions can be prevented know how badly! Perhaps the most depressing fact of all is that we still don’t fully by putting the manure into anaerobic digesters. These anaerobic digesters or ‘Poop Silos’ understand the effects of pesticide exposure in the long term. We simply don’t know how far contain all water from the waste lagoons and trap all methane emissions to be repurposed. health effects will reach or the complete consequences to the environment. It is clear, though, This is a simple installation for all commercial and small scale farmers. These Poop Silos that pesticides are simply a moneymaker for industries fueled by dollar signs. Neonicotinoid will need to be installed on all properties that have any large animals. There would need to be insecticides were worth $2.63 billion in 2009 alone. It is necessary for us to be more mindful a proportionate amount of Poop Silos to the amount of animals a farm has. of what we put into our bodies. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The EPA will introduce new regulations and requirements that will force all properties that The United States Federal Drug Administration must require companies to label what contain large animals to install or have access to anaerobic digesters proportionate to the pesticides are on their products. amount of animals on the property. If these regulations and requirements are not met, the owners of that property must slaughter all animals or sell all animals to proper facilities. Proposal No. 0911 Proposal No. 0912

Name: Wyatt Hornstein Name: Mary Jane Bormolini Delegation: Torrance - South Bay Delegation: SRV/Vista Diablo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The topic of concern is passing legislature to simplify the process of a foreign national The United States is one of the few developed countries that does not offer paid maternal and immigrating to the United States after serving as a military interpreter in a war-torn nation. paternal leave.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Military interpreters in Afghanistan and all throughout the Middle East have risked life The first year of an infant's life is a crucial developmental period and it is very important that and limb to help United States soldiers navigate the very difficult terrain that the Middle both parents are there for this period. Children that had both parents present during their first East has become. A good military interpreter in a place as dangerous as the Middle East year of life exhibit less behavioral issues later in life. This first year is also crucial for is often the difference between life and death. Also, a majority of these interpreters and forming a bond between child and parent. Many developed countries such as the UK, their families’ lives are threatened by radicals in the Middle East for helping the United Australia, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Spain, all offer paid maternal and States military. Yet, somehow the Joint Department of State/ Department of Homeland paternal leave for new parents. This also helps stimulate the economy by adults more willing Security Report is giving little help in regards to immigration for these interpreters. to work by allowing adults to have both a family and career. By giving parents one year of Despite the fact that The Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 allowed ‘‘¦up to 1,500 90% paid leave for the first year after their child is born, which is the same policy used by the UK, would allow parents in the United States to pursue both a career and a family. Which Afghan nationals’¦to receive special immigrant visas’¦’ only 3 received one in 2011. then in turn helps child welfare by creating an environment where the infant will have access This is due to the overcomplicated application process, which includes four sections, with to its parents. a total of 14 steps that repeat information and ask for a lot of unnessecary information including extraneous signatures from commanders that are very difficult to get a hold of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: in war zones. If we wish to do right by these patriots of our country ( a country of which This can be made possible by requiring companies to give both paid maternal and paternal they are not even from but help anyway) the new will pass legislature to simplify the leave to parents for one year after the child is born or face fines for each individual who does application for an SIV. not receive maternal or parental leave.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States will revise and simplify the application process for Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa within the Joint Department of State/Department of Homeland Security. Proposal No. 0913 Proposal No. 0914

Name: Ashton Carless Name: Nick Vargas Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino Delegation: Conejo Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Topic Of Concern - To Decriminalize the consumption of all drugs whose production or use Transitioning to implementing the metric system as the United States standard system of is prohibited or strictly controlled via prescription, and the reform of how the Federal measurement Government handles drug addictions and drug education in High Schools. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In 1999, there was a $125 million dollar American space orbiter that exploded.Although, Justification - The war on drugs is not working. There are more addicts today then there were it had a flawless design and the hardware was put together properly, the reason for this in the 1960's when the Government cracked down on drug use. This proposal attempts to crash was due to an error in the trajectory calculation. This error came about during the combat this Nation's drug problem, in a comprehensive and progressive manner. All drugs conversion from kilometers to miles’”leading to our space craft exploding into a million will be decriminalized, and be sold at Government owned facilities, similar to medicinal tiny pieces. The metric system is the language of the STEM (Science. Technology. marijuana dispensaries. All profits from these dispensaries will go to the building, Engineering & Mathematics) world and America is at a disadvantage when put in maintaining, and staffing of local rehabilitation centers, focused on the treatment of situations that rely on the metric system, as students of other countries have grown up addiction. The start-up costs and initial stocking of theses dispensaries will come from the surrounded by the system they can better visualize how long a kilometer or millimeter is. Yearly Defense Budget (600 billion dollars annually). This proposal will not decriminalize A switch to this base-ten method of measurement is only logical. Base-ten has superior the selling of these illegal drugs by suppliers other than the designated Government efficiency and to remain one of the leaders in the world for technology that switch to a dispensaries. This proposal will also update the high school health curriculum to properly teach students the dangers of drugs and addiction. Many students do not get the information system who maximizes our efficiency is key. they need to make educated decisions on the drugs that they very well might take, and this proposal pushes for up to date information on drugs and drug addiction to be taught in all ACTION TO BE TAKEN: public schools. The United States Congress will work with the Board of Education shall pass a law to adjust educational curriculum to implement the teaching of the metric system. The decriminalization of drugs will also cut down on prison population, and decrease the amount of money taxpayers will have to spend on non-violent, drug related crimes. More than half of federal prisoners are incarcerated for drug crimes in 2010, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and that number has only just dipped below 50 percent in 2011.A pro drug reform organization, Drug Policy Alliance, estimates that when you combine state and local spending on everything from drug-related arrests to prison, the total cost adds up to at least $51 billion per year. Over four decades, the group says, American taxpayers have dished out $1 trillion on the drug war.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Action to Be Taken - This proposal will decriminalize the consumption of all currently illegal drugs, and they will instead be sold by the Government, in similar fashion to the way Marijuana is being sold currently in the U.S. All profits will go to the building, maintaining, and staffing of local rehabilitation centers focused on drug addiction. It will also update the current High School curriculum that covers drug abuse and drug addiction.

Proposal No. 0915 Proposal No. 1001

Name: Max Teaford Name: Victoria Vera Delegation: San Luis Obispo County YMCA Delegation: Sacramento Central

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Urging congress to pass legislation rescheduling Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyric Acid (GHB) to Voting rights among ex-felons. allow further research. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Nearly six million Americans cannot vote because of a felony conviction. Nearly six million Americans cannot vote because of a felony conviction. Marion Lois Jones is an American former world champion track and field athlete and a Marion Lois Jones is an American former world champion track and field athlete and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. She was charged six former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. She was charged six months in prison for lying to a federal agent about her usage of steroids. When interviewed months in prison for lying to a federal agent about her usage of steroids. When by Oprah, she states that the one thing she misses from regular civilian life is voting. Jones is interviewed by Oprah, she states that the one thing she misses from regular civilian life is one of six million Americans who have faced the criminal justice system and can not vote voting. Jones is one of six million Americans who have faced the criminal justice system after serving their time. and can not vote after serving their time. According to The Sentencing Project, 5.3 million Americans (1 in 40 adults) were unable to

vote due to a felony conviction in the 2008 elections. This included 1.4 million African- According to The Sentencing Project, 5.3 million Americans (1 in 40 adults) were unable American men, more than 676,000 women, and 2.1 million ex-offenders who have to vote due to a felony conviction in the 2008 elections. This included 1.4 million completed their sentences. Currently, American holds 5% of the world’s population and 20% African-American men, more than 676,000 women, and 2.1 million ex-offenders who of the world’s prison population. In 2010 an estimated 5.85 million people in the United have completed their sentences. Currently, American holds 5% of the world’s population States (2.5% of the nation's voting age population, excluding DC) could not vote due to a and 20% of the world’s prison population. In 2010 an estimated 5.85 million people in felony conviction - an increase from the 2004 total of 5.26 million and the highest number the United States (2.5% of the nation's voting age population, excluding DC) could not since at least 1960. vote due to a felony conviction - an increase from the 2004 total of 5.26 million and the highest number since at least 1960. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, stated: "Just as poll taxes and literacy tests prevented an entire class of citizens, namely African Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Americans, from integrating into society after centuries of slavery, ex-offender stated: "Just as poll taxes and literacy tests prevented an entire class of citizens, namely disenfranchisement laws prevent people from reintegrating into society after they have paid African Americans, from integrating into society after centuries of slavery, ex-offender their debt by serving time in prison.’ disenfranchisement laws prevent people from reintegrating into society after they have paid their debt by serving time in prison.’ Finally, Conyers believes that former criminal offenders need a way to reintegrate into civil society. By denying ex-felons the right to vote, we are perpetuating the disenfranchisement Finally, Conyers believes that former criminal offenders need a way to reintegrate into of this large group of people with insight of these institutions. American citizens should have civil society. By denying ex-felons the right to vote, we are perpetuating the the right to vote regardless of their past. disenfranchisement of this large group of people with insight of these institutions. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: American citizens should have the right to vote regardless of their past. Congress and the President will pass legislation granting ex-felons the right to vote in federal

elections after they have served their time. ACTION TO BE TAKEN:

Congress shall pass legislation rescheduling of GHB and any salt, isomer, salt of an isomer, prodrug, or derivative thereof to Schedule III.

Proposal No. 1002 Proposal No. 1003

Name: Taryn Anderson Name: George Wells Delegation: Newport Harbor Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: A Proposal to Nationally Regulate More Funds to Lower Income Students Who Cannot Banning the release of names of convicted murderers to the public. Afford College Education. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: It is critical to not release the names of convicted murderers to the public for the safety of the Currently, employment in jobs requiring education beyond the high school level is people and the determent of future killings. Murderers and orchestrators of mass shootings growing rapidly. ‘ Over half of the 30 fastest growing occupations require post secondary are motivated to wreak havoc on society based on the fact that they will become instantly education and by 2020, 2/3 of job openings will require post secondary education. ‘ The famous across the country. According to Dr. Park Dietz, America's leading forensic average earning of college graduates is over twice as much as high school graduates. ‘ psychiatrist, "saturation-level news coverage of mass murder causes, on average, one more mass murder in the next two weeks." Curtailing or even completely banning the release of In 1990, the US was ranked 1st in the world in four year attainment of 25-30 year olds. names of convicted killers will greatly diminish the ‘glory’ associated with mass killings ‘ Today the US is ranked 12th. ‘ A college attainment gap also occurs as high school and gruesome murders. By custom, the U.S. media doesn't report troop movements or the graduates from the wealthiest families in our nation are almost certain to continue on to names of underage rape victims. Outlets follow certain practices when reporting on suicide, higher education, while only half of out all high school graduates from the poorest too. There's no reason that better practices can't develop around mass shootings and murders. quarter of families attend college. While the average completion rate for over half of college students is 6 years, the completion rate for low-income students is less then 25%. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ‘ The United States must make it unlawful for the media to publicize names of convicted murderers.

Over the past three decades, tuition at four year colleges has more than doubled. ‘ In

2012, the average amount owed by a typical student loan borrower was totaled to nearly $27,000. ‘ Too many students feel the weight of student loan payments holding them back from continuing on further into life. ‘ Too many college students feel as though they are simply priced out of the eduction they need to set themselves up for future success. ‘ Over 40% of low income students who get accepted to college in the spring do not attend in the fall due to price.

More aid is going to students who don't need it. Since 1995, the percentage of students who received financial aid based on need was around 43%, while those who received aid but did not demonstrate need for it was around 44%. Families that earn at least $100,000 a year get an average of $10,200 in financial aid, more than the $8,000 that goes to students from families that earn less than $20,000.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States should create a program that requires colleges to give more than 50% of scholarships, grants, or loans to be given to lower income students. Also, more colleges should create a work-study thats allows students an opportunity to work and help pay their way through college. All 3,400 colleges that participate in the work-study program would be required to increase their work-study man hours by 20% over a two year period.

Proposal No. 1004 Proposal No. 1005

Name: Elsa Winslow Name: Matthew Gurrola Delegation: Albany Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Flame retardant in clothes Implements safety training for non-GMO chain restaurants.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In the 1970s, a law was passed mandating that childrenÖs sleepwear be fire proof. This After the 2015-2016 Ecoli, salmonella and Noro virus outbreaks, flaws in more natural seems like a necessary safety precaution in short, but what they didnÖt know at the time oriented ingredients in large chain restaurants have been exposed. Overall there has been was how dangerous the fire retardants they used actually were. TCEP and TDCP, two close to 500 cases of illness as a result of Chipoltes contamination. Chipoltes sales have common flame retardants, have been known to cause numerous health problems. These dropped by 14.6% in the last quarter thus harming a business with originally good intentions. chemicals, also known as Tris, have been linked to cancer by many studies and can harm the GMO's are in nearly everything we eat, from apples and oranges to waffles and cereals, this liver, kidney, brain, and testes. They are also listed in California as known carcinogens. means many people do not know how to handle foods that do not contain GMO's. Many Americans carry much higher levels of these chemicals in their bodies than anyone else in people may think GMO's do not affect anything, but in reality they make food last longer, so the world and California children contain some of the highest levels ever measured. Children it is safer to store without any worries. This proposal is simply trying to help GMO free who have been in more contact with these chemicals have reportedly lower IQs and are chains by providing free training that will reduce the amount of illnesses caused by improper slower learners, according to a study by the Environmental Health Perspectives. Rodent cooking or storage. This will eventually save not only many lives, but money with the studies show that Tris is readily absorbed through the skin. We might as well be eating it if reduction of hospital visits and sick days away from work. weÖre going to wear it against our skin all day. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Studies have also claimed that Tris doesnÖt really stop fires, although the companies that Require bi-annual food safety training mandated by the federal government individually make and use it insist it does. Test have been done showing that a foam cushion protected by training every food worker in a non GMO restaurant chain. In this sense a chain is defined as flame retardants burns just as easily as a cushion with no protection. In addition, flame 15 restaurants or more nation wide. This is not in any way an attempt to discourage GMO retardants give off toxic fumes when they burn, making the fire more dangerous. Fire risk has free restaurants, but to help them be as safe as they can be. also dropped significantly since 1970 due to smoke detectors and the decrease in cigarette use, so the use of flame retardants is not needed as much as it used to be. Tris use in consumer products has gone down since it was named as a carcinogen, but it has never been banned. To avoid being exposed to these terrible chemicals, we must outlaw it being used in any clothing or furniture products for good.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Have congress pass a law that bans Tris from being used as a flame retardant in clothing and furniture. The EPA will regulate the use of Tris in consumer products the same way it regulates lead use.

Proposal No. 1006 Proposal No. 1007

Name: Oscar Rolf Name: Garrett Webb Delegation: El Dorado Delegation: Conejo Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Mandating Vaccinations for All Public and Secondary Schools Musicians do not earn an adequate amount of money for their work due to the low rate of royalties in state, and most cannot earn enough to make a living. JUSTIFICATION: According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the flu season of 2012-2013 JUSTIFICATION: took the lives of 105 children, 90% of which were unvaccinated. Had these children been Being a musician is a very difficult job. Not the rare successful musician, but everyone else vaccinated, death could have been prevented. Children are vulnerable to disease and who is skilled enough to give it a try but also wants to earn enough to live. Being a musician therefore have a strong need to be vaccinated. requires grueling hours, paying lawyers, paying managers, and most importantly, signing to a record label. The average musician would need to be streamed over 4 million times on Vaccinations are safe and one of the greatest health developments of the 20th century. Spotify, sell over 12 thousand songs on iTunes, or 1161 CDs. Let’s face it, if somebody is Illnesses, including rubella, diphtheria, smallpox, polio, and whooping cough, are now going to listen to music nowadays, they are either going to download the MP3 or stream it on prevented by vaccination and millions of children’s lives are saved. They contend adverse a streaming service like Spotify. reactions to vaccines are extremely rare. Piracy is not the concern however, because at the moment, there is very little that can be ACTION TO BE TAKEN: done about it. The real concern is the Mechanical Royalties. At the moment, the royalties are The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would require all children attending set at 9.10¢ per copy for songs 5 minutes or less, or 1.75¢ per minute per copy for songs public and secondary schools nationwide to be immunized as prescribed by the CDC. over 5 minutes. This is the statutory rate, and there is no law against negotiating a lower one. Negotiation of a lower statutory rate could be beneficial in some cases to both parties, but the statutory rate is currently far too low, especially accounting for the rising popularity of piracy. In order to fix this problem, the statutory rate should be raised. In order to prevent major problems for consumers and producers, it should only be raised slightly, but every little cent adds up quickly for the artists, allowing them to receive a more reasonable income.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States will revise copyright law to adjust the Mechanical Royalties statutory rate from 9.10¢ per copy to 11¢ per copy.

Proposal No. 1008 Proposal No. 1009

Name: Ayden Kinchla Name: Jake Montes-Adams Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA Delegation: SDSC/Palomar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Reducing American-Mexican Border Security to that shared with the American-Canadian Reforming Federal policy towards pharmaceutical corporations as it relates to artificial border. monopoly, publicly-funded research, and price negotiation rights.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The Second Annual Symposium on U.S. ‘“ Mexico Border Security from New Mexico State The United States pays significantly higher prescription drug costs than the rest of the world. University states that the rates of unauthorized immigration versus crime rates are ‘rejected at The prices for various drugs in the United States are incredibly high compared to countries the 5% level of significance.’ At a general level, El Paso, Texas, across the border from that have socialized health care systems- for example, the common acid reflux treatment one of the most dangerous cities in the world Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, actually saw a 36% Nexium is over nine times more expensive in the United States than in the Netherlands. decrease in violent crime. These astronomical rates are a burden on consumers, whose insurance providers must increase rates to account for drug costs, and public health programs like Medicare which buy Mexico’s crime rate has been dropping since 2012 and as a result their economy is booming. medication in bulk. People’s quality of life is increasing in Mexico and that immigration from Mexico, legal or otherwise, has been also dropping steadily since 2012. The Census Bureaus Population There are two primary reasons for the high drug cost problem, the foremost of which is estimate showed that we have had as many US citizens immigrating to Mexico as Mexican exclusivity rights. When a company develops a new drug, it is automatically granted a period citizens are immigrating to the US since 2010. of exclusivity in which other companies cannot market similar or generic versions of the compound. This exclusivity lasts anywhere from five to twelve years, and can be extended The extreme measures adopted by the US Border Patrol and the federal government have for a variety of reasons. Exclusivity rights granted outside of a specific patent kill caused the deaths of many innocent Mexican civilians such as 14 year old Sergio Hernandez, competition, the basic price control mechanism in capitalist economies, and grant 16 year old Jose Rodriguez. corporations the right to set whatever prices they please.

Most illegal immigrants are not bringing crime into this country, they are not bringing drugs, The second reason is that government buyers of medication, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and instead they are bringing human capital to boost our massive economy. We should not be are prohibited from negotiating price. Federal law dictates that these programs may not building a wall to keep them out and instead be taking steps to assist those who want to enter negotiate prices with drug companies for their massive purchases and therefore must submit our country and assist those who are already here. to whatever price pharmaceutical companies choose to give them. Since these programs have massive purchasing power and therefore are much more important buyers to companies than ACTION TO BE TAKEN: individual consumers, they would have a large amount of bargaining power if the restrictions The US would reduce personnel on the Mexican border to 1,000 members of the US Border on price negotiation were lifted. Patrol (that currently assigned to the Canadian border) as well as remove their forward presence on the border instead relying on a reactionary force. They will also scale back The federal government gives large amounts of money to corporations to develop new Operations Streamline, Hold the Line, Gatekeeper, Safegaurd, as well as other programs treatments. When a treatment is developed with public money, however, the company is developed to tighten the US-Mexican border and expedite the judicial progress for automatically given the patent and therefore price control, ensuring that those public funds apprehended illegal immigrants. Additionally with the relaxing of border status, the quotas become private profits. Pharmaceutical companies claim that drug costs have to be this high preventing so many from achieving citizenship should be removed and the process should be because of high research and development expenses, but the reality is that research costs expedited. equal an average of only 15% of pharmaceutical companies’ annual incomes, and the return on assets for those same companies is usually 2-3 times higher than the average Fortune 500 company.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Congress will eliminate non-patent exclusivity rights for new drugs, remove the ban on price negotiation for Federal health programs, and cease granting corporations patents for drugs developed with public monies. Proposal No. 1010 Proposal No. 1011

Name: Oliver Field Name: Lucas Cereijido Delegation: Westside Family Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The alarming number of accidents related caused by intoxicated drivers. This proposal calls for a ban on serving meat in public K-12 schools on Mondays. It also calls for the government to promote ‘No Meat Monday’ to the American public. JUSTIFICATION: According to the United States Department of Transportation, an estimated 4 million U.S. JUSTIFICATION: adults reported driving under the influence of alcohol at least once in 2010, yielding an In a nutshell: This proposal is great for the environment and great for Americans’ health. estimated 112 million alcohol-impaired driving episodes. The National Highway Traffic Association also reported that nearly one-third of all DUI arrests and DUI convictions Environmental reasons: involved repeat drunk driving offenders. Intoxicated driving continues to be a predominant issue, when discussing the topic of public safety. According to a report published by the Worldwatch Institute, ‘51 percent or more of global

greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture.’ In fact, the Union of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Concerned Scientists lists meat production as ‘the second-biggest environmental hazard To prevent the rise of DWI related accidents, the federal government will fund any given facing the Earth (number one being fossil-fuel vehicles).’ state 1% of all DUI fine-collected income by the state if the following condition is met: 

Small lights will be placed on the tops of cars who recently received a DUI. This will signify Meat production consumes too much of our dwindling resources. About 30% of the Earth’s to other drivers that a potential dangerous drivers in near, and allow the other drivers to ice-free land surface is used to support livestock. 87% of American agricultural land is used adjust their caution accordingly. The small cost of the light, no more than $20.00, will be to raise animals for food. The world’s cattle alone consume ‘a quantity of food equal to the added to fine given to the convicted driver. The light will remain on the car as long as the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people’”more than the entire human population on Earth.’ It driver remains under probation. takes 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of wheat, but 2,500 gallons to produce one pound of meat. Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that raising livestock consumes more This proposal will be regulated by the ATF, and enforced by local police officials. The than half of all the water used in the US. Each minute, ‘two acres of rainforest are cleared to money for the funding will be taken from the taxes collected on alcohol. With an FBI raise cattle or the crops to feed them.’ estimated 1.2 million arrested DUI drivers per year, and the average DUI ticket costing around $7,000.00 (dmv.org), this comes out to at least $8,400,000,000.00 being collected on Clearly, the meat industry is incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment. But what tickets nationally. If 1% of this is $84,000,000.00, an estimated $84,000,000.00 out of the effect would ‘No Meat Monday’ have? Obviously, this proposal wouldn’t prevent all $2,819,826,000.00 collected in 2013 from alcohol tax (taxpolicycenter.org) will be Americans from eating meat on Mondays. But given that the average American consumes distributed to states enforcing this law. around 0.36 pounds of meat a day, if just one fifth of Americans (approx. 64.6 million people) stopped eating meat on Mondays, roughly 23.3 million less pounds of meat would be consumed. This would literally save trillions of gallons of water and significantly reduce emissions, to name just two of the positive environmental effects. This proposal would certainly affect the 30.3 million students who eat school lunch, reducing the environmental effects of school lunch meat by one fifth.

Health reasons:

We eat too much meat. In one year, the global meat industry produces 80 pounds of meat for every person on earth, if it were evenly distributed. But it’s not. The average American eats much more ‘” 270 pounds of meat each year. Hundreds of clinical studies have proven that eating high amounts of meat ‘can cause cancer, diabetes, heart disease,’ and many other illnesses. The American nutrition advisory panel stated it plainly: ‘Americans should eat less of it.’ The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified processed meat (hot Proposal No. 1012 dogs, pepperoni, bacon, deli meats, etc.) as a carcinogen and red meat as a probable carcinogen. This proposal would reduce the level of meat consumption for millions of American students and urge the rest of Americans to participate in ‘No Meat Monday’ by Name: Christopher Acosta spreading awareness of the dangers of too much meat ‘” both for our health and the Delegation: Downey-South Gate environment. TOPIC OF CONCERN: Sources To make it legal for two consenting adults to engage in a duel.

1.Walsh, Bryan. "The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat Production | JUSTIFICATION: TIME.com." Science Space The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat We already have some laws that describe a situation similar to a duel, called mutual combat. Production Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. Mutual combat is when two parties fight, but the police decide that both parties engaged willingly, and no charges will be placed on either side. This already sets the precedent of 2."How Does Eating Meat Harm the Environment?" PETA How Does Eating Meat Harm the legally being allowed to fight given consent. The problem is that it is mutual combat only Environment Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. when the police judge it to be. If they don't, you can be charged with a crime. But if we are okay with the idea of people fighting with consent and not being punished, we should make 3."10 Things We Wish Everyone Knew About the Meat and Dairy Industries." PETA. N.p., an accessible way for people to engage in a consenting dual, without the risk of getting n.d. Web. arrested.

4.Ferdman, Roberto. "Stop Eating so Much Meat, Top U.S. Nutritional Panel Says." Adults are people ages 18 and older. We also consider this the age of consent for people, Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. meaning they are able to make decisions about their own abilities. But even if two people engage willingly in a duel, they can be charged with assault, murder, or assisting in a suicide. 5.Simon, Stacey. "World Health Organization Says Processed Meat Causes Cancer." This is troubling since we still allow people to join the military at this age, requiring them to American Cancer Society. N.p., n.d. Web. consent to the high possibility of death or serious harm. If we allow people to do this, then we should allow people to fight each other, given they go through proper legal processes. 6.Molla, Rani. "How Much Meat Do Americans Eat? Then and Now." The Wall Street Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. In addition, people who have feuds with each other or groups of people will more than likely attempt to ‘settle’ their disputes in a public place that might also be occupied by innocent 7."National School Lunch Program: Trends and Factors Affecting Student Participation." bystanders and property that does not belong to either party in the conflict. In creating a way Food Research and Action Center. N.p., n.d. Web. to separate and contain violent or aggressive disputes, we also create a way to greatly reduce unnecessary harm to innocent people and protect property from damage out of their control. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: To many times we hear of the young child or high school graduate, both with their whole Congress and the president will pass the No Meat Monday Act, which has two parts. The first lives still ahead of them, gunned down in a drive by shooting or put into critical condition is a law banning public schools K-12 from serving meat on Mondays. Part two is a law from a fight they were caught in the middle of. Innocent people, life and property and all, requiring the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to sponsor a No Meat can no longer be put in the way of danger. Monday campaign. This campaign will urge Americans not to eat meat on Mondays and inform the public about the environmental impacts of the meat industry as well as the ACTION TO BE TAKEN: personal health risks of consuming large amounts of meat. The campaign will be run by the We must pass a law that would allow two adults, who can prove consent and provide detail Advertising Council, a non profit organization that produces, distributes and promotes public with signed contracts drafted by legal representation from both parties and judge approval of service announcements on behalf of US government agencies and other organizations. the contracts, to engage in a duel.

Proposal No. 1013 Proposal No. 1014

Name: Will Maeda Name: Robb Lovelace Delegation: Torrance - South Bay Delegation: North Glendale

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Topic of concern: Instituting Male Reproductive Rights Working families with low income are forced to cope with making ends meet and raising children. Thousands of full-time working parents don't have the necessary opportunities JUSTIFICATION: available to ensure that their children are in a healthy environment while they are away. Today, men have no say in whether or not they want to have a child. When an unwed woman determines she is pregnant, she has the freedom to decide if she is ready for a JUSTIFICATION: child. If not, she may choose abortion. Once she aborts, the woman's responsibilities to All across America, there are parents who are genuinely afraid of their children's well-being. the child are terminated. In stark contrast, the father has no options. His responsibilities to These families are making little money, investing all of their time and effort just to pay the the child begin at conception and can only be terminated with the woman’s decision to bills, but simply can't afford the luxury of paying for private daycares or other services for abort, or give the child up for adoption’¦ The man must rely on the decisions of the their idle children. That's why it is necessary for the guarantee of public daycare female to determine his future. Even if a man is not ready for a child, he is forced to have opportunities for families of struggling income levels. The risk of leaving a major portion of one if the woman chooses so. No matter his situation, he must accept the woman’s our nation's future to the woes of poverty, urban violence, and educational stagnation is something that cannot be further ignored. In many urban areas, a child's infancy is a highly decision. For every 8 men who go to jail, 1 goes to jail for failure to pay child support. impressionable and susceptible period that can develop a type of attitude and behavior 85% of these men earn less than 10,000 dollars per year. And according to Irin Geraghty, demonstrating apathy towards education and society. Allowing children to be exposed to the an expert from Pew Research, these men pay up to 80% of their income in child support. negative factors associated with poverty is disgusting and wrong. The American people have Is it right to force a man to take responsibility for a child they were not ready for? Is it a moral obligation to the best interests of all children, not just the privileged. This proposal right to force a man, whose income is below the poverty line, to pay 80% of their wages should not be taken lightly as a means to provide a stable environment for children of in child support? These injustices are the reason men need a say in reproduction. struggling families. If we can invest even the most minimal effort to enact the change in our youth that is only spoken about and never delivered, we will be making the first leap towards Our proposal will give men the right to choose whether or not they are responsible for eradicating some of the root causes for gang violence, poverty, and low efficacy levels in their unborn child. It will give men the right to sign away their responsibilities to a child these economic groups. A child's future begins in this critical stage of growth, and if we can during the period of time when a woman can have an abortion. A woman will have all the provide a steadfast, secure dedication towards the refinement of their future, we will be reproductive rights they have today. They will still be able to choose whether or not to creating a foundation that in the next generations will see rises in financial relief on these raise their child. At the same time, men will be given more options than they have today. families, maturity among children, and the standards of living for all Americans. This proposal protects women’s reproductive rights while giving men the option to choose whether or not they have a child. Consensual sex is a 50/50 decision, but the ACTION TO BE TAKEN: decisions made before a child is born are completely one sided. With our proposal, we Congress will pass a law that gives federal funding to states proportionally based on the can give men a voice in reproductive rights. record of each state's spending towards education. The funds will be directed towards families based on having an a total income of $50,000 or less, family size, or designated ACTION TO BE TAKEN: status of poverty, i.e. food stamps, unemployment, or further federal aid. Included in this The action to be taken for this policy would be through the Department of Justice's Civil proposal will be a series of tax increases on alcohol, tobacco, and firearms to help sustain Rights Division. This proposal calls for the rights of reproduction which is a civil right. federal funding towards establishing access to public daycare and child services nationwide.

Proposal No. 1015 Proposal No. 1101

Name: Jocelyn Bustillos Name: Ruby Ferehawk Delegation: Eden Area Delegation: Westside Family

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: My proposal is for ICE to be required a permission or a warrant before entering private The number of homeless shelters in a 10-mile radius of an urban city’s skid row. property. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Homelessness is a huge problem facing the nation today. 3.5 million people (or 1% of the Through tactics of intimidation, coercion, threats and sometimes even force, ICE agents have American population) experience homelessness in a given year, 39% of which have some violated people's fourth and fifth amendment rights and the rights of their families. Even form of mental health problems and 22% with serious mental illnesses. Less than half of the thought they are not citizens they should have the right to equality and justice as any other homeless population is in a shelter. This needs to change. With around 75% of homeless citizen in the U.S. There has been cases where ICE comes disrespectfully non regarding their people living in urban areas and homeless shelters across the country becoming run down family, for example." Agents arrived at the Morales home around 4.30am on Saturday. The and overcrowded, shelters are in high demand. The main goal of a transitional homeless knocking was so loud, it rattled the windows in the house and it seemed like the agents would shelter is to help transition a homeless person out of being homeless. They often provide break down the door." They do so pay taxes as well as the others do so they deserve the same mental health help, drug abuse rehabilitation, and job training to facilitate their transition into respect. The U.S. Constitution explicitly states that the 14 & 15th amendment protects all becoming self-sufficient. Permanent shelters are for homeless people who have mental or people in the U.S., which includes immigrants. physical impairments and whose homelessness can only be ended by permanent housing. Because these programs are not always accessible in densely populated areas, many ACTION TO BE TAKEN: homeless people are left to live on the streets. More and more legislation is being passed in Therefore ICE shouldn't raid into people's home, doing so I propose for there to be a law that many different states making being a homeless individual on the streets illegal. With the states that ICE has no right to break into people's home without a warrant or permission from creation of more homeless shelters, both transitional and permanent within a close vicinity of the federal state government. an urban city’s skid row, the homelessness rate will go down around the nation and provide a boost to our economy and better our country as a whole.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Federal Government and the President will factor into the federal budget (Heath and Human Services section) 198 million dollars every year for 20 years to construct ten homeless shelters, three permanent and seven transitional, within a ten mile radius of all urban city’s skid row. Urban cities will be defined as a city with 100,000 or more inhabitants, as recorded in the previous year’s annual census. The construction and progression of this nationwide project will be overseen by the Department of Heath and Human Services.

Proposal No. 1102 Proposal No. 1103

Name: Peter Harano Name: Regina Merrill Delegation: Newport Harbor Delegation: Anaheim

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: A proposal to protect the privacy rights of individuals from remotely controlled drones, and All states will have mandatory smog testing. regulate operation of drones and other remote controlled aerial vehicles. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: All states should have smog checking for cars. Although not all states in the US have high Currently, the use of drones is generally unrestricted with the exception of cases regarding smog levels like California, requiring for all states to have cars smog checked is crucial for the endangerment of people and aircraft. With the rise of civilian drones and remotely our environment. Global warming is getting worse every year. There is already a hole in the operated vehicles, it is necessary that the government regulate drones by creating laws to ozone over 20 million square kilometers. That is bigger than all of North America which is protect the rights of citizens and ensure the safe operation of those vehicles. With incidents about 10 million square kilometers. Without a good environment to live in, we can not live arising when drones flew higher then the required 400m maximum height, interfering and and prosper. Having vehicles in America that release emissions that are toxic for our ozone is endangering aircraft, it is evident that drone ownership must be regulated, and that drones only harming the environment more, which is why smog testing should be mandatory for all should be registered so that civilians who violate laws are held accountable. In other cases, states. drones trying to film wildfires in California have grounded helicopters meant to carry water and chemicals crucial to firefighting efforts. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: In order to fix the problem at hand, we will mandate that all states require smog testing for all Additionally, drones are often modified to be equipped with cameras or other recording motor vehicles. If states reject the mandate funding for road improvements will be cut. devices, which raises concern about the protection of privacy of civilians as several reports have indicated that remotely operated surveillance vehicles have been flying in the airspace above the home. Companies such as Amazon.com have expressed an interest in using drones for delivery purposes, however there are currently no restrictions or guidelines for the conduct of drones in commercial or civil use.

Recently, in December of 2015 the FAA required the registration of drones which weighed between 0.55 and 55 pounds, however the registration does not mandate that operators learn laws associated with drones, partly because there are very few vague laws already in place.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: To prevent the misuse of drones, it is necessary that the government establish guidelines and regulations to ensure the proper and safe use of drones and other remotely controlled aerial vehicles. These regulations should protect people’s privacy from drones, and mandate that drones which access the airspace of a home are in violation of trespassing. On top of vehicle registration, civilian operators should also be required to pass a test in order to receive a drone operators license, to make sure operators are aware of drone conduct and are capable of safely piloting drones.

Proposal No. 1104 Proposal No. 1105

Name: Mary Shahmanyan Name: Gabi LaBeaux Delegation: Verdugo Hills Delegation: El Dorado

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Automatic naturalization of all military personnel after one year of enlistment. Banning use of animal testing for developing cosmetic products

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Currently around five percent of active military personnel are not citizens of the United Europe, home to the the world’s largest cosmetic market, has existing laws banning animal States of America. This roughly accounts for 65,000 people. Some never attain full testing for cosmetics, and the sale or import of newly animal-tested beauty products. Other citizenship and remain legal residents of this country, however this puts them at risk of countries like Israel and India have passed similar laws. In the US, over 100 million animals deportation due to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under this act, legal residents can be are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs each year. Even animals protected deported for moral turpitude, a term that encompasses misdemeanors such as drug offences under the Animal Welfare Act can still be abused and tortured. This can be a result of the law and shoplifting. Since the American government is not able to effectively treat post traumatic not requiring the use of valid alternatives to animals, even if they are available. The most stress disorder in veterans, many turn to drugs and a life of crime as a result. This pattern of common cosmetic tests performed on mice, rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs include skin and veteran misconduct combined with the legality of this act results in the active deportation of eye irritation tests. During such tests, chemicals are rubbed on shaved skin or dropped into many veterans.The Pentagon has failed to track the number of deported veterans in recent the eyes of these animals without any pain relief. Today, present day nonÂ--animal years, but independent organizations estimate this number is in the thousands. Once they are techniques have already been reducing and replacing experiments on animals. Additionally, deported, these veterans are stripped of all VA health benefits, however upon death, they are the anatomic, metabolic, and cellular differences between animals and people make animals still eligible to be buried in a national cemetery on US soil. Essentially the only way these weak models for human beings. veterans will be able to reenter the country they fought so valiantly for, is if they are in a coffin. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress shall ban the use of animal testing for developing cosmetic products. The only way to protect our veterans is to provide them with the same rights as those they protect overseas. By providing military personnel with an automatic naturalization process, we can attempt to cut through much of the red tape that keeps them from becoming citizens.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Currently, military personnel have to file a USCIS Form N-426 in order to begin the naturalization process. After this initial step, one must take the naturalization exam. This proposal aims to streamline this process by eliminating the need for the application or exam. Upon the year anniversary of one’s enlistment, the military simply will proceed to provide you with citizenship after preliminary background checks.

Proposal No. 1106 Proposal No. 1107

Name: Joseph A. Lopez Name: Alyssa Villa Delegation: Southeast Rio Vista Delegation: Greater Long Beach

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Countering California’s water drought. Illegal Immigrants Residency

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: This proposal reflects the statewide issue about the decreasing shortage of water in result According to Pew Research Center there is 11.7 million immigrants living in the United of the drought. The drought was caused by a vast zone of high pressure in the atmosphere States illegally. A majority of these immigrants in the country have resided here and off the West Coast, nearly four miles high and 2,000 miles long. The mass of high- contributed to our labor force for decades. Although they have been here for an extremity of pressure air has been blocking Pacific winter storms from coming ashore in California, time contributing to both our labor force and economy they are unlawful residents and often deflecting them up into Alaska and British Columbia, even delivering rain and cold hide from society in fear of being deported. It’s time to give them their deserved opportunity weather to the East Coast. Similar high-pressure zones pop up all the time during most to become legal residents in the U.S. and step forward and be proud members of our society. winters, but they usually break down, allowing rain to get through to California. This one, ominously, has anchored itself for 13 months, since December 2012. The drought has had To resolve their illegal status I propose the following path to residency. The residency process would begin with the application of a work visa. The next step would be the a devastating effect, not only on the environment and agricultural production, but to the verification that they have lived in the United States for the past 5 years. During this period economy and to the majority of cities in California as well. there must be confirmation that they have been employed for at least 3 of these 5 years. To encourage employers’ participation the employer will be granted amnesty for employing The State Water Project, the lynchpin of California’s water system, has had to cut off undocumented workers. In addition there must be background checks to ensure they have not service completely for the first time in its history. At least 17 rural communities may run committed a felony in the United States or their country of origin. After verifying all of these out of water within 120 days, according to the California Department of Public Health. requirements they will be issued a 5- year employment visa during which these immigrants That list is expected to grow over the next few months. Environmentally, certain must maintain employment for the majority of the 5 years. Then after completing this, the keystone species are affected by the drought, such as the drought preventing Coho immigrants would be able to apply for residency. This residency would be for a maximum of Salmon from spawning. Some are blocked out of their creeks by sandbars; others are 10 years and would rely on the same requirements of keeping a job and committing no waiting in the ocean for floodwaters that may never arrive. Elsewhere, juvenile steelheads crimes. After these 10 years the immigrants would have the option to apply for permanent are trapped in drying streams. This is a tragedy for fishermen and their fish farms and residency or citizenship in the California’s natural heritage. Mainly, this affects the agriculture and stable food supply that California depends on by forcing industries to limit the amount of water used to ACTION TO BE TAKEN: hydrate crop fields, which either leads to production of poor quality food or no food at A United States Policy by Congress to give Illegal Immigrants the opportunity of all. employment visas that would ultimately lead to residency and then citizenship.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: This proposal proposes that facilities should be established along the Pacific coastline that operate by processing salt water from the ocean and converting it into fresh drinking water that is safe to use and safe to consume. This action will generate large quantities of water for cities in California, and also countering the drought and supporting agricultural growth, as well as creating a natural abundance of environmental health. The State of California will create a new law that will be added to the Water Code of the California legislature.

Proposal No. 1108 Proposal No. 1109

Name: Amritdeep Kaur Name: Emma Miller Delegation: Eden Area Delegation: Berkeley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: People with uteruses are paying a monthly toll, getting taxed extra for something they can't Promoting Sustainable Fishing and Farming Tactics control. Women are getting taxed on for going through a menstruation process. Tax on tampons needs to be diminished. JUSTIFICATION: Today 90 percent of the world's fisheries are either fully exploited, over-exploited or have JUSTIFICATION: collapsed. Unsustainable practices such as overfishing, the accidental catch of unwanted How Did Gendered Pricing Costs Women Almost $1,400 A Year? Sanitary products in species (by-catch), and damage from fishing gear are rapidly depleting our oceans and the varying states' tax laws sometimes fall under the "luxury tax," which applies to destroying delicate habitats that provide shelter, food and breeding grounds for marine life. products or services deemed unnecessary or nonessential. To make things more Fishing methods such as long lining, bottom trawling, and gillnetting often result in high uncomfortable, the tax is also sometimes referred to as the "sin tax." Sadly, only five levels of by-catch. In some cases, for every pound of shrimp caught, up to six pounds of states have actively made decisions not to tax tampons: Maryland, Massachusetts, other species are discarded. Because the ocean seems so vast and its resources limitless, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Jersey. The rest either don’t have a sales tax or don’t these threats are often out of sight, out of mind, but overfishing issues are not just for future generations to bear; they're real problems threatening our current seafood supply and the consider tampons a ‘necessity.’ In 2012, the median earnings of American women  health of our ocean. working full time year-round were $37,791. American men earned a median income of $49,398. The gender wage gap has hovered at about 77 cents on the dollar since 2007. The ocean’s ecosystem’”and the food on our tables’”isn't the only thing affected by overfishing. Some fishermen, finding it increasingly difficult to make a living, resort to ACTION TO BE TAKEN: illegal fishing, which hurts the ocean and our economy. One analysis estimates that The tax for tampons/menstruation products will be removed and taxes will be adjusted and worldwide illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing losses are between 11 and 26 million raised for alternative routes to make up for money lost from tampon tax. tons, or around one-fifth of total global fisheries production. A recent study reports that 20 to 32 percent of the seafood imported into the U.S. were from illegal and unreported catches.

The good news is that there is much we can do’”if we act now. By mandating that supermarkets and restaurants disclose whether the seafood they serve is sustainably caught or farmed, it will help shape the demand for, and ultimately supply of, fish that's been caught or farmed in environmentally sustainable ways. Seafood Watch defines sustainable seafood as ‘seafood from sources, whether fished or farmed, that can maintain or increase production without jeopardizing the structure and function of affected ecosystems.’ Sustainable aquaculture operations limit habitat damage, disease, escapes of farmed fish, and the use of wild fish as feed. The Safina Center and Monterey Bay Aquarium are two leading non- governmental, non-profit seafood sustainability organizations with high standards already in place. By making this criterion for sustainability more public, it will allow for consumers to shape ocean health for the better through a grassroots movement. By allowing the public to communicate a national demand for sustainability, this proposal will prompt national fishery management reform, helping the U.S. to focus on sustainable practices that conserve ecosystems, sustain livelihoods and ensure food security.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Food and Drug Administration will direct all supermarkets and restaurants to disclose whether the seafood they sell is sustainably caught or farmed.

Proposal No. 1110 Proposal No. 1111

Name: Jake Wolf Name: Jessica Hadley Delegation: Torrance - South Bay Delegation: Stuart C. Gildred

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The concept of this proposal is to make post-secondary education more accessible for The Department of Homeland Security will make the process of legally immigrating to the Americans and their families. United States easier.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Right now, America needs something to become great like it once was before. I believe that Throughout history the United States has been known as a country that encourages this greatness can be achieved through a better educated population who can communicate, immigration but now immigration laws have become so strict that it is nearly impossible for advance, and innovate all aspects of life successfully. In a survey done by the Huffington millions of people to legally live and work here. The entire process is unnecessarily Post, 62% of participants disagreed that college in general is such that most people are able complicated and lengthy. If one does not have a job opportunity lined up, a relative that is a to afford it. My plan is to have every state increase the percentage of money spent on post- legal citizen, or hundreds of thousands of dollars to spare there is little chance of one secondary education to 5%. This includes funding for college institution tuitions as well as becoming a legal citizen. The current process to obtain a visa can take years, especially if one college institution infrastructure. How a state is to increase their spending to 5% is up to is not classified as a skilled worker. The current process strongly favors those with prior skill them. They can decide to raise taxes in their state or cut back on other areas of spending as or wealth instead of those who are truly trying to better their lives and become educated in a long as the post-secondary category in their budget is at least 5%. Even though this affects all country with opportunity around every corner. of America, 68.4% of American high school graduates do attend college. With them attending college, most students will have a college loan of, on average, $90,000 sitting over By streamlining this process, the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States their head for the next 15 to 20 years after graduating. As a country and as as people who would drop significantly and taxpayer dollars could go toward hunting down actual criminals want to move forward to become great again, we need to invest into our children coming out trying to sneak into the United States rather than people trying to move to America for a of high school so they can obtain college credentials to eventually make it into the workplace better life. Furthermore, many of these immigrants work in the agricultural business and for them to create and innovate. without them the food prices would skyrocket since much of what we eat would need to be imported from more agricultural based countries. If the number of temporary work visas is ACTION TO BE TAKEN: expanded farmers will be able to afford to hire more workers thus bringing the food prices This would be a standard bill voted on by congress and regulated by the federal government down, unlike the alternative of importation of food from foreign countries to meet demands. themselves. If a state government failed to leave 5% of their budget for post-secondary The number of visas given out each year is relatively low as well, considering how many education, the federal government would cut all federal funding to the state until the state apply. This can be combatted by lessening the length of the process and allowing for more agrees to properly distribute their budget according to the bill. applicants to be accepted for citizenship.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The President will direct the Department of Homeland Security to increase the number of immigrants accepted into the United States by 10% over a period of 15 years, while also accounting for population increase. The immigration process will be streamlined and clear- cut regulations will be implemented as to lessen confusion when people apply for citizenship.

Proposal No. 1112 Proposal No. 1113

Name: Emma Agripino Name: Nick Mohler Delegation: Palisades-Malibu Delegation: Westchester

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The Federal Government will continue to fund, and steadily increase funding for Planned The increase of funding for global warming research. Parenthood under the Family Planning Services Act and Popular Research Act. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Currently, 53.71% of the U.S. Federal Budget goes to the military. That totals approximately In 1973, the Supreme Court issued a final verdict to the Roe v. Wade case which deemed $598.49 billion dollars. Meanwhile, only 3.51% of the U.S. Federal Budget goes to energy abortion a fundamental right under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States and environmental research and infrastructure. Because of the current state of our world, Constitution. Although a Bloomberg Politics national poll found 67% of Americans said it global warming and environmental research requires greater attention and devotion. As the was right for The Court to enact this, today, Planned Parenthood is under consistent scrutiny earth slowly heats up due to the constant human production of greenhouse gasses, for providing abortions under its services. However, only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s ecosystems and our environment are quickly changing. Global temperature readings have services are dedicated to safe abortions, and when they are, they don’t use any federal dollars risen steadily since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Since the 1880's Earth's global to carry out the procedure. A University of Texas study found that 100,000 to 240,000 temperature has increased by 1.4º fahrenheit. This one-degree global change is significant women who don’t have access to safe abortion procedures tried to end the pregnancy on their because it takes a vast amount of heat to warm all the oceans, atmosphere, and land by that own. Planned Parenthood patients are seen and cared for, regardless of health insurance, and degree. In the past, a one to two-degree drop was all that was required to plunge the Earth often receive life-saving medical attention: 42% of their services go towards STD testing and into the Little Ice Age. A five-degree drop was enough to bury the majority of North treatments, 34% go towards contraception care, and 20% go towards cancer treatment and America under towering glaciers 20,000 years ago. With an increase in research funding, other women’s health needs. The federation receives 2.7 million annual visits from both men steps can be taken to reduce greenhouse gasses and create more environmentally sustainable and women in just the United States alone, and provides health care to 13 focus countries lifestyles. across Latin America and Africa. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high quality, affordable health Decrease the federal spending of the United States Military by 2% and reallocate those funds care, and is the nation’s largest provider of sex education: They aid in body image, general towards environmental and global warming research. health care, men’s sexual health, the morning after pill, pregnancy, relationships, sex and sexuality, sexual orientation and gender, STDs, women’s health and abortion. The Federal Government only provides 1/3 of its funding, $528 million. To defund them simply because they carry out abortions, would not only repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act, but would also dictate that the a woman does not have a right to her own body nor her own choices. Planned Parenthood is far more than abortions: It is an insurance policy for not only women, but men as well, and gives citizens a second chance at life.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Federal Government will continue to fund 1/3 of Planned Parenthood, and increase its funding by 10% over the next fifteen years. In these fifteen years, the Government will also aid in increasing the number of Planned Parenthood facilities, establishing convenience for citizens.

Proposal No. 1114 Proposal No. 1115

Name: Christopher Carpenter Name: Guillermo Sanchez Delegation: SFY/Buchanan Delegation: Santa Ana

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The National Security Agency currently collects unlimited data on civilian and international to set up a website where any type of gun owners will have to register in order to keep safety targets through several programs, including but not limited to, PRISM, Xkeyscore, and awareness to the public. MUSCULAR. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: It seems that the more mass shooting there is in the United States there is a more push for Article 4 of the constitution guarantees that ‘The right of the people to be secure in their gun control has grown, but not many Americans are happy about it. 52% of Americans don't persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches...’ However, in recent approve of gun control despite all the mass shootings, it’s not the gun killing people but the years, this basic right has been violated by National Security Agency in its quest for data on person holding it. The solution isn’t to make it harder to buy guns but who around us has one possible enemies of the United States. Although noble in its intent, the NSA has gone too far has one, we as people aren't even aware if they have a gun or not. with it’s surveillance programs, and has compromised our Fourth Amendment rights. Although the NSA only collects data on specified targets, it has the ability to collect emails, We walk around our neighborhood blindly and afraid because any moment someone can get search history, video chats and more on nearly the entire world. Just because the government shoot. setting up a website that anyone with internet access can enter and see who owns a is not currently collecting using this technology on us, doesn't mean it should be allowed to. gun. this would let the public be aware so they can be more comfortable living near someone Throughout history, unjust governments such as East Germany and the Soviet Union have with a gun. sacrificed their citizens privacy for a sense of safety and community. However, with the Fourth Amendment, the founding fathers meant to ensure that the United states would never People believe that tightening gun control is going to fix our nation's problem but United sacrifice privacy for security. States has the most guns in the whole world, for every 100 residents in the U.S. there are 112 guns. tightening gun control won't make a difference for a killer to shoot up a civilian area ACTION TO BE TAKEN: but knowing who holds the trigger that can possibly and a life, we can be precarious. If this proposal is passed, a bill will be proposed in the United States House of Representatives outlawing data collection on domestic targets without a warrant from a ACTION TO BE TAKEN: criminal court. The NSA must also obtain it’s information from the services that mange the The federal government will set up the gun awareness program online that will allow the data it is collecting. (i.e. if it wants to collect a targets gmail, it must ask gmail for the data.) public to see who owns a gun. The FBI would be doing background checks in the gun shows, The same way that local police departments do. The NSA must also prove that it has shut gun stores and private sellers , from there on they’ll send letters to gun owners or sellers that down the domestic abilities of PRISM, Xkeyscore and MUSCULAR. they are required to register online. If the owners or sellers do not comply, the government will first send a warning to the owners or seller,and if they still haven't registered then the consequences will have to pay a ticket. Second by paying $100, third raising $50 dollars every month they don't register.

Proposal No. 1201 Proposal No. 1202

Name: Sasha Dimov Name: Brenda Martinez Delegation: SFY/Stonestown Delegation: Corona Norco

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock industries Animal Cruelty

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In a country that primarily blames the fossil fuel industry for its massive carbon and methane Animal cruelty is a problem that is very common and controversial. Animal cruelty is when footprint, we fail to realize that a huge provider lies right under our noses. That six-ounce someone hurts an animal or does not care for an animal responsibly. Abuse could be as little patty resting on top of your bun is not the only product of the immense livestock industry. A as not feeding your animal, not just abusing the animal. It should be done because all over widely cited report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Livestock's the world there are animals that are being abused. With owners who do not deserve them. Long Shadow, estimates that 18% of annual worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are When there are people out there who could love and take care of them. attributable to cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, pigs, and poultry. But a recent analysis by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang (Worldwatch Institute) finds that livestock and their ACTION TO BE TAKEN: byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year - 51% of It should be a state law to have it required for animal abusers to be under registered animal annual worldwide GHG emissions. If these statistics are not enough, the Food and offenders. Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that livestock is responsible for 65% of all human-related emissions of nitrous oxide ‘“ a greenhouse gas with 296 times the global They have websites that can be run by animal shelters and could save the lives of many pets warming potential of carbon dioxide, and which stays in the atmosphere for 150 years. So while our nation is hammering down on the fossil fuel industries, the emissions from agriculture are projected to increase 80% by 2050. It is time for our nation to make a connection between the meat on our plates and its effect on our planet.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Enforce a cap and trade which would set a maximum allowable level of pollution and penalize companies that exceed their emission allowance.

Proposal No. 1203 Proposal No. 1204

Name: Liliana Lauro Name: Bella Vanacore Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro Delegation: El Dorado

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Banning all forms of branding logos, colors and promotional texts from cigarettes, cigars and Changing the minimum age to drink in the United States to 18 loose tobacco's package designs. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In the United States, alcohol is viewed as ‘the forbidden fruit’ to all under the legal The regular packages will be replaced by packages with graphic images regarding the drinking age of 21. Many underage drinkers drink simply because it is illegal. According to harmful effects of smoking. The warnings must cover 30% of the front and 90% of the back the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 80% college students will of the box. The other 70% of the front will be a plain, unsatisfying color and the brand of participate in underage drinking. Because these students cannot drink in public places where cigarettes will be in simple white text. Some of the warnings on the cigarette packages will they are supervised, such as bars and restaurants, they drink in within their dorms, fraternity include: smoking causes peripheral vascular disease, smoking causes emphysema, smoking houses and other discrete areas. It is in unsupervised and unregulated situations that alcohol- causes throat and mouth cancer, smoking clogs your arteries, smoking doubles your risk of related issues begin to occur. By making drinking illegal to those under 21, the government stroke, tobacco smoke is toxic and don't let your children breathe your smoke. Along with restricts anyone underage from drinking within areas that are supervised. A bartender can cut these warnings there will be impressionable images of the effects of smoking. In addition, a binge drinker off, but drinkers with no supervision can drink as much as they would like, cigar and loose tobacco products will have other, slightly altered warnings. These warnings with no one to stop them. According to the Annual Review of Public Health, alcohol causes would target the misconception that alternative, non-cigarette tobacco products are less 1,700 deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 97,000 cases of sexual assault among college students per harmful. year. These numbers would drastically decrease if the drinking age were lowered to 18.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The minimum drinking age of 21 was implemented to prevent alcohol related deaths, which Enact a law that mandates plain tobacco packaging. Under legislation, it will be illegal to sell the US is currently in second place for. But as long as the consumption of alcohol remains a non-plain packages. All companies must sell their tobacco products in a logo-free, dull fantasy, young underage people will continue to do participate irresponsibly. The current packaging with graphic images portraying the harmful effects of tobacco. national minimum drinking age was initially established in 1984, and since then only 7 other countries have implemented drinking ages as high as 21. Countries such as Italy, China and Greece boast some of the lowest alcohol casualty statistics with drinking ages under 21. If an 18 year old is responsible enough to make an educated vote within their government, or go to war, they are responsible enough to drink. The drinking age must be lowered, and education must be further implemented within the school system to solve this ever present issue of alcohol related deaths.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Congress will lower the minimum drinking age to 18.

Proposal No. 1205 Proposal No. 1206

Name: Joe Leichenger Name: Logan Hernandez Delegation: Westside Family Delegation: Stuart C. Gildred

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Federal Regulation of the pricing for pharmaceuticals In 2013 the National Crime Victimization Survey of 40,000 households uncovered that 38 percent of rape and sexual violence incidents were against men. This number is remarkably JUSTIFICATION: greater than the past years range of 5-14 percent. With this large increase, it is vital that the Drug companies have increasingly raised the cost of life-saving pharmaceuticals, which CDC increases its funding of sexual victimization centers like RAINN and attempts stress results in financial hardship for those who are in desperate health. Further, this leads to a this rising issue. continuation of ever-increasing healthcare costs. Often times individuals reduce their required dosage because they are unable to afford the medication required to maintain good JUSTIFICATION: health. In addition, pharmaceuticals have taken to paying doctors to advocate a particular The reason why a huge amount of male rape experiences are now being recorded within the drug despite the fact that a generic brand or less expensive brand may produce better results, national statistics is due to the rape terminology itself. Since 1927, the FBI classified forcible if not the same. This unfair and inefficient healthcare system has been propped up by the rape as ‘the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.’ With that false notion that our country has an unfettered free market system. In many other classification, male cases were not included in the nation’s statistics whatsoever, until 2012, circumstances, and now this one, we can and should intervene for the common welfare. when they revised the definition of rape and started to focus heavily on penetration with no mention of gender whatsoever. Due to this complication, there is most likely a far greater ACTION TO BE TAKEN: amount of sexual victimization that, due to the narrow definition of rape, most male victims Create an office within the Department of Health and Human Services that will be charged are not applicable to be included in. In new statistics, 1.270 million women and 1.267 million with creating guidelines for companies to price their drugs in order to receive a number of men claimed to be victims of sexual violence. benefits including but not limited to subsidies, tax breaks, and priority consideration in the FDA approval process. Rape is a crime that affects both genders and all victims deserve help and treatment equally. Worst of all, our nation’s government has failed to address this growing issue. The only credible news sources that have written about male rape in the past couple years have been CNN, Time Magazine, and US News. From the several indexes of rape hotlines, it is easily seen that there are far more specialized resources for women then there are for men.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Since there are nearly equal instances of male rape compared to females, the CDC shall stress that the resources that are available to help males should be increased to offer similar support by increasing the funding of male rape centers. Sexual victimization is a crime that affects Americans, no matter the gender, and we should strive for the availability of equal treatment. With this in mind, funding from the CDC to organize sexual victimization centers should not be distributed to just female trained organizations and should be distributed to centers that obtain the knowledge to be able to assist male victims as well.

Proposal No. 1207 Proposal No. 1208

Name: Ethan Small Name: Garrett Lewis Delegation: Culver-Palms Delegation: SFY/Pescadero

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Making all public universities in America tuition-free. Minimum wage in the United States must be set to a level that keeps those working full-time able to afford the cost of living in their local area. JUSTIFICATION: College students nowadays have lots of competition to get into the school of their choice, and JUSTIFICATION: when they do, it is still too expensive to attend. America is about 1.3 trillion dollars in debt Currently, someone who works full-time for minimum wage in the United States earns due to college tuition alone, which means that two thirds of graduating students are in debt. roughly HALF the required yearly salary ($15,080) needed to pay for the yearly cost of This shows just how overpriced and unaffordable universities are for the majority of living (food, water, rent, the bare necessities) in major US cities such as Los Angeles or San America. If public schools were free, it would drive down the tuition of these expensive Francisco ($26,664). The cost of living has not gone up at a reasonable rate with the inflation private universities to compete with them. Education is the key to success, and without a of salaries, and has, time and time again, been consistently one step ahead of those simply college education in America, it is harder than ever to find work and become successful. In trying to get by. this next generation, we need millions of smart minds to better our world so it is important for everyone to be well educated. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: A new federal minimum wage will be put in place, which adjusts to 5% over the cost of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: living per county. This wage will be adjusted semi-annually. The United States will enact a law under the Board of Education to make all public universities free of tuition.

Proposal No. 1209 Proposal No. 1210

Name: Sophie Adams Name: Lillian Fox Peckos Delegation: Tri-Valley Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Reducing the amount of vehicle crashes caused by impaired driving by mandating the Repeal the Hyde Amendment Codification Act. installment of breathalyzers in registered cars. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: When abortion became legal in the United States in 1973, Medicaid, federal health care With the immediate access to the technology, in-car breathalyzers could greatly decrease the program for low-income individuals, covered the procedure as a part of standard medical amount of impaired drivers on the road. According to the Center For Disease Control and care. Three years later, Congress passed the Hyde Amendment which banned federal Prevention, 30 people die every day in motor vehicle accidents involving drivers under the Medicaid coverage of abortion unless the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest or the influence of alcohol. In 2013 alone, 10,076 people were killed in accidents with one or more woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering drivers under the influence of alcohol, and these accidents account for one-third of traffic condition caused by the pregnancy itself. This is the only medical procedure that has been related deaths in the United States. The Ignition Interlock Device (IID) connects to the banned from Medicaid. Four states have gone beyond to use state funds under Medicaid to dashboard of a car and requires the driver to breath into the device before the car may be cover abortions along with thirteen others who were court ordered to do so. Thirty-two states started. If their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds .08%, the legal limit for safe and the District of Columbia follow the Amendment while South Dakota evades federal law driving, the engine will not start until the BAC is at or below that level. According to the by only covering the procedure if the pregnancy threatens the mother’s life. Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) after implementing their 15-year program, they estimate that 59,000 deaths (83%) and 1.25 million non-fatal injuries could The Hyde Amendment makes it even more difficult for low-income women to get an have been avoided if the driver was forced to blow into an IID before getting behind the abortion they may need. The Guttmacher Institute reports that three-fourths of women cite wheel. In order for this to occur, on January 1, 2019, all legally registered cars would be not being able to afford a child as a reason to terminate their pregnancy. The amendment also required to have an IID installed in their car. This means that all new cars, defined as cars has a disproportionate impact on women of color because women of color are more likely to bought straight from the dealer without a previous owner, must have an interlock device live in poverty and rely on Medicaid to provide health care. Also, women of color are more installed before being driven off the lot. The installation is the responsibility of the dealer on likely to seek abortion care. According to journalist Bill Moyers, 42% of those receiving any car bought after January 1, 2018 otherwise, responsibility falls in the hands of the owner. abortions live below the poverty line, many due to the fact that their access to contraception If the car is already in the possession of the owner, before January 1, 2018, in order to gain is limited. This federal funding restriction have left many women on Medicaid little choice registration renewal, the device must be approved by the DMV or taken to a third-party but to use the money they would need for food, rent or other necessities to pay for an service, similar to where smog tests are performed and approved. For cars already on the abortion. It would not cost taxpayers additionally to fund abortions because the costs road, the IID installation and approval must occur before January 1, 2019. Ignition Interlock associated with childbirth, neonatal care and pediatric care, which are covered by Medicaid, Devices cost around 100-200 dollars, a small price to pay for owning a car, and an even dramatically exceed the costs of abortion. The Hyde Amendment is a discriminatory piece of smaller price to pay to save lives. legislation that can directly harm a woman’s well being.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: If a driver were pulled over for any offense besides driving under the influence and they did This proposal calls for the United States government to repeal the Hyde Amendment not have an IID installed; they would receive a 100-dollar fine, doubling each time until a Codification Act, so there will no longer be Medicaid funding restrictions for abortions. device is installed. If they were charged with driving under the influence and did not have an IID installed, then a 250-dollar fine would be added to the fine of their DUI and their license would remain suspended until the IID was installed and approved in their vehicle.

Proposal No. 1211 Proposal No. 1212

Name: Bhupinderdeep Kaur Name: Nicole Cigliano Delegation: Eden Area Delegation: Palisades-Malibu

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The bill of rights will be taught in schools for every American to know. The lack of effective gun control and a stricter regulation of guns nationwide.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: According to the Newseum's 2015 State of the Amendment Survey, When asked to name the Every year, more than 100,000 people are shot. On average 297 people in America are five specific freedoms in the First Amendment, 57% of Americans name freedom of speech, shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, and police followed by 19% who say the freedom of religion, 10% mention the freedom of the press, intervention every day. A gun in the home is 22 times more likely to be used to kill or 10% mention the right to assemble, and 2% name the right to petition. Thirty-three percent of injure in a domestic homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting than to be used in self- Americans cannot name any of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. defense.

Many American citizens do not know their average rights that have been granted to them The public is very rarely told about shootings, unless they are titled a ‘mass murder’ . throughout history. Harmful contact with the police could be avoided if citizens knew their  rights and were able to exercise them more often. This proposal is so Americans will know In 2013, the last year that the government published gun incident statistics, less than 2% what rights they have, so they can defend themselves against wrongful persecution. of over 33,000 gun deaths nationwide were due to mass shootings. There are more than 20,000 gun control laws in effect in the United States today, but guns are still not ACTION TO BE TAKEN: regulated the way that they should be. The president will direct the Department of education to add curricular to certain subjects, such as history, to incorporate the bill of rights. Over the course of ten years the idea will be Firearm homicide is the second-leading cause of death (after motor vehicle crashes) for pursued and refined until every American school has established it as a part of the regular young people ages 1-19 in the U.S. A gun is a dangerous item, just like a car or any other learning . vehicle. So why don’t we start implementing the same motor-vehicle regulations on guns.

To own and use a car, one must go through series of tests and other requirements. To be able to drive a car, one must take driver’s education or training, a written test, and a practical test. All three of these requirements should be mandatory in order to own a gun. Mental and physical health requirements should also be enacted before one can purchase and posses a firearm.

Citizens should vote on laws that have to do with higher gun control and regulation. Not only should the laws have to do with renewals, inspections, testing, but also health requirements. Stores that carry guns should require an in-depth background check of every person that tries to buy any gun other than a handgun. Stores should also title and tag each gun at the point of sale and require that the buyer of the gun have liability insurance for each gun. All of the rules and regulations that are put on cars help to limit the amount of accidents and deaths having to do with motor vehicles. If we put the same regulations on guns, then the amount of deaths and incidents involving these weapons will potentially decrease.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: In every state, an organization similar to the DMV should be instated and the agency would implement the regulations stated previously. Residents of the state could vote on whether or not they wanted to establish the new organizations at first, but over a few years they would become a regular government run institution in every state. Citizens could also vote on Proposal No. 1213 potential new gun laws that the new organization would regulate as well for the future. Another government agency that could work with the new association would be the IRS. The Name: Stacey Yi group would enforce tax laws put onto people that don’t follow the new regulations enacted Delegation: Verdugo Hills by the ‘gun DMV’. This would ultimately prevent many people from avoiding the new organization’s statutes and make it much safer to distribute guns and easier record all of the TOPIC OF CONCERN: guns purchased in each state. The legalization of polygamous marriages within the United States of America.

JUSTIFICATION: Human beings have the right to love whoever and however they want. This proposal does not focus on the common type of polygamy which is polygyny but also on polyandry and all genders who are polyamorous. Polygamy is considered unorthodox today but 50 years ago same sex marriage was also considered morally unacceptable. Plural marriage has a history of exploiting women and many believe that the legalization of polygamy can increase gender inequality but as Psychology Today explains, ‘in many cultures, women in polygynous marriages actively choose to enter them’”and the same goes for men in most polyandrous marriages.’ People who choose to marry polygamously all give consent to their partners and they have the same right as anyone else to marry who they love.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: I plan on making this change by legalizing all forms of polygamy by allowing the people to have conversations about this subject so they can be more open and accepting towards it.

health and the environment. Proposal No. 1214

Name: Trudy Padden Delegation: Newport Harbor

TOPIC OF CONCERN: The mass use of plastic water bottles that damages the environment and can be a risk to public health.

JUSTIFICATION: Plastic water bottles are used excessively nationwide. Last year Americans used over 50 billion plastic water bottles. To keep up with this mass production requires a lot of resources and causes environmental damage. In order to meet the high demand for bottled waters it requires the use of over 17 million barrels of oil. To put this into perspective that is enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars or power 190,000 homes for a year. This oil energy used is purely for the production, not taking into account the oil used for transportation and distribution. Once the water bottles are made, packaged, and put on the shelves, they are purchased. The average American uses about 167 disposable plastic water bottles in a year. This excessive use of disposable plastic bottles is justified because they are said to be recyclable and cleaner form of water. Both of these statements are incorrect. The average American that drinks 167 water bottles annually is likely to only recycle 38 of those bottles. When looking at the 50 billion plastic bottles that were bought last year, only 23% of those were recycled. The other 77% of plastic water bottles used in the US became garbage and ended up in a landfill where each bottle takes 700 years to decompose. This means that 38 billion water bottles are not recycled and resulted in over $1 billion worth of plastic waste.

The FDA regulates the content of plastic water bottles and the EPA regulates tap water. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the FDA safety and consumer protections are less stringent than the EPA. Because of this, many tests have been done and on average there has been high levels of disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and other chemical pollutants found in plastic water bottles. Besides the contents inside the disposable water bottle, the plastic in which it is made of can pose health risks as well. Many studies show that polycarbonate plastic; a type of plastic used to make plastic water bottles gradually leaks a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA) into the liquids that is stored in containers made from this material. This chemical can alter hormones and have potentially other negative human health effects.

To reach the recommended eight glasses of water a day, it will cost someone drinking tap water about $0.49 per year at the U.S. tap rates, comparing this to the same amount of bottled water it would cost about $1,400. This gap in pricing should be nonexistent because of the harm water bottles produce and carry. With affordable and reusable canteens available, Americans should adjust to a reusable water bottle to protect the environment and their health.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States should add a tax to disposable water bottles to discourage the purchase of them and encourage the use of filtered water and reusable water bottles to benefit public Proposal No. 1215 Proposal No. 1301

Name: Liani Chan Name: Ana Finkelstein Delegation: Santa Anita Delegation: Albany

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To regulate pharmaceutical companies by overseeing the pricing of various drugs. Requiring new buildings in major cities to be LEED certified.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The purpose of this proposal is to prevent pharmaceutical companies from making vital As cities continue to grow in the U.S., new buildings must become more efficient. Poorly medications to expensive for the people who need the treatment to afford them. As someone designed and built buildings have to use an excess amount of energy to regulate their who has a parent battling cancer, I know that the medication he takes is crucial to his health temperatures, can have potential leaks in water systems that could waste gallons of water and quality of life. If these drugs were too expensive for insurance to cover, it would cause a daily, and are simply inefficient. According to research done for the U.S. Green Building serious decline in his health. In October of last year, a generic drug without patents which Council, buildings make up 39% of CO2 emissions in the United States with transportation at can cure patients with weakened immune systems, like cancer or AIDs patients, hiked the 33% and industry at 28%. The report also states that buildings use 70% of the electricity load price of a pill from $13.50 to $750. This 5000% price raise has prevented many people from in the U.S. being able to get access to this vital medication. In addition, due to the increase in prices, insurance companies have backed out of covering the medication. In other countries, this New buildings in major cities like New York City and San Francisco must set standards for drug costs only a few cents per pill, but there are restrictions that prevent Americans from cities in the future. By regulating buildings with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and buying pharmaceuticals overseas. Environmental Design) Program, designs will be benchmarked for metered water use, measured rate of occupant use of transit/alternative commuting, measured percentage of The steps to resolving this issue are simple and few. Firstly, the government could create waste recycled, measured fresh air delivery, and mandatory policies that require green stricter policies regulating how much a pharmaceutical company could raise and lower the operational practices including required green cleaning and sustainable site management. By price of the drugs they have under their name. The second way to resolve this issue is to making sure that all new buildings in urban areas meet such standards, we will be pursuing a allow the taxed purchase of medications overseas, create a branch of the TSA, for example, cleaner, more sustainable future. that would inspect all foreign pharmaceuticals, and use the tax dollars made on the imports to fund it. This would greatly reduce the cost of getting this medication; for example, the same ACTION TO BE TAKEN: pill is 66 cents in Great Britain, less than 10 cents in India, and 2 cents in Brazil. These The U.S. Department of Energy will mandate that all new nonresidential buildings in cities solutions would resolve many of the issues we have with the inflation of drug prices, and with populations over 200,000 must be LEED certified. would leave little to no financial impact, making it an optimal fix.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: To fix this important issue, the government can choose from a few different plans of action. The creation of tougher policies dictating how much a drug company can fluctuate the price of its products is one plausible solution; it is low-budget, and will not affect the general public. Another option is to loosen restrictions on buying overseas and creating an inspection team to make sure the drugs are up to standards, funded by import tax. The purpose of this proposal is to allow full, equal access to pharmaceuticals that are too expensive, which can help patients live comfortably.

Proposal No. 1302 Proposal No. 1303

Name: Madi Rettew Name: Oliver Arenchild Delegation: Newport Harbor Delegation: El Dorado

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: A Proposal to Nationally Regulate and Restrict Fast Food Chemical/Fake Ingredients Banning the sale of firearms online

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Food has drastically changed since decades ago, and so parents often aren’t aware of the The only way that anyone should have access to the purchase of a gun and/or ammunition is severe decline in food quality. Fast food in particular is one of the primary reasons for the through a rigorous face-to-face sale and background scrutiny. It is too easy, when online, to drastic health decline seen today. fast food causes severe damage to your body ‘“ even if you falsify information or conceal one's identity. With this opportunity of false identity, guns don’t consume it for every meal of every day. Fast food is nothing but a concoction of have the possibility to fall into the hands of people who normally would not usually pass harmful and health-damaging chemicals which can easily be understood if you were to think background checks or face to face evaluations. In an analysis of internet gun sales in 10 for a moment how any restaurant could offer a double cheeseburger for only $1. Not only states from a single website, more than 15,000 guns were available for sale without does this fake meat provide no nutritional value at all, but it is chemically contaminated from background checks at any given moment. 1/3 of which are semi-automatic guns. Such ammonia, the toxic cleaning agent found under the sink. Of course the use of these practices are unsafe but yet go unchecked. ingredients is not limited only to McDonald’s. In fact, all of the fast food restaurants are guilty of using them. The worst part? They are aware of the destructive nature behind these The growth of the Internet has significantly increased the ability of individuals prohibited ingredients, but truly couldn’t care any less. The truth behind such a statement can be from possessing firearms to find sellers willing to transfer firearms to them without exemplified by Taco Bell’s attempt to create a drive-thru diet where individuals would background checks. In 2013, about 67,000 firearms were listed for sale online from private, supposed to lose weight by eating fast food. It was only a few years ago when Taco Bell unlicensed sellers. Now obviously not all gun buyers are unsafe and most could pass a announced the ‘Drive-Thru Diet’, where they showcased their foods low in fat. But what background check. Therefore, it would not be a problem for those people to go in store to they don’t tell you is that even if their food has 9 grams of fat, it is still made up of numerous buy guns, but those who could not pass a background check will no longer be able to ingredients contributing to the global health decline. purchase a firearm unchecked online.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States should create fast food standards and rules. At random, restaurant chains Congress will ban the online sale of firearms. should be inspected monthly, and if fake/chemical ingredients are found in the food, the business can have 2 chances before being shut down. 1st offense is a $10,000 fee and 2nd offense is suspension of the operation. Chains will have to follow these rules in order to stay in business.

Proposal No. 1304 Proposal No. 1305

Name: Grace Lurie Name: Ashley Vital Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro Delegation: Corona Norco

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Fines and punishment for animal abuse Getting homeless or sheltered pets homes

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The fines for animal crimes are different in every state. The state law in Maine is a $2000 According to the Humane Society of the United States, roughly 2.7 million healthy cats and fine and one year of jail time. In Nevada, a Class C Felony has a fine of $10,000 and five dogs are forced to be euthanize in animal shelters because they have not been adopted. This years of jail time. This proposal would make the fine $20,000 and the jail time of 10 years can be attributed to the fact that an animal shelter’s competition are pet shops. To receive a after getting caught after the first conviction. These crimes would include simple/gross profit, many pet shops deny the animals they sell veterinary care and have them living in neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse (dog fighting and cockfighting), and conditions that are detrimental to the animal. Pet shops are typically where many people buy animal sex abuse. their first pet which means these people are usually uninformed about proper pet care. California is the only state that requires pet shops to provide information about proper pet In 2014, the FBI added cruelty to animals as a category in the agencies Uniform Crime care to customers, but even with this law in action, many pet shops neglect to give this Report. This system collects reports of the crimes. This is only used in one third of the US information to customers. Not to mention, pet shops don’t contribute to solving the problem but it should be practiced throughout. of animal overpopulation by breeding and selling animals that are still young.

According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), an ACTION TO BE TAKEN: animal is abused every 10 seconds in this country. Animal abuse crimes are not compiled by Congress and the President will outlaw selling animals in pet shops, leaving animal shelters the state or federal agencies, unlike crimes against people. These crimes should not be treated the only outlet to obtaining a pet, therefore, increasing pet adoption rates. different than crimes against people because animals have feelings just like us humans.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Make the fine for animal abuse crimes $20,000 and put the money into a fund for a database of all the people convicted of these crimes. If found doing this crime a second time the person faces 10 years of jail time.

Proposal No. 1306 Proposal No. 1307

Name: Wyatt Meyer Name: Gabe Delgadillo Delegation: Stuart C. Gildred Delegation: SFY/Burton

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: I want to discuss lowering the drinking age in the United States for many reasons. Issuing Police Body Cameras

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: We have the highest drinking age in the world and share that with only 6% of all countries in To require all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras on duty will prevent false the world. In fact, 63% have it at 18 and about 20% more have it even lower. It would also allegations and the incarceration of innocent people. We should not have to rely on an boost beer sales, lower the illegal consumption of beer by masses, also produce more ineffective system of ‘he said, she said’ anymore, with lack of solid visual evidence court responsible drinkers(see in proposal).This is a little bit of why i want to lower the drinking cases are dragged out for extensive periods of time, wasting taxpayers money, that is what age in the US. we are left with today. With the requirement of body cameras on all on duty officers we will save time in court by going directly to the facts of what happened at the scene, preventing ACTION TO BE TAKEN: innocent people from being indicted for a crime they did not commit. Congress and the President will pass legislation changing the National Minimum Drinking Age in the united stated from 21 to 18 under the controlled substance act. In the past few years there have been a number of major cases involving police officers such as the oscar grant shooting at fruitvale station caught on bystanders cameras. Many people have been killed by the police these past few years. Since police officers were issued body cameras the rate of police involved shootings has decreased. Each camera price range is between 300-1000 dollars. There are around 900,000 police officers nationwide The body cameras could cost the same amount of money as a police gun( glock).

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Every police officer's except undercover police officers must wear body cameras all time on duty.

Proposal No. 1308 Proposal No. 1309 Name: Carli Zimelman Delegation: Culver-Palms Name: Hannah Schwimmer Delegation: Westside Family TOPIC OF CONCERN: Mandatory In-Flight Medical Personnel on Board of All Domestic Airplanes TOPIC OF CONCERN: Offering each graduating high school student the sum of $1000 if they come from a JUSTIFICATION: household with an income of $30,000 or less. According to the IATA, everyday, ‘approximately 8 million people fly and is suppose to drastically increase 44% next year.’ The Journal of Medical Services estimated that every JUSTIFICATION: one in 10,000-40,000 passenger would experience a medical emergency while on the aircraft. Every year 1.2 million American students drop out of High School. These students are a By these calculations, approximately 200-800 passengers have medical emergencies daily. burden today's society and economy. High school dropouts commit 75% of crimes and make With commercial air traffic increasing, there is an expected influx in medical emergencies on up 59% of prison inmates in the United States. Almost half of the unemployed population of board, especially because the ‘Baby Boom’ generation is increasing the percentage of America never graduated high school. Most high school dropouts end up relying on government assistance for the majority of their lives. Each year of high school dropouts cost elderly in the United States. All flights are required to have First Aid Kits and flight the American taxpayer over 200,000 dollars over the course of any given taxpayer's life. attendants are trained in CPR and undergo aviation medical training, however, they are not Through the course of the average high school dropout's life, they spend much of it allowed to help a passenger if their condition exceeds their knowledge. sporadically unemployed, relying on government aid, and even cycling in and out of the

In 1998, Congress passed the US Aviation Medical Assistance Act, which gives legal prison system, all the while taking money out of each taxpayer's pocket. Not only do high protection for airlines and doctors, as long as they are not guilty of gross negligence or school dropouts hurt America's national competitive edge, leaving us at 18th in high school graduation rates, but also they are drawing heavily on welfare and are proven less likely to willful misconduct. The flight attendants page for a doctor, physician, or registered nurse vote in elections than college or even high school graduates. Children with a high school and 80% of the time there is someone to provide healthcare, says The Atlantic. But the truth diploma will have a much higher chance of finding employment will be less likely to rely on of the matter is, ‘many health care providers find themselves attending to issues that they do government aid as adults. not see in their daily practice, and most have no specialist knowledge about aviation medicine or the medical resources aboard the plane.’ When in air, the drop in pressure  ACTION TO BE TAKEN: causes a 30% gas expansion and less oxygen available, which result in different medical Offering each high school student from a household with an income of 40,000 dollars or less procedures. Health care providers can easily be sued if they providing medical assistance if $1000 for graduating would incentivize students to graduate. Offering any given student the procedure is not the proper one for in-flight medical assistance. would save money for the government and the taxpayer in the long run because a high school diploma increases the chances of employment by 20%. The $1000 could be distributed on I propose that all domestic US aircrafts have an In-Flight Medical Personnel on board at all credit card like cards and handed out with the diploma on the day of the graduation. This times. This person is the only person that is allowed to preform in-flight medical procedures $1000 could be used for anything, having already completed its purpose of motivating the and is trained in this area. When purchasing an airplane ticket, the passenger will child to stay in school. electronically sign a wavier to allow the In-Flight Medical Personnel to perform any actions necessary to revive the passenger. If a person does not sign, on the flight attendants logs of those on a flight, there will be a symbol to represent no assistance for medical emergencies. If that person is in danger, the In-Flight Medical Personnel will not perform any procedures on the passenger, for they did not get that person’s consent.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States of America would add a law saying that all US domestic aircrafts must have an In-Flight Medical Personnel on the flight at all times. The price on an airplane ticket will increase slightly, to pay the medical personnel. The other money to fund this new law will come from the National Transportation Safety Board, in order to provide training to the individuals and pay them for their service.

Proposal No. 1310 Proposal No. 1311

Name: Ariel Meszaros Name: Esmee Greenfeld Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino Delegation: Palisades-Malibu

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Random Selection of Members of the House of Representatives Requiring all Public high schools and middle schools to start classes between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM. JUSTIFICATION: Currently, the only stated requirements to run for House are that Members be at least 25 JUSTIFICATION: years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state they A later start will drastically improve the odds of adolescents getting sufficient sleep so they represent. But in reality, having access to millions of dollars is an unstated requirement. The can thrive both physically and academically. Right now just 15 percent of high schools start average cost of winning a House race in 2014 was $1.2 million, and in 2012, 90% of House at 8:30 or later, and 40 percent start before 8 a.m. By forcing students to rise this early, members who sought reelection were successful. Most candidates get elected and reelected educators are ignoring adolescent biology and are restricting the time available for sleep and simply because no one can afford to challenge them. One of the main purposes of elections causing severe and chronic sleep loss. should be to provide citizens with the opportunity to hold their representatives accountable for the decisions they’ve made in office. The problem is that despite the elections, elected Not getting enough sleep can increase a teen’s likelihood of developing diabetes by representatives are not actually meaningfully accountable to those over whom they govern. decreasing insulin resistance. Most adolescents need at least nine hours of sleep and 87% of In the absence of meaningful accountability, powerful interests effectively capture teens in America are getting less than this suggested amount. representatives, ensuring that the only viable candidates are those who will act in ways that are congenial to the interests of the powerful. Students are proven to be more alert later in the morning and during the 7 a.m. hours, teen melatonin levels are still sending sleep signals. Random selection will ensure that everyone interested in serving will have equal opportunity to do so, and will preserve the one indispensable quality of democracy, rule by the people. Tired teens who drive themselves to school could risk getting in serious or fatal automobile Shifting decisions to a rotating pool of citizens, would limit the influence of money in accidents. politics, because there would be no more campaigns to fund; end the divisive rhetoric that politicians use to corral voters; and solve the problem of having politicians duck big issues Forcing developing teenagers to wake up as early as they do goes against our biological because they’re worried about their reelection prospects. Another advantage of lotteries over needs. Getting enough sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic elections is that they are likely to bring together a more cognitively diverse group of people, performance. It is time to rid our schools of sleep-deprived children so they can attend school a group of people with a better sense of the full range of views and interests of the polity. in a healthy fashion. In addition to countless studied conducted by pediatricians, the Federal Recent empirical work by Scott Page and Lu Hong has demonstrated that cognitively diverse Center for Disease Control and Prevention is urging education policymakers to start middle- groups of people are likely to produce better decisions than smarter, or more skilled, groups and high-school classes later in the morning. that are cognitively homogeneous, and because individuals are chosen at random from the jurisdiction, they are much more likely to be an ideologically, demographically, and ACTION TO BE TAKEN: socioeconomically representative sample of the people in the jurisdiction than those Require all public schools to move their start times for the sake of mental and physical individuals who are capable of successfully running for office. As a point of comparison, 44 health. percent of US Congresspersons have a net worth of more than $1 million; 82 per cent are male; 86 percent are white, and more than half are lawyers or bankers.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Amend the Constitution to state that House of Representatives members will be randomly selected from a list of registered voters from the state they will represent. Minimum requirements: be 25 years old and a US citizen for at least seven years. People may choose to decline service. Pay will be the same as current salary for a House member. Just as with the National Guard, these representatives will be entitled to return to their job after their term. Members cannot serve more than once. Appointment will be staggered so that Â_ of the House will be replaced every election period. Proposal No. 1312 Proposal No. 1313

Name: Sidney Hirshberg Name: Caitlin English Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA Delegation: Santa Barbara

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Severing military and economic ties with Saudi Arabia. The exposure, accessibility and affordability of cord blood to the general public

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Saudi Arabia is a thoroughly unreliable ally, which has consistently placed its own greed Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of special blood cells called stem cells. These cells are before the greater good of the Middle East. The ruling hereditary dictatorship subscribes to the body’s building blocks for blood, organs, tissue, and the immune system and are the same radical Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam that forms the basis of terrorist movements genetically unique to each baby. There are currently private blood banks across the nation such as Al Qaeda. Saudi Arabia has funded Jihadis around the world, most recently in Syria; that require extensive amounts of money to save cord blood after birth, therefore, making it it has been reported that funding for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was previously inaccessible to many middle to lower class families. Umbilical cord blood is a potential cure provided by the Saudis, or at very least by wealthy Saudi nationals with no government for dozens of cancers, blood disorders, immune and genetic diseases. According to inhibition. Simultaneously, the country has an abysmal human rights record, particularly StemCyte, the current leader in transplants worldwide, ‘cord blood provides a rich source of concerning women and religious minorities; Sharia law is the basis for Saudi law, right down stem cells for use in many conditions where bone marrow is considered today.’ Cord blood to execution by beheading with a sword. stem cells are used in disease treatment to fight over 80 diseases including many forms of malignancies such as leukemia, autoimmune diseases, lupus, and inheritable diseases such as Why, then, are we still allies with this nation, a state that is an ideological foe of everything sickle cell anemia. Doctors have increasingly turned to cord blood stem cells as a life-saving America claims to represent? The reasons are twofold: perceived strategic interests and the alternative to bone marrow transplants. According to the National Cord Blood Program, Cord simple fact that the Saudis have oil. To the first point, Saudi Arabia’s response to the recent blood offers a number of advantages to donors and transplant recipients. It is easy to collect, ISIS crisis has been anemic at best. They are far more interested in fighting a proxy war with often more likely to provide a suitable match and is stored frozen, ready to use. It is also Iran in Yemen, devastating the country in the process; in fact, according to The Guardian, associated with lower risk of viral infections. Stem cell research is exploring new Saudi Arabia was recently found to have committed human rights violations in Yemen by applications for treatment every day. This research may prove effective in the future bombing population centers, using an air force whose planes have mostly been purchased treatment of many common diseases and injuries that plague today’s society, including spinal from the US. It is time that we stopped fighting the Saudis’ regional battles for them. To the cord injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, and second point, we no longer need Saudi oil. American natural gas production has soared in HIV. Cord blood has the potential of saving millions of lives. However, storing cord blood recent years, up by 5.4% in 2015 according to USA Today, and is on a continuing upward continues to cost $1,575 to $3,020 a year, depending on the cord blood storage company, arc. The U.S. has each of the world’s four largest shale deposits, with reserves totaling, hardly anyone will be able to access it. according to the Institute for Energy Research, over 2 trillion barrels of oil, at least four times the reserves of Saudi Arabia. A break with Saudi oil would give us the opportunity to wean ACTION TO BE TAKEN: ourselves of our dependency on Middle Eastern oil, and make ourselves energy self- The implementation of a nationwide database wherein those in need of cord blood for sufficient. medicinal/experimentation purposes would submit a request for cord blood aid. The database would supervise all admissions of cord blood and all outgoing cord blood and also embody ACTION TO BE TAKEN: an inventory calculating those in the most critical need. Sanctions modeled after the ones in place on Iran prior to the recent nuclear deal, including an arms embargo and oil embargo, shall be enacted by the State Department. In addition, all payment of direct aid to Saudi Arabia shall be ceased, all American military forces currently stationed in Saudi Arabia shall be withdrawn, and all American military bases in Saudi Arabia shall be disestablished.

Proposal No. 1314 Proposal No. 1315

Name: Timothy White Name: Colin Ho-Tsueng Delegation: Greater Long Beach Delegation: Tri-Valley

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To encourage a political climate of authenticity rather than deception through the reform of Raising the federal beer tax. campaign financing JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The United States ranks as the 13th highest beer drinking nation in the world. However, the The United States of America prides itself on being a place where each person's voice and great deal of natural resources used in producing this beverage are causing harmful effects. vote matters, but this fundamental freedom we hold so dearly is slipping away as mountains According to MillerCoors, one of the largest brewing companies in the nation, it takes roughly of campaign cash cover us. Millions upon millions of dollars are poured into national 88 gallons of water to generate just 26 gallons of beer. This substantially disproportionate ratio campaigns every few years as the power that money has over our leaders continues to could pose serious problems to areas dealing with intense drought, California specifically. By increase. The most frightening aspect of all is the shroud over the information concerning raising the federal beer tax, the government can generate a significant amount of excess donors. Due to the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, groups and individuals no longer money, which would then be used to fund Desalination projects. The largest of these projects have to disclose their names when donating to political causes. This has resulted in an is in San Diego, where a $1 billion plant is expected to generate over 50 million gallons of exponential increase of private donations that has become unacceptable. In the 2012 fresh water a day. presidential election, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney together spent over 2 billion dollars campaigning. The current beer tax is about $0.055 per bottle, which is not a large difference from 1991, when the latest tax was set at $0.050 per bottle. However, it must be taken into account that A little known alternative to this flood of suspect money that traps our country's leaders is the right now, the west coast is in one of the worst droughts in history. Twenty five years ago, public financing of campaigns. The Federal Election Commission offers a special fund for there was no need for a higher beer tax, but times have changed and we cannot afford to presidential candidates, derived from individuals’ nonspecific donations, that works entirely continue wasting unnecessary water that is desperately needed to be allocated elsewhere.The in substitution of private or corporate financing. Numerous studies of previous public federal government should raise the current beer tax of $0.055 to $0.190 a bottle, in order to funding have shown its effectiveness in returning electoral power to the people and in giving raise funds for conservation efforts while still allowing the brewing and alcohol industry to newcomers a chance to defeat entrenched incumbents. The American election system needs a stay afloat. This is a feasible solution, because when the tax was raised to $0.050 in 1991, dramatic change’“we need to return power to the citizens, not to the corporations. Public almost $2 billion was generated in the first year. According to a study done by the National funding is a perfect opportunity to achieve this transformation. Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, increasing beer prices effectively reduces the risk of alcohol problems. Higher alcohol prices lead to a reduction in drinking among youth, ACTION TO BE TAKEN: and heavy drinking in general. A 2010 study from the BU School of Public Health found that A constitutional amendment will be passed restricting the financing of national elections to a one percent increase in alcohol beverage prices from taxes was associated with a 1.4 only public funding. Public funding will be expanded to include all congressional and percent decrease in the proportion of adults who binge drink. presidential national elections. No private funding will be allowed to further a candidate’s campaign; this will be monitored by the Federal Election Commission. Candidates for ACTION TO BE TAKEN: national office will be allocated a certain amount of money from the public fund to conduct The federal beer tax will be raised from $0.055 to $0.190 in order to combat drought in the their campaign. western United States. The money generated from the new tax will be put towards funding Desalination facilities and machines.

Proposal No. 1401 Proposal No. 1402

Name: Nate Holden Name: Maria Duga Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino Delegation: Burbank Community

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To eliminate legislation against genetic engineering on behalf of humanitarian issues. Allowing overstaying immigrants that do not possess any federal, state or municipal criminal records, and pose no threat to others, to apply for a special non-citizen residency permit that JUSTIFICATION: does not include a path or process to citizenship. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers many genetically modified organisms (GM) illegal because of controversial issues like modifying fetal tissue. The JUSTIFICATION: Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology (CFRB) regulates GM products Immigration is the foundation of the United States, as it describes on our Statue of Liberty. It based on the nature of their ‘˜scientific risk’. However, this ‘˜scientific risk’ is judged based is what America is made out of. We should welcome immigrants who migrate to the United on ‘˜existing statutes’ that include everything from verified scientific facts to the whims of States to seek and achieve the American dream. They have motivations consistent with the political lobbies (Emily Marden, Risk and Regulation: U.S. Regulatory Policy on Genetically American dream, which to immigrants might be defined as the pursuit of opportunity, a good Modified Food and Agriculture, 44 B.C.L. Rev. 73, 2003). This means that American job, owning a home, and in many cases, safety from war or persecution. Ambitious risk- biotechnology is limited by economic and religious ideals. takers, immigrants are willing to leave their friends and families behind for success in foreign land. Each immigrant contributes somehow to the community, politically, and economically, On the surface, the CFRB appears to force bioengineering practices to reflect the ideology of with illegal immigrants contributing to the most. our times. But unless our ideology is dictated by old men and political lobbies, this is simply not the case. As opposed to these impractical regulations on American biotechnology, China The U.S. economy benefits from the illegal immigrants by having additional tax revenue, has allowed its laboratories to conduct unfettered research which lead to fetal engineering expansion of the low cost labor pool, and increased money in circulation. Illegal immigrants and golden rice in 2015 alone. Golden rice is a nutrient rich grain that now feeds entire often pay income tax, sales tax and property tax on their homes. They are helping directly countries. Meanwhile fetuses, in light of findings from the Human Genome Project about and indirectly to finance transportation, health care, education and other services. On genetic cures to diseases such as Alzheimer's and malaria, could become healthier and average, all immigrants will pay $80,000 more in taxes per capita than they use in stronger humans (AGP Phase II, http://curealz.org/projects/alzheimer’s-genome-projectâ„¢, government benefits over their lifetime. If all of the 11 million illegal immigrants were to be 2015). Bioengineering laboratories are creating solutions to humanitarian issues in gathered, the economy would halt because these millions of people are working. It would everywhere except for the United States because of the CFRB. disrupt businesses that are dependent on foreign labor for jobs that Americans do not want. Obviously as a huge consumer base, illegal immigrants contribute to the U.S. economy While this proposal legalizes fetal engineering it does not give free reign to agricultural through their investments and consumption of goods and service. The total goods and companies like Monsanto. The Department of Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health services that they consume through their paycheck, plus al that they produce for their Inspection Service will continue to regulate agricultural GM under the Plant Protection Act employees, is close to about $800 billion. (PPA). By maintaining the PPA, we continue to protect ourselves from ‘plant pests’ that could damage our health or the environment (http://usbiotechreg.epa.gov/usbiotechreg/). ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Any immigrant who entered the nation using a passport issued before August 2007 will be ACTION TO BE TAKEN: granted a permanent residency without a path to citizenship. While doing so, they must pay a The Environmental Protection Agency will eliminate the Coordinated Framework for the heavy fine to punish their actions. For the people who came here when they were children, Regulation of Biotechnology to legalize bioengineering solutions to humanitarian issues. they must be given a lenient fine for they have no participation for breaking laws, such as overstaying their visa. The waiting period for attaining another legal visa MUST be shortened to 1 to 5 years. With petition inside the US, the waiting period to regain another passport MUST be shortened from a few weeks to a few months.

Proposal No. 1403 Proposal No. 1404

Name: Heidi Rubio Name: Feven Negussie Delegation: SPPY/WY- Wilmington Delegation: Crenshaw

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Banning tail docking and ear cropping of all dogs. Enforcement of accommodations for mental and physical disabilities in the workplace.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Docking is removing part or all of a dog's tail; this surgery is also known as ‘bobbing’. In the workplace, there is an assumption that every employee is able-bodied and/or Cropping is cutting off the floppy part of a dog's ear then being taped to a hard surface for neurotypical, unless their condition is visible or widely known. This leads to inappropriate several weeks while they heal so they stay upright. Docking and cropping both pose staffing that is both ineffective for the place of employment and detrimental to the employee. unnecessary risks. The most common reason for cropping and docking is to give a dog a There are already laws in place that ensure that employers provide accommodations for certain look. Both procedures certainly cause pain to the dog so being done for a look is employees with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 addresses the issue pointless and cruel. Docked tails have a chance of developing a nerve tumor, a study was of discrimination for employees with disabilities, advocating for accessibility of the conducted by Emily Paterson-Kane, an workplace, but lacks teeth. animal welfare assistant at the American Veterinary Medical Association who does not A friend of mine has a sister with trochanteric bursitis, a condition that causes her to feel pain support the procedure herself. Dogs communicate emotions like anger, excitement, fear, etc. when standing for too long. Despite reporting her condition to her manager, she was required with their tails. For example wagging is a trait of excitement and a tail tucked between a to work eight hours a day as a cashier at a retail store. Due to the chronic pain she dog's leg shows fear, so docking will interfere with a dog's ability to interact, communicate, experienced, she was forced to quit her job. Instances like these reinforce the need for the as well as make it hard for us to read how they are feeling. This surgery takes away many government to make sure that these laws meant to protect those who face discrimination are traits and the dog's nature from them. Docking and cropping is animal cruelty. Help victims carried out. I propose that in order to create a successful job force, there must be a mandatory of animal cruelty and protect tomorrow's dogs. evaluation to make sure that the law is upheld and the person is provided appropriate accommodations based on their disabilities. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Tail docking and ear cropping are to be considered animal cruelty, therefore against animal ACTION TO BE TAKEN: protection laws of the United States. If this law is broken the animal shall be seized and This evaluation will be enacted by a task force that will perform a mandatory yearly check on impounded and ownership forfeited. These crimes may be charged as either a misdemeanor the employee, to make sure that the person’s health is being acknowledged by the employer. or felony, with punishment of a fine up to $20,000 and/or imprisonment up to 1 year. The There will be a survey conducted on the employees with disabilities to ensure their comfort. crime will be charged against the owner as well as the veterinarian performing the procedure If action has not been taken, there will be a fine and a deadline given to the employer in order unless medically necessary. for them to fix the misconduct. There will be a larger consequence if there is failure to meet the standards after three incidents.

Proposal No. 1405 Proposal No. 1406

Name: Isabel Anaya Name: Carson Albertoli Delegation: SVC/Central Delegation: Halstrom Academy

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Gerrymandering is a pressing issue in America that can be eliminated by mandating that all Gun control has been a very controversial debate with citizens, lawmakers, and gun lobbyists boundaries are created by a computer algorithm that maximizes geographic compactness. for decades now. Those in favor of stricter gun control laws believe that both state and federal governments do not do enough, while people against it say it is too much. JUSTIFICATION: Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency to JUSTIFICATION: favor one party or social class. This manipulation is technically legal, but it goes against I personally believe that reduction of gun control could benefit the citizens of the United every principle in the constitution and of democracy, as gerrymandering creates an inequality States. Those averse to gun control laws argue that it strips away the right to bear arms. They in the value of the votes and influences the outcomes of elections. Gerrymandering also believe that they should have to right to be able to arm themselves for protection. On the results in districts that are spread out in weird, unequal shapes. contrary, with everyone being able to purchase and carry a concealed gun, there will be downfalls. With the amount of robberies and crimes in America, citizens need a way to This practice causes a representative body that does not accurately represent the people they protect themselves. By taking away guns, you take away the safety and security that people serve. This can be seen in the 2012 elections. A Fair Vote study found that Republicans were feel when they have a way to protect themselves. Guns do not kill people, it is us, as clearly favored in 195 House districts and Democrats favored in 166 House districts. For Americans, that kill people. Gun control will take away our rights and leave us defenseless example, in North Carolina, Republicans won 9 of the 13 congressional seats, despite the fact against people who intend to harm us. If you take away the guns of innocent people, it will that more citizens voted democratic than republican statewide. not stop the people who want to harm others from accessing a gun. Even with background checks, there are still people who should not have a gun who are permitted to own one. Just This can be prevented by using a computer algorithm to figure out boundary lines, instead of because some individuals have never been committed with a criminal offense does not mean having politicians make the boundaries. This algorithm, created by Brian Olson, a computer they do not plan on it in the future. Many people that do not meet the requirements to be programmer from Massachusetts, uses the most current Census data to draw equal population permitted a gun can still find a way to get their hands on one. Therefore, I am a firm believer congressional districts that are optimally compact. Optimally compact means that the district that gun control has gone far enough by taking our safety, privacy, and rights away. There is as close as possible to a perfect circle. As the algorithm also uses census blocks to create are not enough background checks on people who are eligible to buy a weapon. With the the districts, they will not arbitrarily cut through neighborhoods or people’s homes. By using Second Amendment unclear with its intentions in the phrase ‘the right to bear arms’. This an algorithm to create congressional districts, the government will eliminate gerrymandering keeps an undefined answer with people opposed to gun control believing that they should and restore the value of the votes of all citizens. have the right to arm themselves and people who support gun control are afraid that to many people have guns. But, one thing is for sure. Even if the government ventures deeper into ACTION TO BE TAKEN: background checks, the use of guns will not be going away anytime soon and people will do The U.S. Federal Government will mandate that all districts must be drawn using the stated anything to protect themselves. computer algorithm. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: I believe that gun control laws are going too far. Instead of increasing gun control measures by making the purchasing process more difficult, the government should invest in closing the existing loopholes that bypasses background checks. A gun purchased at a trade show may not have the requirement of registration, which leads to the end of the tracking on that particular weapon, and the lack of background checks means that no one will be denied sale of arms based on criminal records. Whoever receives possession of said weapon cannot be identified, which poses a risk in the surrounding community.

Proposal No. 1407 Proposal No. 1408

Name: Mike Nguyen Name: Alexa Barba Delegation: SFY/Burton Delegation: DaVinci

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: High schools starting later. Implementing a $0.10 deposit on cigarette butts.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: All California high schools must start at a later time in the day, 9am, because adolescents One of the most common forms of toxic waste is cigarette butts. About 40 million people in face a chronic health problem called sleep deprivation. Getting enough sleep for a teenager is the United States currently smoke. That means that an estimated 360 billion cigarettes are a biological necessity. Experts recommends teens to sleep for about 8-10 hours every night, smoked each year. An estimated 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts are discarded each but think about it, who actually gets that much sleep compared to the majority of teens that year worldwide. Because they are not biodegradable, the toxic waste is left to pollute the don’t? Sleep is food to the brain and without it, it will affect a student’s ability to learn, Earth leaving a very negative impact on the environment. Cigarette butts could be found listen, concentrate, and solve problems. Aso, a professor from Oxford University found that littering street corners, parks, and even beaches making up about 36 percent of all visible teenagers’ brains do not function at its best until 10am or as late as noon, which will affect a litter and usually ending up in waterways. student’s test score. On average there are 20 cigarettes per pack on average almost one pack is smoked each day. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: This means the smoker will have to pay about $14.00 extra in tax per week. They may then Every school district would simply set the starting time to a later time depending on the redeem this money by turning in their used cigarette butts creating an initiative encouraging school. the proper disposal of cigarettes throughout the United States.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Redemption centers should be located all around the United States where a smoker turn in used cigarette butts and redeem $0.10 per butt. The $10.00 will serve as a tax on a pack of cigarettes adding up to about $14.00 extra on the initial purchase per week. Though it might seem like a lot, all of that money may redeemed when the smoker turns in the used butts at the redemption center. The redemption center’s cost can be paid for by the tax money that isn’t returned to people who do not turn in their cigarette butts. The butts that are turned in will be properly disposed of at redemption centers rather than being left on the floor as toxic waste. Though there is no penalty for people who chose to not save their cigarette butts, they will not earn back the initial deposit.

Proposal No. 1409 Proposal No. 1410

Name: Courtney Watts Name: Alexander Araujo Delegation: El Dorado Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Mandatory Labeling of Foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) Promoting local and organic farming in order to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the agriculture industry JUSTIFICATION: Genetically modified food and ingredients can have a substantially negative effect on one's JUSTIFICATION: health. Most people do not know or even realize when they are consuming such foods with The agriculture industry is much more than just growing crops. The process of getting food genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Genetically modified fruits and vegetables can be from farm to table includes the production of synthetic fertilizers, processing warehouses, responsible for toxicity, health risks, allergies and environmental dangers. Health long distance transportation, packaging, and numerous other environmentally damaging professionals have also noted the increased use of toxic herbicides in GMO crop production. processes. That’s why the agriculture industry is one of the largest carbon emission producers A very common chemical used (Monsanto’s glyphosate) can cause cancer if consumed. Just in our country. In fact according to UN estimates, roughly 43-57% of global carbon as smokers are made aware of health risks with a health warning on packages, consumers emissions are from the food production industry. The production of agriculture itself should be made aware of GMOs in their foods. Labels allow consumers to make a more accounts for only about 10% of those carbon emissions, while the processing, packaging, educated choice on how they want their foods to be grown or raised. Over 80 bills were transportation and use of synthetic growth materials account for the majority of the introduced in states in 2015 to require some form of labeling of foods and ingredients emissions. In addition, the large scale inorganic farming techniques cause degradation of soil, containing GMOs. introduces a plethora of toxins and poisons into the environment, and can cause eutrophication in our water sources. The scariest part about it is that every time we sit down ACTION TO BE TAKEN: at the table for a meal, we are likely taking part in this environmentally unsustainable The Food and Drug Administration will require mandatory labeling of foods and ingredients industry. The only solution: sustainable, local, organic farming. containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The majority of carbon emissions from the industry derive from transportation and processing, both of which the every day consumer can easily avoid. The FDA found that roughly 50% of our fruit and 80% of our seafood is imported form out of the country. The average American can hardly eat a meal without having an imported food item on the table, despite the fact that the U.S. can easily grow the majority of food we eat on a daily basis. In addition, roughly 60% to 70% of our diet is from processed food. The synthetic food processes are not only unhealthy, but also environmentally detrimental.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress will develop legislature that imposes a 40% luxury tax on imported food products. The money derived from the tax will develop a fund that supports local, sustainable farming in communities. Congress will also create a federal committee to oversee the distribution of these funds.

Proposal No. 1411 Proposal No. 1412

Name: Simon Zeiger Name: Madeline Baumann Delegation: Albany Delegation: Triunfo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The national funding of college tuition for volunteers. The United States government will ban all standardized testing in grades K through 8.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: However great our nation may be, it still has many problems. Some of these problems are Since the 1800’s, standardized testing has been a large portion of the American education extremely complex and brand new, however many are problems that have been around for a system. Students are given unfair tests that inaccurately report a student’s intelligence. Since long time and occur much too often. These are difficulties every nation faces, like poverty, No Child Left Behind was implemented in 2002, the US has gone from #19 in math to #31 starvation, poor education, poor nutrition, and threats to the environment. That is why we (2012). One study done in 2001 by the Brookings Institution found that 50-80% of year-over- need to put more of an effort in restoring the backbone of the country by strengthening year test score improvements were temporary and "caused by fluctuations that had nothing to communities from the ground up; we need people to volunteer. This proposal will initiate a do with long-term changes in learning..." system whereby college students will have part of their tuition paid for if they do several months of volunteer work. The more volunteer work they do, the more money for tuition is Besides it being ineffective in helping educate students, it unfairly targets specific groups received. The volunteer work must relate to the betterment of our nation. such as non English speakers and students with special needs. Standardized testing fails to account for valuable qualities in students such as creativity, work ethic, leadership, Right now there are only 75,000 people working in AmeriCorps. If we could increase this resourcefulness, and integrity. It adds to the already high levels of anxiety and stress within number as well as the number in other programs that help communities with these issues, students, so much so that test administrators are given instructions on what to do if a child there could be a huge positive effect on our nation. Also, currently AmeriCorps only offers vomits during or before the test. around 5,550 dollars for a complete year of full-time work. This proposal will offer more, and incentivize volunteer work and give people more options than before. To get the tuition Standardized testing has continuously proven that it encourages poor education and money, volunteers can work for a governmental program, such as AmeriCorps. In the future, corruption. Teachers are often punished or promoted based on student’s test scores. This a volunteer will be able to work for an organization from an approved list of NGOs. encourages teachers to ‘teach to the test’ and ‘cheat the system,’ thereby narrowing the Volunteering can be done before, after or during college in the areas of public health and curriculum. The student’s scores are inaccurate of their own intelligence and their teacher’s welfare, environmental protection, or childhood education. This proposal should pass as it teaching capabilities. The millions of dollars spent each year on testing should be given to will highly encourage people to volunteer in ways that greatly help the United States, and the schools that need improvement or new resources. money that is put into their tuitions will be reimbursed in the form of a better nation. Standardized testing is an inaccurate and unnecessary practice that must be stopped. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Congress and the President will issue a federal act that will pay part of a ACTION TO BE TAKEN: student’s tuition if they volunteer. For each term of 770 hours, which is six months of 80% The United States government will pass a law that bans all schools from administering FTE (Full Time Employment), fifteen percent of a year’s tuition will be paid, or 4,500 standardized tests up to grade 8. dollars, whichever is greater. 5,700 dollars per term is the maximum. Or the volunteer can opt for a year of free community college. If the volunteer work is less than six months but more than three, 500 dollars per month of 80% FTE (130 hours) will be payed.

hemp for commercial purposes. The Department of Agriculture will also award subsidies to Proposal No. 1413 paper production companies that switch from producing tree paper to hemp paper.

Name: Ariela Hekmat Delegation: Palisades-Malibu

TOPIC OF CONCERN: This proposal is about replacing tree paper with hemp paper due to its environmental benefits.

JUSTIFICATION: United States paper producers consume 1 billion trees each year (735 pounds of paper for every American). The United States, at 5% of the world’s population, consumes 30% of the world’s paper. Our country’s paper producing companies are the 3rd largest energy consumer, and the pulp and paper industry is the 3rd largest industrial polluter. Today, only 4% of American old-growth forest remains standing. The consumption of wood is not decreasing, which means the environment will continue to be greatly damaged.

America can fix this growing environmental damage by replacing tree paper with hemp paper. Hemp paper comes from the hemp plant, which is a variety of cannabis and a cousin plant to marijuana, but it contains 0.3% or less of THC. Marijuana plants typically contain 5 to 20% THC, so hemp cannot cause an individual to get high. Hemp was banned in the United States under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 because it was erroneously confused with marijuana, and industrial hemp was banned along with it. President Obama recently signed into law the ‘Agricultural Act of 2014,’ which states under Sec. 7606 that an institution of higher education or a state department of agriculture can cultivate industrial hemp if it is grown for research purposes through pilot programs.

Millions of dollars worth of hemp is imported into the United States each year, and Canada’s hemp market verges on $1 billion a year. If America did not have to import hemp from other countries such and China and Canada, we could profit from a thriving market and create more jobs for Americans. Moreover, hemp paper contains multiple environmental advantages if it was used.

One acre of hemp can produce as much paper as 4 acres of trees. Additionally, hemp stalks only take 4 months to mature, whereas trees take 20 to 80 years. Paper, which is made out of cellulose, would be more environmentally friendly if it was made out of hemp because hemp can contain 85% cellulose. On the other hand, wood contains only 30%, which means that more toxic chemicals and energy are used to make paper from wood than from hemp. Furthermore, the hemp’s bast fibers are the longest and most durable fibers in the world. Hemp paper doesn’t require toxic bleaching chemicals. It can be whitened with hydrogen peroxide, which doesn’t poison waterways as chloride and bleach. Lastly, hemp paper can be recycled 10 times whereas wood-based paper can only be recycled twice without losing integrity and requiring additional virgin fiber content. It is very evident that hemp would be a better option to make paper with than tree wood.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States will sign into law an act that legalizes the cultivation and use of industrial Proposal No. 1414 Proposal No. 1501

Name: Jackie Forsyte Name: Matteo Debole Delegation: Santa Monica Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To mandate that in investigations of police misconduct, an independent investigative team Nationwide Tax Incentives for Companies willing to hire ex convicts. must be brought in to investigate the charges and that a special prosecutor must be brought in during the trial at the expense of the officer’s own police department. JUSTIFICATION: The concept is simple. Companies that are willing to, and hire at least 3 ex convicts a year JUSTIFICATION: are given a rebate of 1/15 of their yearly income as an incentive to increase the work force, The criminal justice system in the United States is seriously flawed and by mandating these widen the diversity of said work force, and most importantly, to truly help reintegrate two things, this systematic crack can begin to improve. In 2015, there were 217 cases in convicts into society. A huge problem with our country is that after convicts get out of jail, which police officer under investigation for wrongful manslaughter was cleared of they are put at a complete disadvantage when trying to reintegrate into society. Most jobs wrongdoing in a process that was led by the county prosecutor who typically works alongside require you to check a box that says if you have been convicted in the past, and most times, that police department. One third of the wrongful manslaughter cases by a police officer were that box is a deal-breaker. Ex-Convicts have to try and balance parole meetings and jobs, investigated by the officer’s own department. This is a clear conflict of interest because which, so often, conflict with each other’s times. If they miss their job, they lose it, and are police departments and county prosecutors have a desire to protect their own officers. If the forced to either be homeless, or make money and survive by resorting to the petty crime that justice system is so corruptible that a jurors are excused for even having a small conflict of got them incarcerated in the first place. If they miss a parole meeting, they face a fine, or interest, why is it that counties have the ability to protect their police officers in lieu of usually even more incarceration. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program already works delivering justice. Police misconduct is a systemic issue and hundreds of people are dying or with the US Dept of Labor companies to offer tax deductibles to companies who hire ex- being mistreated at the hands of the police. The criminal justice system in the United States is felons, but figures have been limited, and not much change seems to be happening. But, if we supposed to protect the citizens and right the wrongs in the world, however, it has use the Dept of Justice alongside the Dept of Labor and the IRS to implement the tax systematically failed to do so. Through major conflict of interest and bias, police officers incentives as a nationwide measure, it could be a huge step to reintegrating ex convicts back who commit crimes are not properly investigated or rightfully prosecuted. into society. These convicts have been let out of prison because they have been rehabilitated. If they weren't ready to enter society and get a job and be a better citizen, they wouldn't have ACTION TO BE TAKEN: been let out of prison. By mandating that all cases of police misconduct be investigated by external counties and prosecuted by special prosecutors, we can reduce the amount of bias and improper ACTION TO BE TAKEN: misconduct in police departments and serve justice to those who deserve it. The US Department of Labor, the IRS, and Department of Justice would implement large scale tax incentives to companies who hire ex-convicts.

Proposal No. 1502 Proposal No. 1503

Name: Amanda Clayton Name: Leonard Qian Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar Delegation: SPPY/WY- Palos Verdes

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Creating facilities that breed bacteria such as, Colwellia, for the use of bioremediation Creating more transparency in publicly funded government agencies against oil spills. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: a formal public statement of support for Congressional initiatives to codify the Bioremediation is the use of either naturally occurring or deliberately introduced Administration’s own directive and its strong presumption of openness. microorganisms or other forms of life to consume and break down environmental pollutants, in order to clean up a polluted site, such as oil spills. By creating facilities that breed these ACTION TO BE TAKEN: bacteria we will then be prepared for future oil spills. It has been calculated that oil spills can For a more open government, the Administration should support legislation that ensures cost up to $25,111.85 per ton, and with bacteria it will significantly cut that price down. It agencies may not withhold information unless they reasonably foresee that disclosure will takes bacteria one day to reduce a gallon of oil to half a gallon, which will dramatically cause specific identifiable harm to an interest protected by an existing exemption, or if the increase each day due to their exponential speed of reproduction. Due to their speed of disclosure is prohibited by law. consumption it will protect the potential permanent harm it will have on the environment, such as the lives of the marine animals, along with other species living within that particular ecosystem. Inside the facilities, the bacteria will be fed fertilizer that contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which will be their substitute food. The nitrogen and phosphorus will not be harmful to the environment since the water it contaminates is held within a protected facility. The funding will be added in with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) funds. When the bacteria are released they will consume the oil and reproduce; when all the oil has been consumed the bacteria will no longer have a sufficient food source and therefore will die. When dead, the bacteria cause no harm towards the environment. Bacteria, such as the Colwellia, have been found on the seafloor and were first discovered during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Researchers found that the oil spill was cleaned up notably faster than most, and through their samples the bacteria were found.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Facilities funded by the Environmental Protection Agency shall be created in order to save expenses and marine animals and other species during an oil spill, by breeding bacteria such as Colwellia.

Proposal No. 1504 Proposal No. 1505

Name: Jack Sadler Name: Seiji Sasaki Delegation: Santa Monica Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: In order to moderate our political process, I propose withholding 5% of federal grants Increasing capital gains tax and creating a government agency to invest and allocate the towards statewide utilities until that state passes a "top two" or "jungle primary" electoral marginal capital tax revenue into welfare. process. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Warren Buffett once said, ‘Counting payroll taxes, I’ll probably be the lowest paying A "top two" primary is a "primary election in which all candidates for the same elected taxpayer in the office.’ Warren Buffett, the 3rd richest man worth 72.7 billion dollars has a office, regardless of respective political party, run against each other at once, instead of being smaller tax rate than everyone in his office- people that have net worths less than 1/10,000 of segregated by political party." This means that, for example, in "District X", which is 70% their boss. How? Capital gains tax. Democrat and 30% Republican, normally the most radical Democrat wins the Democratic Primary and inevitably wins the election. Under top two, two Democrats would likely face If you don’t know what a capital gains tax is, it’s a tax levied on the profit from the sale of off in the general election. With the 30% of Republicans welcomed back into the electoral property or investments. The reason why Warren Buffett pays such a disproportionately process, the moderate, not the radical, is favored to win. small amount of taxes is because he makes the bulk of his money from investments which are taxed through capital gains tax. Since capital gains taxes are kept at a low rate of 15% to When we think about leveraging federal funds in order to get states to pass legislation, we promote investments, investment moguls like Warren Buffett end up paying a lower rate than need to consider three things: constitutionality, necessity and the partisan nature of the the average working citizen. proposal. I will address all three. We’ve all heard of the quote ‘the rich get richer.’ Well, the low capital gains tax rate is 1. Constitutionality: In South Dakota v. Dole the Supreme Court held 7-2 that withholding what’s perpetuating the increasingly disproportionate distribution of wealth. Investing is an 5% of highway funds to raise the drinking age is constitutional. This action is constitutional. activity only the well off can participate in. People making 10 dollars an hour simply don’t

have the money or time to invest. However, people who inherit millions of dollars hire 2. Necessity: Politics is supposed to be divisive, but over recent years it has become private investors and enjoy the benefits of their low capital gains tax. To put this into paralyzingly so. Moderating our political process through concrete reform is absolutely perspective, If you have 1 million dollars to invest which returns a 10% profit annually, essential to the future of our federal government. you’re only paying 15,000 dollars out of the 100,000 dollars you make a year.

3. I believe it is unethical to leverage federal funds in order to force a partisan agenda on Why should someone who simply sits on their money pay a lower tax rate than someone states. This proposal moderates both Republican and Democrats. It's an issue that requires working a full-time job? The answer given by the rich is, ‘a lower capital gains tax rate federal action, because it isn't a rational action to take alone at a state level. increases the incentive to invest in companies enriching our economy.’ First of all, a huge  ACTION TO BE TAKEN: portion of investors invest in foreign corporations, which doesn’t help our economy. The federal government will withhold 5% of federal grants towards statewide utilities until Secondly, a new federal agency that invests the marginal capital gains tax revenue made that state passes a "top two" or "jungle primary" electoral process. from raising the capital gains tax rate ensures investments don’t slow down. Which is exactly what this proposal does.

Through the decades, income inequality has slowly been on the rise. Instead of helping the rich with tax breaks, we should be allocating money to the poor. By increasing the welfare budget, poorer families can offer better education to their children and a generally better quality of life.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress will increase capital gains tax by 5% and create a new federal agency (THE Federal Investment Agency, FIA) with the sole intent to invest the marginal revenue made from the 5% of increased taxes into mutual funds. The interest made from the new agency is allocated to the welfare budget. Proposal No. 1506

Name: Andrea Webb Delegation: Hilltop

TOPIC OF CONCERN: Legalize Hair in the Workplace

JUSTIFICATION: On September 21, 2013, a finance company called Tower Loan in St. Peters, Missouri implemented into their policy that employees are prohibited from having, ‘dreadlocks, braids, mohawks, mullets and other hairstyles are against company guidelines.’ Just about two months earlier, the branch had hired an African American woman by the name of Ashley Davis to work as a secretary. Davis wears dreadlocks and had been wearing dreadlocks since she was 14 years old. All of her family members sport this hairstyle and she considers it a great part of her culture. Yet, she was the only member of her office who wore dreadlocks. She did not find it to be a coincidence that the new policy change was implemented only after she became a part of the staff. Though her manager had told her after just two weeks of working that she was doing ‘a great job’, she was given an ultimatum to cut off her culturally expressive hairstyle or lose her job.

In the same month, a bone-marrow cancer survivor Tiffany Bryan was hired as a security guard at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. After losing her hair in chemotherapy, she vowed not to add any chemicals or do anything harmful to her hair after it began to grow back. She worked at the arena for 6 months before faculty mentioned anything about her hair being a problem. She was first asked by her manager to wear a headband to ‘tame’ it and she respectfully agreed. She was then demanded to put her hair in a ponytail. For Bryan, an African American woman, the texture of her hair does not allow her to simply put her hair into a ponytail because of the way her hair, along with many people’s hair of the same culture, grows up and outward rather than straight and down. She states in her lawsuit against the company that she was, ‘discriminated against and effectively terminated for the way she wears her hair.’

The managers and members of staff responsible for firing these women along with others across the country are not taking into consideration that these hairstyles can be the only options for many people with a certain culture. Hair texture is not a choice, and how employees choose to maintain and/or style their hair should not warrant attack or scrutiny while they are simply trying to do their job. Staff members must be allowed to express their culture freely in this melting pot we call America.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The National Labor Relations Board will illegalize the possibility of termination for natural or culturally expressive hairstyles including, but not limited to: dreadlocks, braids, cornrows, afros, afro puffs, twists, and Bantu knots.

Proposal No. 1507 Proposal No. 1508

Name: Tyinice Sims Name: Sudhiksha Shanbhag Kota Delegation: Crenshaw Delegation: SVC/Central

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Mandating sensitivity training for Police Officers who have abused their authority. Media sources displaying the leading polls for the Presidential Elections on Election Day.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: In the United States, it is generally easy to purchase a gun. In recent years we have seen an The media is a powerful tool that influences our everyday life. Radio, television, social increase in gun violence perpetrated by Police Officers. Although Police Officers are trained media, newspaper and other forms serve as a means of communication in our society. Hence, to use their guns only if they think their life and/or other peoples lives are in danger, recent media can either be helpful or destructive. occurrences have proven that the training is not always followed. Numerous Officers have caused harm and/or killed unarmed civilians and despite indisputable evidence, have On Election Day for the Presidential Elections to come in years, media resources broadcast managed to get away with it. New structures need to be put into place to serve as a the leading polls of the candidates for the public to see. Voters are often influenced last consequence for these Officers in addition to preventing other Officers from taking the same minute by this information. Suppose a voter wants to vote for Sanders. However, this voter actions. The Police are here to protect and serve, which should result in Officers practicing sees that Trump is leading and decides not to vote since he believes that his vote will not preventative measures to not abuse their power. As American citizens protected by the matter enough to allow Sanders to catch up to Trump. constitution the number one priority of Law Enforcement is to reinforce safety, physical or hazardous responses should serve as a consequence instead of a first impression. The banning of media resources disclosing the leading polls for the Presidential Elections would also not allow voters to vote strategically. This would create a fair system in our polls ACTION TO BE TAKEN: as several voters vote based on the polls last minute if they do not have a candidate of choice. Officers who have not committed any offenses will need to take training courses every two Importantly, these polls could be inaccurate as the media can manipulate this information years to qualify to carry their weapons. Officers who have committed an offense will no easily. Hence, voters may not be voting truthfully and this is an obstruction for our polling longer be able to carry a gun. The Department of Justice will implement federal action to system for the Presidential Elections in the United States of America. ensure that this process is enforced. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Media outlets from private or government companies cannot display any information regarding the leading polls of the Presidential Elections on Election Day.

Proposal No. 1509 Proposal No. 1510

Name: Roman Kaludi Name: Ethan Howard Delegation: Albany Delegation: El Dorado

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Reforming the Electoral College. Require California to relinquish water quality regulation to the US Environmental Protection Agency JUSTIFICATION: Every four years, Americans go to the voting booths to vote for their choice of president. JUSTIFICATION: Who ever is lucky enough to win, will become the most powerful man or woman in the Each year, numerous river systems and their inhabitants across the state of California are in free world and will have tremendous influence all around the world. Decisions like this danger of pollution by major power companies, such as PG&E and SMUD (Sacramento one, should be made after careful consideration and only after deciding who would best Municipal Utility District). People in California enjoy and depend on our waters. They’re serve the country, should one vote. where we love to swim, fish, canoe, kayak or just enjoy the scenery. They supply us with clean drinking water. We should be doing all we can to protect them. However, in recent However, voters in the United States don't vote for the president. People actually vote for years, polluting industries have put California’s waters in great jeopardy. Ever since the a group of electors when they go to the polls on Election Day. These electors have Clean Water Act was passed over 40 years ago, pollution and energy companies have carved loopholes into the law that leave more than half of California's water systems in danger of pledged to support a party's nominee for president. In many states the ballot lists only the over pollution. The board in charge of regulating water quality and rights regulation for names of the nominees and not the names of the electors, so many people believe they are California has failed to maintain adequate water quality standards in the state. voting for the president. In reality, the candidate who receives more votes in a state receives all the votes. This concept was originally intended for colonists, who didn’t ACTION TO BE TAKEN: know anything about the candidates because of the limited resources at the time. In The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shall assume responsibility for California water today’s world, the internet, cable tv and newspapers, all inform people of who’s running quality and rights regulation from the California State Water Resources Control Board. and their political agendas.

This has had many issues in the past where a candidate who had received more votes lost because the the other candidate received more Electoral College votes. The most recent incident was the 2000 election Bush v. Gore where Al Gore won the popular vote (more votes) but George W. Bush won the Electoral College. Voters should be allowed to make informed decisions on their own and have a direct say in who leads our country.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress shall pass a new constitutional amendment that abolishes the Electoral College and instead replace it with a direct election where the candidate who receives more votes, will win. This will require both the House of Representatives and the Senate to vote in favor by a 2/3 majority.

Proposal No. 1511 Proposal No. 1512

Name: Juan Hernandez Name: Talia Begi Delegation: DaVinci Delegation: Triunfo

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The Topic of concern is to mandate drug testing when someone is applying for welfare, and The United States Federal Government will ban the sale, purchase, and wear of Crocs. to make sure that welfare assistance is being used properly. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Since the invention of this type of shoe, parents have been dressing their children in The United States Welfare system allows families to receive government help and financial multicolored forms of it. Children have been running and playing outside with their Crocs assistance to maintain stability in their homes. Those who are helped by the welfare system without a care. While the usage of this brand of shoe has slowly degraded, the impact on are usually families who are facing hard time economically and their income does not meet those who still wear them remains. their needs. Most programs of the welfare system use tax dollars and therefore the money should go to the right hands. The government has the responsibility to make sure that the tax Countless accounts of their ugliness have been recorded throughout social media. However, money is going to the right people and not those who will spend it on drugs. So far some of their pain has also been documented but with a lesser spotlight. The holes in the Crocs were the states that have passed this law include Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Kansas, Arizona, placed for ventilation, but they have caused distress more than that. Accounts of bee stings Tennessee and Mississippi. After these tests have been conducted there have been a very through the holes and dirt filling their shoes have been documented throughout the years. small percentage of people who test positive to drugs, but states like these aren’t really known for illegal drug use. Therefore this proposal asks for mandatory drug tests for those Not only is this a health hazard for those who have an allergy to bee stings, but it is also an who apply for welfare and asks for drug tests in the west coast such as California and east issue of cleanliness. Children have the ability to tread dirt into the house with the Crocs, coast states where drugs are more popular.. Providing monetary assistance to drug users does which could increase the entropy of the home environment. Crocs are a nuisance, a health not truly help that person or the person's family. This does not take care of the important issue and need to be stopped. public health concern of assisting those with substance abuse problems but instead enables them to continue living a detrimental life. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States Federal Government will gradually order the throwing away of the Crocs ACTION TO BE TAKEN: throughout the course of a year to rid of them. The Action to be taken is that all Welfare applicants must be tested for drugs or other illegal substances that can cause welfare money to be used in an irresponsible manner. The tests should be conducted before receiving welfare as well as frequent checkups to make sure no one is taking any illegal substance.

Proposal No. 1513 Proposal No. 1514

Name: Vivian Lin Name: Lily Kaplan Delegation: SFY/Embarcadero Delegation: Palisades-Malibu

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: This proposal aims to ban the 2nd amendment. This proposal deals with a a mentoring program within the foster care system.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The right to bear arms has harmed America more than it has helped civilians from peril. Five-hundred, ten thousand children. Children living without a stable home. Children Unregulated firearm control has erupted into a series of unfortunate events like the Sandy wondering why they weren’t good enough and what they did wrong. The foster care care Hook shooting and the shooting of Tamir Rice. Civilians do not need firearms to protect system is anything but a caring system. Reports released by a foster family network state that themselves if no one else is allowed to carry a gun. Police are also put into dangerous and less than 54% of these children will receive high school diplomas. After emancipation from difficult positions when faced with guns as well. Unprecedented events like the Oregon the system, 51% are unemployed, and 84% become parents too soon. If we continue to sit standoff challenged the U.S. government and took control over a federal wildlife reserve. idle, by the year 2020, twenty-two-thousand, five-hundred children will die of abuse or neglect, many before their 5th birthday. And seventy-five thousand former foster youth, who In the U.S. there are 88.8 firearms per 100 people which is completely unnecessary have recently aged out of the system, will experience homelessness. We want to change that. especially when the U.S. has one the strongest militaries in the world. Since 2006, there have And we know that we’ve created a bill that will save and better thousands of these lives. been more than 200 mass killings in the United States. As a woman, it’s crucial to have a female role-model who is willing to discuss and give ACTION TO BE TAKEN: advice on navigating the first years of womanhood. This does include menstruation, but also Proposal to abolish the 2nd Amendment in the United States and regulate firearms within law learning how to develop confidence. Young boys also need guidance as they enter manhood, enforcement and military. as many neglected young men fall into violent patterns and disrespect women, contributing to a harmful societal atmosphere. So many of these foster children have enormous potential, and it’s our responsibility to help them fulfill it.

It’s necessary to recognize the importance of the simple parent figure. A parental bond is essential. Feeling love for someone and being loved is included in the very bottom tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. And foster children need it like nothing else.

Having a constant parent figure that provides guidance for the present and future will also improve high school graduation rates for foster children. As of now, only 2% of former foster children earn a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Our bill would change that. Our bill would mold the futures of thousands of American foster children. Instead of setting them free after emancipation from the foster care system to be homeless, we’ll be setting them free prepared to pursue happiness, achieve success, and contribute to a better California. Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class. (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).

Recurring behavior problems (Thurlow, Sinclair & Johnson, 2002). Young adults who face an opportunity gap but have a mentor are 55% more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not have a mentor. (The Mentoring Effect, 2014). In addition to better school attendance and a better chance of going on to higher education, mentored youth maintain better attitudes toward school. (The Role of Risk, 2013). Young people with longer mentoring relationships report better outcomes than youth with shorter mentoring relationships in areas such as higher educational aspirations (86 percent of young adults in relationships of more than a year versus 77 percent of those in relationships of a year or less always planned to enroll in and graduate from college), sports participation (77 percent Proposal No. 1515 versus 70 percent), leadership positions (61 percent versus 50 percent), and regular volunteering (61 percent versus 53 percent). Name: Dylan Ashton Delegation: Downey-South Gate ACTION TO BE TAKEN: This proposal will offer each child in the foster care system from 7th to 12th grade with an TOPIC OF CONCERN: adult mentor of the same gender. The mentor will take the child out for a fun activity each Unemployment month with a curfew until 7:30 p.m. and a time limit of 3 hours. The mentor will also provide guidance, which will become especially needed as the kids begin to experience the JUSTIFICATION: often frightening changes of puberty and the first year of high school. The mentor must pass Justification:Unemployment is nearing all time highs. According to Bureau of Labor all required background checks in order to be around youth. They will sign a contract in statistics unemployment had a drastic increase more than once each decade. If these patterns order to ensure the permanent partnership between 7th to 12th grade. continue then we are going to hit another massive drop in employment very soon. Advancing technologies allow companies to hire less and use machines more and more preventing honest Americans from getting any jobs. We have been estimated to have more than 430,000 self checkout stations. These stations are taking low pay jobs from the lower class and preventing them from living their american dream.

Self checkout stations are vulnerable to shoplifting techniques. USA Today sited that theft from these machines is five times higher than a normal checkout.when using self checkout stations ‘¦ you can easily find a customer struggling with barcode scans, bagging stations, and non scannable merchandise. Just to make matters worse the screen might say assistance needed, however there is nobody there to assist you. I guess the motto to this story would be it isn't hard to find a disgruntled customer having a bad experience. Greedy retailers still seek to install self checkout stations to improve their profit margins at the expense of the average working man and woman who just need to be able to purchase basic necessities of living.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The Department of Labor will tax companies using self checkout stations $2500 per unit per month. These funds will be used on education and job training.

Proposal No. 1601 Proposal No. 1602

Name: Alberto Encinas Name: Eli Harris Delegation: SPPY/WY- San Pedro Delegation: East Valley Family YMCA

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Implementing subsidized ‘Headstart’ programs in public schools across the United States. Attempt to mandate (nationwide and government funded) city beautification days, with care and services provided to homeless people who participate JUSTIFICATION: In the United States, education is occasionally placed last on the totem poll of needs, JUSTIFICATION: especially education before Kindergarten age. However, statistics show that children need to The proposal would mandate city beautification days, occurring biannually in cities with be surrounded by constant stimulation. A ‘Headstart’ program offers an answer to this populations above 250,000. Especially in more populated urban environments and lower income neighborhoods, public parks and roads are overrun with trash and litter. This necessity. There are a countless number of psychological studies that have followed students contributes to a the general public having a strong disregard for public services and an from young ages and into their forties. The students who participated in these ‘Headstart’  overall sense of disgust with the state of their cities cleanliness. Additionally, homeless programs were more prepared for the world, held better jobs, and veered away from people in these areas are forced to endure living conditions that are unclean and unsafe. This troublesome situations. is why, during these beautification days, the homeless will be offered food and services in return for their volunteer work on the beautification process. Often times children who grow up in impoverished environments suffer from anxiety, taking a huge toll on their academic performance. This continues to fuel the poverty cycle because if ACTION TO BE TAKEN: you grow up in an impoverished environment you’re more likely to end up in a similar The government will enact a nationwide holiday, biannually and on a weekend so as not to environment. This subsidization will assist in the destruction of this constant cycle, by basing disrupt the regulated work force system, to beautify parks in its major cities and further help how much you pay on your income level, so that no matter what background, children of all the homeless and their condition in said cities. income levels can have an equal opportunity to essentially have a more positive future.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Creating a mandatory subsidized ‘Headstart’ program in all Public School Districts. One out of every three elementary schools within a public school district must have a ‘Headstart’ program that is subsidized based on the parents’ income.

Proposal No. 1603 Proposal No. 1604

Name: Ryan Chen Name: Abby Dunham Delegation: Crescenta-Cañada Delegation: Estancia

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Connecticut and Rhode Island shall be merged in a single joint state, while Puerto Rico shall Creating a nationwide minimum for paid family and sick leave. form the 50th state of the United States of America. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: The United States is just one of three countries out of a total 185 that doesn’t guarantee paid While the United States have not allowed a state into the union since 1959 with Hawaii, with maternity leave. Maternity leave and family leave differs across the states and all too often the serious financial burden our country has, it is time to entertain such a possibility. the policy is unpaid leave if an employee has been with the company for a while. The According to politicususa.com, the Treasury Department reported a $439 billion deficit as of American people deserve to be given the security and stability that other countries. No family November of 2015. Serious measures must be taken to reduce such a large national debt. should suffer so horribly financially for having an ill loved one or a new child. Financial struggle on top of high medical bills and the current crisis of wage disparity for the working Connecticut currently has a population of around three million people and Rhode Island a class is outrageous. Lack of financial security and job security should not be the fate of population of around one million people. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico, though it has been a families if they bring life into the world, care for their loved ones, or need time to regain United States Territory since 1898, before five other states were admitted in the union, health themselves. currently has a population of three million people. According to census.gov, this population is more than the population of almost half of our current states, the majority of which are The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 is not enough for the American people. It only larger in terms of land. considers workers who work for an employer who has 50 or more employees or public agency, elementary, or secondary school. Even then there are more requirements and the In addition, Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation with about 1200 square miles of leave is still unpaid. Even if someone is eligible for FMLA leave they may not be able to land, miniscule when compared to the 49th largest state, Delaware, at around 2500 square afford it. The United States is the only major country in the world that does not guarantee miles. Furthermore, Los Angeles, an area less than half that of Rhode Island, has almost paid family, maternity, paternity, or sick leave. Our people need to be able to start families, twenty times more people. care for their ill loved ones, and should not be forced to work through their own illness.

In this system we have in place right now, Puerto Rico is a United States Territory. This ACTION TO BE TAKEN: means that though Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States, they do not pay federal The FMLA will be amended to make companies pay for their employee’s leave from work. taxes and only have a single non-voting representatives in Congress while receiving federal The minimum for paid sick leave and family sick leave will be one week. The minimum for financial assistance of more than $20 billion per year. By adding the highly-populated maternity and paternity leave will be twelve weeks. The An application process will be territory of Puerto Rico to the United States, the taxation on its assets will help pay for such required and depending on the reason for leave individual companies can limit the time an fiscal debt. According to the Federal Funds Management Office Commonwealth of Puerto employee is absent from work as long as it is at or above the minimum. Paid leave will be Rico, if Puerto Rico was a state in 2009, the United State would have received as much as $9 accessible to everyone no matter their age, length of employment, or wage amending these billion in income tax. In exchange for such taxation, Puerto Rico will gain more restrictions in the FMLA. representation in the United States Federal Government, gaining two seats in the Senate and five seats in the House of Representatives.

Such action is not unsupported. According to CNN, 61% of Puerto Ricans were in favor of statehood.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: In accordance with Article IV, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, Puerto Rico legislature as well as Congress shall continue legislation entertaining the possibility of entrance into the union, while Congress as well as the respective legislative bodies of Connecticut and Rhode Island shall begin to entertain legislation regarding the joining into a single state. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Proposal No. 1605 High school students living under the poverty line attending public schools would receive a payment of $100 for above a 3.0, $200 for above a 3.7, $300 for a 4.0, and $400 for above a Name: Jake Swayze 4.0 each semester of high school. The classes would be weighted. This payment would be Delegation: South Pasadena San Marino distributed by the US department of Education, who would draw the money to do so from the Department of Agriculture who would eliminate the federal direct payments to agricultural TOPIC OF CONCERN: producers reducing spending by $25 billion between 2015 and 2023, according to the Education achievement gap between students whose parents have high incomes and those congressional budget office estimates. whose parents live in poverty.

JUSTIFICATION: Today education is more critical than ever. Men with only a high school diploma earn about a fifth less than they did 35 years ago. The gap between the earnings of students with a college degree and those without one is bigger than ever.

And yet higher education in America has increasingly become the preserve of the elite. The sons and daughters of college-educated parents are more than twice as likely to go to college as the children of high school graduates and seven times as likely as those of high school dropouts. The problem however doesn’t start in college. Students from low income families perform worse than affluent ones from an early age and this trend continues and worsens through high school. America’s Education system is supposed to be the great equalizer, and a system for socio economic advancement. In both of these functions, it is failing.

There are an enormous number of reasons for this achievement gap and failure of our educational system. Most of them stem from the central fact that the children of the affluent have, from day one, more resources and support. This kind of structural inequality needs to be addressed, but it’s such a huge and all encompassing problem with the capitalist system that in solely focusing in educational policy it might be best, to put it crudely, to just shove it aside.

I think the best resource we have in getting low performing students to achieve more is the students themselves. If you can motivate students to try, to do the work, and to put in a consistent effort the path to college becomes a lot easier.

Almost all of the benefits for school are long term. The pitch we’re currently making is that if you try hard then eight years later you will be able to achieve a higher standard of living. This kind of long term thinking and planning is hard for everyone, but it’s especially hard for adolescents. Providing a more immediate incentive for academic success would create the kind of short term incentive that has been shown to be more effective in motivating teenagers. My proposal is to pay students whose families are under the federal poverty line money for achieving a certain GPA, providing a short term incentive for academic achievement.

Proposal No. 1606 Proposal No. 1607

Name: Donna Fang Name: Dex Troxel Delegation: Hilltop Delegation: DaVinci

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Expand more educational experiences in work-study programs for students enrolled in 4- It is in the best interest of the United States of America to require a certified school nurse for year public colleges and private universities. all schools in the United States.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Many college students are finding themselves to be overwhelmed by the costly expenses of In the United States last year over three million children were injured in high school alone. attending college. By turning towards the only solution to continue paying for their Most of these injuries are easily treatable or preventable, but because of the lack of school education, they take out loans and result in an immense amount of student debt that continues nurses in modern day high schools many of these injuries become more severe and dangerous to grow far beyond their college graduation. The amount of college students who are than they needed to be. Two million of these injuries were sports related and 1 million of struggling to find a stable job are increasing, and so is their student debt. In fact, 8.6% of these were easily treatable on site. With the introduction of a school nurse these easily college graduates with a B.A. degree are unemployed, with 44% of graduates aged 22 to 27 treatable injuries would no longer be the major problem that they are currently. Especially with a B.A. degree or higher are underemployed, meaning they are working minimum wage, with the amount of concussions growing yearly it is extremely important that school nurses and/or are not in a job that does not even demand a bachelor’s degree. Students are not able are present when and where they need to be in schools around the nation. to buy their own house or car even after graduating, and are using money from their savings to pay off their student loans instead of using the money for their child’s education in the Each and every in-school injury costs money to the school, and to families of the students future. According to current statistics, the graduating class of 2015 owed close to $70 billion injured as well. Medical costs hinder schools all around the nation. According to the Office in student debt, averaging to around $35,000 a person, making the Class of 2015 the most of Technology Assessment the overall cost of medical expenses in the US last year in high indebted class ever. In total, the national student loan debt is currently at $1.2 trillion, where school alone was 1.2 billion dollars. Because the amount of students in the US is constantly the percentage of students with loans and the average debt per borrower in each year’s on the rise the number of injuries in schools has grown. The growing amount of injuries has graduating class continue to rise since the year 1993. made it imperative that schools around the nation become equipped with medically credentialed nurses to treat their students. More colleges should increase work-study programs with increased opportunities to gain learning experience students’ courses of study by arranging agreements with for-profit ACTION TO BE TAKEN: employers for work-study jobs. For example, instead of placing a student majoring in Pre- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide a credentialed nurse to all Med in a job to shelve books for 9 hours a day at the school library, they can give the student public high schools in the United States. Each school shall receive one base school nurse per the opportunity to thrive at the Children’s Hospital for 9 hours for a fulfilling educational school. After that one nurse will be added on to that per every 700 enrolled students. These experience. As a result, it will help aid students in paying for their college tuition in addition nurses must be credentialed by the state and must be paid for by the school. to providing more work experience so their employment rate can increase. In further depth, expanding work-study program opportunities is a step towards combating socioeconomic disparity by giving more groups, particularly low-income or underprivileged communities, the opportunity to pursue and have access to higher education. College is both a choice and a privilege, but it should be a choice and a privilege for not only the affluent, but also the financially disadvantaged.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Congress will issue and pass a bill where the Federal Government will expand work-study opportunities at all 4-year public colleges and private universities by requiring colleges to establish agreements with local employers for work-study jobs that relate to popular fields of study, while prioritizing these jobs over entry-level jobs for students.

Proposal No. 1608 Proposal No. 1609

Name: Nina Price Name: Jade Lim Delegation: Berkeley Delegation: SRV/Fuerza Unida

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: Outlawing the Performance of Non-Domesticated Animals The topic of concern is maternity leave.

JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: Every year millions of Americans gather to watch animals from all around the world perform According to a 2012 survey conducted by Abt Associates, one in four new mothers return to tricks at the bay of their owners. However very few of audience members ever think to ask work two weeks after childbirth in the United States. Many countries in Europe already how these wild animals - most of whom belong thousands of miles away - ended up just feet provide their workers from ten days to four months of paid maternal leave along with 13 from their eyes, or how a creature with strong instincts of survival could have been trained to weeks to three years of additional unpaid days. Some women in the United States return to complete tasks so opposite to their nature. work after one week. Only three out of the fifty states, California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, provide paid maternity leave. California only provides six weeks and mothers only An estimated 300 wild animals are currently in the captivity of circuses, on top of the sea life receive 55% of their income, with a maximum of $1,104. Raising a child until age 18 in the belonging to performing companies such as Sea World and Great America Discovery United States costs approximately $245,340 for a middle-income family. Big name Kingdom. However, the luxury of watching animals comes with huge costs, and it is companies in North America have already incorporated beneficial maternity leave policies, becoming increasingly obvious the many flaws of this enterprise. such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Google, Twitter, and Yahoo. For example, Google provides 18 weeks of paid maternity leave, mothers who experience complications during birth Animals are often acquired through illegal, or simply inhumane poaching, and then they are receive an extra four weeks, and primary caregivers are allowed up to twelve weeks of paid made to perform tricks using punishment training. These punishments come in the form of paternity leave, along with $500 for their newborn. It should not just be our country's top food deprivation, electric shocks, and whipping, among other things. The impact these companies who lead this change. Our government needs to prioritize the health and actions have on the animals includes psychosis, unnatural aggression, depression, and severe happiness of our nation's families, and provide them the support they need to succeed. physical health issues as a result of their living conditions. Newborns' health is affected when the mother is not present, especially their stress and emotional systems. Mothers are emotionally affected as well, which could later create mental As it is not hard to imagine, the effects of these performances impact people too. From a and emotional issues. After giving birth, mothers need at least six weeks of recovery for their young age we are being tricked to believe that wild animals are meant to be a source of body. Not only do women face the many challenges of becoming a mother while maintaining entertainment and has managed to cause a further disconnect between the animal kingdom. their career, they statistically do not earn as much money as their male counterparts for equal These animals additionally pose a threat to public safety as their escapes are all too common, work. This is why I propose that not only should both women and men receive six weeks of and have resulted in several deaths within the last few years. paid paternity leave, but women should receive 119.6% of their normal pay in order to compensate for the average salary discrepancy concerning gender. The United States has fallen behind when it comes to their policies on the performances of wild animals, and stands as one of the last developed countries to have no federal ban nor ACTION TO BE TAKEN: strict regulations around this issue. It is time that we joined the world in the protection of Congress will edit the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allowing parental leave for these animals. newborns at least twelve weeks of paid leave with a minimum of 119.6% discrepancy of their regular income. ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States will outlaw the use of any exotic or non-domesticated animals for the use of live entertainment.

Proposal No. 1610 Proposal No. 1611

Name: Selina Xie Name: Julia David Delegation: SFY/Embarcadero Delegation: Newport-Corona del Mar

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The United States Federal Government will lower the drinking age to 18. The use of corporal punishment (paddling) by public school officials or teachers is lawful in 19 states. JUSTIFICATION: Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities to vote, join the military, smoke, JUSTIFICATION: gamble, etc., which includes the right and responsibilities of life and death. Adults from the A 1977 Supreme Court ruling determined that while corporal punishment violated the age of 18 should therefore also be trusted to make decisions about alcohol consumption. Eighth Amendment's prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment," the clause did Prohibiting young adults from drinking in bars, restaurants, and other public locations has the not apply to students. Under the majority's logic, criminals could not receive corporal effect of forcing them to drink in unsupervised setting. Lowering the drinking age will allow punishment, but students could ‘” even without their parent's permission. young adults to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision. Americans aged 15 and up drink only three-quarters as much alcohol as Europeans, but are more likely to be Each year, hundreds of thousands of students are subjected to corporal punishment in involved in fatal alcohol-related accidents or die from other alcohol-related causes. It is public schools. Aside from the infliction of pain and the physical injuries which often common in European countries for parents, like Italy or France to serve small amounts of result from the use physical punishments, these violent disciplinary methods also impact alcohol to their kids during meals. These parents are educating their children about alcohol. students' academic achievement and long-term well-being. Disabled students are spanked Lowering the drinking age would make alcohol less of a taboo. at a disproportionately high level, despite research suggesting that those with mental

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: handicaps are least capable of understanding why they are being punished. Minorities are The United States Federal Government will amend the law to lower the drinking age from 21 also punished at a higher rate. In a particularly striking example, the North Carolina to 18. Department of Public Instruction found that while Native American students constituted only 2% of students, they received 35% of the state's corporal punishment. Across all races, about 80% of those punished are boys. The number of non-disabled white women spanked in the United States in 2009 was considered statistically insignificant by the Department of Education. Many people are unaware that corporal punishment is still allowed in public schools in some states and therefore are unable to give the issue the attention it needs. School spanking remains lawful in 19 states over the opposition of 80% of American parents, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Education Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and many others.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The United States congress will pass legislation that outlaws corporal punishment in the United States to protect students’ well-being. If a school staff member, including teachers and administrators, violates this law by using corporal punishment, they will lose their teaching credential and will face state child abuse laws.

Proposal No. 1612 Proposal No. 1613

Name: Kali de Varennes Name: Nicolette Khalifian Delegation: Triunfo Delegation: Palisades-Malibu

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: The welfare system in the United States is surrounded with controversy. Well fare recipients This proposal deals with the implementation of an accurate conversion table of grams to should be required to perform mandatory, random drug testing periodically and those who teaspoons onto the labels of foods and beverages being sold. pass the test should not receive welfare benefits. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: By simply adding an accurate conversion table of grams to teaspoons on the labels of foods Substance abuse issues have long been part of public assistance policy discussions. States and beverages serves numerous health benefits to consumers. Consumers are incredibly have proposed drug testing of applicants and recipients of public welfare benefits since unaware of their sugar-intake due to how improperly companies are informing consumers of federal welfare reform in 1996. Many professions require their employers for random drug how much sugar is actually in their foods and drinks. Teaspoons are far more recognizable to testing so welfare recipients should not be excluded. consumers thus allowing them to gain a stronger understanding of how much sugar is being consumed. By implementing an elementary, clear conversion table of grams to teaspoons If taxpayers are required to give part of their earnings to people who are in need, it would be onto the labels of foods, consumers are able to quickly identify and recognize how much reasonable to expect that the people receiving welfare assistance should be held to certain sugar they are consuming. Labels and nutrition facts are constantly being looked at before standards in order to ensure the temporary nature of the assistance and to lead to their quick purchase, however because the unit grams is unclear and unfamiliar, consumers aren’t able to re-entry into the workforce. Drug tests would ensure that this level of responsible behavior is truly identify how much sugar is in their purchase. Today, about 208,000 Americans under upheld by those receiving assistance. the age of 20 have been diagnosed with type-II diabetes, in which glucose levels in the bloodstream are excessive, and sugary foods are only increasing peoples’ chances of being Mandatory testing would not only hold welfare recipients to the same standard as everybody diagnosed. Research has found that a high-sugar diet certainly increases diabetes risk- adding else, but it also would perform a critical service as a means of assistance for those suffering just one serving of a sweetened beverage each day to your diet ups risk by 15%. from psychiatric disorders, medical disorders, and/or abuse problems. Welfare recipients must trust that they will be taken care of when they need it, and those who pay for that care Furthermore, more than 34.9% of American adults are to be considered obese, some of these must trust that it is necessary and that it is, above all, temporary. Drug tests could go a long obesity-related conditions include type-II diabetes, certain types of cancer, and heart disease. way to ensure that this social contract remains strong. It is said that approximately 5 grams of sugar is equivalent to one teaspoon; thus your favorite bag of candy containing 25 grams of sugar has approximately five teaspoons of ACTION TO BE TAKEN: sugar in it! Imagine pouring in five teaspoons of sugar into a typical, 2 ounce bag of candy, The United States Federal Government will require drug testing welfare recipients and then would one eat it? This action would significantly decrease the chances of the diagnosis of in turn disqualify those who fail the test from collecting benefits. diabetes, lower obesity rates, and move the nation one step closer to a healthier state. With the implementation of a conversion table, consumers are motivated and intrigued to see how much sugar is in their beverage, thus suppressing their chances of consumption.

Consumers will finally be aware of how much sugar they are consuming with the simple addition of a conversion table to store-bought foods.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: Food production companies will implement a conversion table of grams to teaspoons onto the labels of store-bought foods and beverages, covering between 20 and 25% of the label.

Proposal No. 1614 Proposal No. 1615

Name: Saad Hassouneh Name: Elizabeth Tapia Delegation: Anaheim Delegation: SVC/East Palo Alto

TOPIC OF CONCERN: TOPIC OF CONCERN: To change and regulate Gerrymandering so that the electoral districts are evenly in favor of Stop cutting education funding both parties. JUSTIFICATION: JUSTIFICATION: As years go by, technology advances, new resources are available and education has the Gerrymandering is being used to give particular parties unfair political advantages. When opportunity to improve greatly. However, for the past five years Congress has cut setting an electoral district, politicians manipulate the district boundaries to create an unfair funding for K-12 education by almost 20%. Schools have suffered greatly after millions advantage for their particular party or group. This creates unequal and unfair election. The of dollars were cut from education programs. This forced districts to dismiss teachers, party is guaranteed the win in that district and the party takes over and makes their candidate increase class sizes, cut extracurricular services like tutoring and athletics, and even limit have an unfair advantage over the other parties. This does not let the citizens of the area have school bus routes. a meaningful vote. For example a republicans vote will not matter if they are living in an electoral district that was made to vote democratic and this goes the same for a democratic Education is not the only funding that the government should decrease. Since the 1980s voting in a republican district. The people should be the one choosing who they want to lead the U.S. has spent three times more on the prison system than on education. Education and represent them, not have an insignificant vote and be forced to have no say in who wins seems to be the only thing that comes to mind when thinking about cutting down the election. It needs to be changed so that the districts are equally divided so that all parties get equal vote. spending even though it only accounts for 4.2% of the entire 2015 federal budget of $3.7 trillion. In July of 2015, the House of Appropriations Committee unveiled an education ACTION TO BE TAKEN: spending proposal that would end about 20 programs, cutting down spending about $3 We need to redistrict and make the electoral districts have a more balanced party population billion. Cutting these programs and education funding in general would hurt children and to create a more equal election. families in need. It is not only Congress’ decision how to fund education; the States also have the responsibility to fund public education in the best way possible. Some states struggle greatly to adequately fund education and have unequal systems. In fourteen states there is the problem of “regressive” school funding--these states provide less funding to school districts with higher concentrations of poor students. Nineteen states have a “flat” school funding system, in which they fail to increase in funding to high poverty districts. Only four states are actually funding schools at a “successful” level. A well funded education system can increase equity and opportunity for all students, strengthen support for teachers and school leaders, improve affordability, quality and success in college, make schools safer and create a positive environment.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN: The best way to fairly cut spending would be to agree on which areas need to be cut down instead of education. Not too long ago, President Obama submitted a plan that reduces spending in multiple areas, not only education. The best solution would be for both Congress and the President to work together and agree on a long term solution.