Migration Category: news-10001-15000-national

On Monday, two Boy Scouts of America (BSA) board members, Randall Stephenson and James Turley, announced they will seek to end the organization’s ban on gay members. Stephenson, who will assume the position of national chairman in 2014, and Turley hope to implement a policy that would put the power to admit or not admit gay boys and men to the Boy Scouts in the hands of the individual civic organizations which fund units. Currently, that power lies with the organization on a national level. The BSA’s longstanding policy on homosexuality may be challenged before the board as soon as next week.

“The chartered organizations that oversee and deliver scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with their organization’s mission, principles or religious beliefs,” said BSA spokesman Daron Smith,in reference to the proposed change. He went on to say that parents would be permitted to sort through the policies of local chapters and place their child in the one most on par with their views.

The organization has been heavily scrutinized over their policy prohibiting openly gay scouts and leaders. In June of 2012, the BSA executive board issued a memorandum reiterating their policy: boys and men are not to be asked about their sexuality, but those who explicitly state that they are gay will be denied admittance. Entities with antidiscrimination policies, for example public schools and large corporations, have been withdrawing financial and in kind support of the Boy Scouts and have circulated petitions in significant numbers against the exclusionary policy. In 2000, in the Supreme Court case Dale v. Boy Scouts of America, the Supreme Court ruled that the organization was within their rights when they denied a gay teen membership in 2000.

Yesterday a Wyoming state House committee voted 5 to 3 to reject a bill that would have prohibited abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

House Bill 97 was introduced into the Wyoming House Labor Health and Social Services committee yesterday by Representative Kendell Kroeker (R-Evansville). The committee debated for over two hours before rejecting the bill. Many representatives cited legal and medical vagueness as a reason to reject the bill. Representative Mary Throne (D-Cheyenne) questioned “Is this abortion illegal at 22 days with a highly invasive ultrasound or is it illegal at 9 weeks when we hear a heartbeat with a stethoscope?” Republican Representative Norine Kasperik (Gillette) pointed out that during the discussion she also heard different answers for when a heartbeat is detectable. Kasperik said, “These are questions that I feel like I have not heard answers to and have concerns about the vagueness of some of the language within the bill.”

Representative Sue Wallis (R-Recluse) shared her own abortion story, which happened when she was facing both a difficult pregnancy and a custody battle for her three children against an abusive ex-husband. “The notion that protected human life begins at the moment of conception is some religious sects’ interpretation, certainly not mine” she declared.

Wyoming is not the only state that has considered a ban on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The Ohio state legislature faced the same decision last year when a heartbeat bill passed the Ohio House of Representatives, but expired in the state Senate without being brought to the floor.

On Monday, a bipartisan group of US Senators unveiled a comprehensive plan to reform the current United States immigration system.

The immigration blueprint calls for a path to citizenship for those who are currently residing illegally in the U.S., but with the caveat that the U.S. borders be strengthened. The plan would also make it easier for low-skill and agricultural workers to obtain legal work visas and would offer green cards to those who graduate from an American university with an advanced degree in math, science, or technology. The plan also includes improvements in tracking expired visas.

The bipartisan group of Senators who created the plan, called the “Gang of Eight,” includes Republicans John McCain (AZ), Marco Rubio (FL), Lindsey Graham (SC), and Jeff Flake (AZ). Democrats who worked on the plan are Charles Schumer (NY), Dick Durbin (IL), Robert Menendez (NJ), and Michael Bennet (CO).

Senator McCain told media host George Stephanopoulos, “We can’t go on forever with 11 million people living in this country in the shadows in an illegal status.” Senator Charles Schumer told reporters that while Democrats may compromise on border security, “there’s a bottom line, and that’s a path to citizenship for the 11 or so million people who qualify. We’ve made great, great progress with our Republican colleagues.”

President Obama is scheduled to announce his goals for immigration reform at an event in Nevada on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the White House said in a statement, “As the president has made clear for some time, immigration reform is an important priority and he is pleased that progress is being made with bipartisan support… At the same time, he will not be satisfied until there is meaningful reform and he will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved.”

Under a proposed law in the New Mexico state House of Representative, a woman who has an abortion after being raped could face felony criminal charges.

New Mexico House Bill 206, proposed by state Representative Cathrynn Brown (R-Carlsbad), would classify terminating a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest as tampering with evidence. The text of the proposed bill [PDF] reads “Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime.” This could mean that rape or incest victims who seek to terminate a pregnancy resulting from rape could face felony charges and up to three years in prison.

Representative Brown insists that the bill was designed to protect women from being forced to have an abortion by their attacker. She told the Albuquerque Journal “I thought I had a pretty good little bill that was going to accomplish a lot of good, and it’s being misconstrued.” She claims in the Carlsbad Current-Argus, the local newspaper for her district, that the bill was poorly drafted by a member of her staff and when reviewing it she didn’t catch the possible interpretation that she is facing criticism for now. “I missed this one,” she said.

Javier Gonzalez, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, told the Albuquerque Journal “This bill is wrong and should never see the light of day in any legislature in this country, let alone New Mexico… The war on women in America has to stop. No woman should ever be forced to carry a child for ‘evidence,’ plain and simple.”

Representative Brown plans on introducing new legislation that will clarify that the attacker would be punished under the law, not the victim, however she has yet to respond further to the media.

A Colorado Catholic hospital defended itself against a wrongful death suit by claiming that the hospital failed to perform an emergency c-section to save the lives of twin fetuses in court by arguing that fetuses are not people.

In 2006, Lori Stodghill was seven months pregnant with twins when she arrived at St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City, Colorado, with what was later determined to be a heart attack. Emergency Room staff were unable to resuscitate Lori, and the obstetrician on call, who was also her primary obstetrician, did not answer their pages. The twin fetuses died in the womb. Jeremy Stoghill, Lori’s husband, filed a wrongful death suit arguing the while a c-section might not have saved Lori, it could have saved the twin fetuses.

Catholic Health Initiatives, which manages the St. Thomas More Hospital, filed a brief that “Under Colorado law, a fetus is not a ‘person’ and plaintiff’s claims for wrongful death must therefore be dismissed.” The defense attorney for Catholic Health Initiatives Jason Langely, wrote in the brief that the court “should not overturn the long-standing rule in Colorado that the term ‘person,’ as is used in the Wrongful Death Act, encompasses only individuals born alive. Colorado state courts define ‘person’ under the Act to include only those born alive. Therefore Plaintiffs cannot maintain wrongful death claims based on two unborn fetuses.”

The Catholic Church is currently investigating whether the brief filed on behalf of Catholic Health Initiatives violates Catholic Doctrine. The Catholic Bishops of Colorado released a statement saying “Catholics and Catholic institutions have the duty to protect and foster human life, and to witness to the dignity of the human person – particularly to the dignity of the unborn. No Catholic institution may legitimately work to undermine fundamental human dignity… The Catholic bishops of Colorado are not able to comment on ongoing legal disputes. However, we will undertake a full review of this litigation, and of the policies and practices of Catholic Health Initiatives to ensure fidelity and faithful witness to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

The Feminist Majority Foundation applauds the long awaited decision to remove the combat restriction on women in the military. This is a historic milestone in the fight for women’s equality. The combat restriction has been a sham. Women have been and are currently serving in combat positions, but have received neither the recognition nor the chance for promotion that men have enjoyed. We urge in its implementation that all barriers based simply on the gender of members of the armed services be removed, and that they be judged simply upon their capabilities.

For years women in the military have been discriminated against because of a cultural war that has finally ended on the position of women in the military. The reality on the ground has finally become the reality of public policy.

In 1980, when I was the President of the National Organization for Women, I released the following statement: “Discrimination against women…produces in the armed services exactly what it produces in the society as a whole-wasted skills, talents and potential…” At that time, we also addressed the false position that women do not serve in combat roles, saying, “The first myth to be dispelled is that women have not been in combat…Women have served and will continue to serve in combat environments under the same conditions, suffering the same risks and injuries as men.” Finally, our nation is recognizing this basic fact and correcting this outrageous injustice that has denied women just benefits and recognition for far too long.

In the fight for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment it was frequently argued by opponents that women cannot have equal rights without sharing equal responsibility. We have had more than our share of responsibility. Now, because of the courageous service of women in the armed services, women in the military are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) re-introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which addresses the wage gap between men and women, in the Senate on Wednesday.

The bill, S. 84 seeks to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and require employers to prove that differences in wage are the result of differences in merit, not gender. It also prohibits retaliation against employees who file claims of wage discrimination, and allows victims of wage discrimination to seek punitive damages for lost wages.

In a press release, Senator Mikulski said “The Paycheck Fairness Act ensures that women will no longer be fighting on their own for equal pay for equal work.” Senator DeLauro echoed Mikulski’s sentiment by saying “The Paycheck Fairness Act will help the Equal Pay Act fulfill its intended objective, offer real protections to ensure equal pay for equal work, and see that women are paid the same as the other half of our nation’s workforce for the same job.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act was first introduced in 2009 but failed to get the necessary 60 votes to pass in the Senate. Last year, the act was filibustered by Senate Republicans in June.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli likened his fight against birth control coverage without copays to the civil rights struggles led by Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday.

On a conservative radio show, Cuccinelli claimed that his campaign against birth control was actually a fight to defend religious liberty comparable to the fight by Martin Luther King, Jr. He told listeners “All they talk about -they don’t talk about denying religious liberty. They talk about contraception. And I’m not talking about contraception. Government doesn’t have a role in contraception. … Government does have a role in protecting your civil rights especially today on MLK Day. The man who really came up with the American non-violent protest theory of civil disobedience. It’s pretty egregious that they can’t get any higher than contraception when we’re talking about protecting people’s religious liberty.”

In a statement released by the Virginia Democratic Party, former Delegate Ferguson Reid condemned Cuccinelli’s remarks “It is disappointing that Attorney General Cuccinelli would equate his opposition to birth control coverage with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the men and women who marched and fought so that all Americans could have equal rights.”

Cuccinelli has been in the spotlight on reproductive health issues before. Last year, Cuccinelli came under fire for his efforts to establish one of the strictest TRAP (Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers) laws in the country, which requires that abortion clinics in Virginia meet the same building regulations as new hospitals.

On Tuesday, Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) reintroduced a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The version of the bill they introduced is the same version that passed in the Senate during the last legislative session. Additionally, Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced a reauthorization bill that is identical to the Senate version, H.R. 11.

The bipartisan-supported Senate Violence Against Women Act includes expanded protections for Native American women, LGBTQ individuals, students, and immigrant women. In addition, the proposed reauthorization closes a loop-hole in regards to U visas that House conservatives had used as an excuse to dismiss the Act in the last session. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) told reporters “In the interest of making quick and decisive progress, we introduce the bill today without that provision in order to remove any excuse for House inaction.”

VAWA expired at the end of 2012. This was the first time VAWA has not been reauthorized since it was first passed in 1994. House conservatives had proposed their own version of the reauthorization in the last legislative session, the Cantor/Adams VAWA, that did not include protections for Native American women, LGBTQ individuals, and other disenfranchised groups. funny photos

Yesterday, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. Vice President Joe Biden also took the oath of office alongside the president.

In his inauguration speech, President Obama called for a progressive platform that featured climate change, women’s rights, LBGTQ rights, immigration reform, protection of voter rights, and more. President Obama highlighted the greatest civil rights movements in United States history as a call to new action.

“We, the people” he proclaimed, “declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.

It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.”

While public attention was focused on the inauguration of President Obama, the Virginia state Senate quickly passed a redistricting measure that could give Republicans a majority in the state senate in 2015. The measure was passed on a 20 to 19 party-line vote while one Democratic state senator was in Washington, D.C., for the Inauguration ceremonies.

“We talk about the dangers of legislating on the fly. Well, this is the ultimate in danger,” Senator Don McEachin of Henrico (D) said about the measure. “The public has no idea what we’re about to do adopting this substitute, nor would they know in the next three days that it would take for this bill to ultimately pass.”

Governor Bob McDonnell (R) had yet to read the legislation when it was passed. A spokesperson for the governor’s office told reporters “The Governor was very surprised to learn that a redistricting bill would be voted on by the Senate today… He has not seen this legislation. If the bill gets to his desk he will review it in great detail at that time as he did with prior redistricting legislation.”

The redistricting would potentially eliminate one democratic seat in the Virginia senate by creating one district that is predominantly minorities, and in doing so allowing Republicans to gain control of nearby districts. Democratic Leader Richard Saslow (D-Fairfax) says that Democrats will challenge the measure in court if it passes the House. “If this plan stands, there will be litigation, you can be sure of that,” he told reporters. “The Virginia Constitution says that the Virginia General Assembly shall redistrict in 2011 and every 10 years thereafter. This will be struck down. The collateral damage from this thing will be immeasurable. This isn’t the last we’ve heard of this.”

Rush Limbaugh responded to a caller who brought up abortion during a conversation about gun control by saying, “You know how to stop abortion? Require that each one occur with a gun.” during his show on Wednesday.

Rush Limbaugh is known for his inflammatory and ultra-conservative comments. Last year, Limbaugh entered the birth control debate with his vitriolic remarks against then-Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke. Limbaugh remarked on his radio show, “What does it say about the college [sic] co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex.” The national criticism of Limbaugh’s remarks forced over 150 businesses to pull advertisements from The Rush Limbaugh show.

A Virginia State Senate committee blocked a bill that would have repealed two anti-abortion laws Thursday on a party line vote.

In a vote of 8 – 7, the Senate Health and Education Committee struck down an attempt to repeal a law requiring mandatory ultrasounds before having an abortion as well as a TRAP law that requires clinics to meet the same regulations as hospitals. State Senator Ralph Northam (D) who sponsored the bill to repeal the mandatory ultrasound law, told the committee he was “giving you the opportunity to right the wrong committed last year.” State Senator Mark Herring (D), the sponsor of the TRAP law repeal told Huffington Post on Thursday “I think the votes today indicate that Republicans still have an extreme agenda, and they’re intent on reducing access to women’s health care.”

In a press statement Tarina Keene, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said “Once again, we see Virginia’s anti-choice lawmakers playing politics with women’s health by rejecting commonsense proposals that expand access to care… Today, tomorrow, and every day, women in Virginia have to jump through outrageous and unprecedented hoops in order to access what is a safe and common medical procedure, not to mention a constitutional right.”

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell certified the new TRAP laws on Friday, December 28th, 2012. The second highest number of anti-choice provisions enacted in a year on record were enacted in 2012. The highest was in 2011, when 93 provisions restricting abortion access were enacted. However, these totals reflect provisions enacted during a calendar year, not legislative session. When considering the 2011-2012 legislative session, 136 anti-choice provisions were enacted.

Pauline Friedman Phillips, the original writer for the advice column “Dear Abby” and a fierce women’s rights activist, died on Wednesday in Minneapolis. The popular columnist was 94 years old.

Pauline Friedman Phillips started her career by helping her twin sister respond to letters for an advice column in Chicago Sun-Times. In 1956, Phillips started her own advice column with the San Francisco Chronicle. She would write for Dear Abby for over 40 years, until her daughter Jeanne Phillips assumed the position in 2002. Jeanne Phillips not only continues her mother’s tradition, but is also a strong supporter of women’s rights and reproductive choice.

While best known for her column, Phillips was also very supportive of women’s rights. She campaigned for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, including making a television ad for Iowa. In 1997, the column ran a letter by Mavis Leno, the Feminist Majority Foundation Chair of the Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid, about the Taliban treatment of Afghan women and girls with the contact information for the organization. The piece generated enough calls from readers to crash the Feminist Majority Foundation phone system and that of a women-owned call center brought on to help handle the response.

Phillips also organized around AIDS treatment and awareness, birth control access, and abortion access. She also featured letters from women facing domestic violence, rape, incest, and drug abuse. Jeanne Phillips who continues her mother’s tradition and is also a strong supporter of women’s rights and reproductive choice.

A new public opinion poll released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday found that the majority of Americans believe that the historic Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, Roe v.Wade, should not be overturned.

The poll conducted [PDF] between January 9th and January 13th of 2013, found that 63% of those interviewed believed that Roe v. Wade should not be completely overturned compared to 29% who favored overturning the ruling. Support for Roe v.Wade was highest among adults 50 – 64 years of age (69%) and those 18 – 29 years of age (68%). Pew Research Center also found that the majority of white mainline Protestants, black Protestants, and white Catholics believed that Roe v.Wade should not be overturned (76%, 65%, and 63% respectively).

The findings released on Wednesday show little change in public opinion from similar surveys conducted by Pew in 2003 and 1992. Michael Dimock, director of the Pew Research Council, remarked that the lack of change is “kind of interesting, because a lot of other social issues have changed a lot – gay marriage being the most notable example.” Tarek Rizek, the communications director for NARAL, was not concerned about the lack of change. “This poll is a reminder that the public clearly agrees, and has done so for decades,” she told Reuters.

The poll interviewed a national sample of 1,502 adults over the age of 18 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.9%.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama publicly announced a comprehensive plan for addressing gun violence in the United States. In a press conference, President Obama announced that he will use the full extent of his executive power to curb gun violence in the United States, and called on Congress to take legislative action increasing gun control.

In his speech he announced that he would immediately take executive action to increase resource officers in schools, strengthen existing background check systems, and permit the Center for Disease Control to research the causes of gun violence, including the effects of violent video games. He announced that he will sign 23 executive orders to achieve these goals and signed three of the proposed orders at the press conference. The three memorandums signed include measures to expand the use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), authorize the CDC to begin research on the causes of gun violence, and strengthen firearms tracing.

President Obama also urged Congress to require backgrounds checks for all firearms purchases and to ban military-style assault weapons. He also urged Congress to confirm Todd Jones to become the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The bureau has not had an official director in over six years.

“While there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil, if there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there is even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try,” President Obama affirmed.

According to the CDC, firearms were responsible for 31,672 deaths (including suicides) in 2010. Data featuring trends in firearm deaths compiled by Bloomberg predict that by 2015, death related to firearms will surpass automobile deaths.

Yesterday, the state of New York passed the first piece of gun control legislation since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly signed the bill into law.

The New York legislation is considered one of the strictest gun control measures in the country. The new legislation expands the definition of what is considered an assault weapon, mandates a police registry of assault weapons and a state registry of all private gun sales, bans the internet sale of assault weapons, and restricts magazines to seven bullets. In addition, under the new law a therapist who believes that a patient has made a legitimate threat to use a gun for illegal reasons must report the threat to a mental health director who will then report threats to the state.

New York state Senator Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) told reporters on Monday “This is not about taking anyone’s rights away. It’s about a safe society … we are setting the mark for the rest of the county to do what’s right.” Governor Cuomo said right before signing the legislation into law “You can overpower the extremists with intelligence and common sense.”

In addition to restricting reproductive health care access, anti-choice legislation has been increasingly used to deny pregnant women of their rights including the right to physical liberty, according to a new study released in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law on Tuesday. The study “Arrests of and Forced Interventions on Pregnant Women in the United States, 1973-2005: Implications for Women’s Legal Status and Public Health” also considers what implications so-called “personhood” legislation would have for pregnant women.

The study comprehensively looks at 413 cases of arrests, detentions and other challenges to the physical liberties of women from when Roe v Wade was decided in 1973 to 2005. The authors of the study, Lynn M Platrow and Jeanne Flavin, found that in most cases, anti-choice legislation was used to incarcerate pregnant women and forcibly prevent them from obtaining certain medical services or undergo involuntary medical care. Such cases included women who were refused certain gestational tests, had miscarried or had a stillbirth, and women who were in drug treatment programs during their pregnancy. The authors of the study have also identified over 250 similar incidents since they concluded their study in 2005.

Platrow and Flavin came to the conclusion that “if passed, so called ‘personhood’ measures would: 1) provide the basis for arresting pregnant women who have abortions; and 2) provide state actors with the authority to subject all pregnant women to surveillance, arrest, incarceration, and other deprivations of liberty whether women seek to end a pregnancy or not.”

“Furthermore,” they continue, “the study demonstrates that there is no way to add fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses to state constitutions or to the United States Constitution without removing all pregnant women from the community of constitutional persons. These measures create a ‘Jane Crow’ system of law, establishing a separate and unequal status for all pregnant women and disproportionately punishing African-American and low-income women.”

Personhood legislation has been rejected nationwide by voters and courts alike. Despite repeated defeats, Congressman Paul Ryan recently co-sponsored the “Sanctity of Human Life Act” which would grant full personhood rights to any “one-celled human embryo.”

Conservative Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), along with 16 other representatives, have co-sponsored the “Sanctity of Human Life Act,” which would give full person rights to a human embryo.

The “Sanctity of Human Life Act” was originally introduced in 2011 by Representative Paul Broun (R-GA). Broun reintroduced the bill early in the new congressional session. The bill establishes that “the life of each human being begins with fertilization, … at which time every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood.” The bill extends this protection even to any “one-celled human embryo.”

Ryan, who as Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential running mate, has a congressional record of supporting anti-women legislation. He co-sponsored a bill that would have defined “forcible rape” with then-Congressman Todd Akin, who destroyed his bid for the U.S. Senate from MO after saying women can avoid pregnancy when it is “legitimate rape.” Ryan is also becoming the national champion of personhood legislation, and has been suggested as the keynote speaker for the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List’s Campaign for Life Gala.

Personhood legislation has been rejected nationwide by voters and courts alike. In 2011, Mississippi voters defeated a state personhood initiative in a vote of 58% against to 42% in favor. Oklahoma courts rejected a 2012 personhood initiative on the grounds that it interfered with a woman’s legal right to have an abortion.

On Monday, President Barack Obama announced that he will be revealing a proposal of new gun control policies and is willing to take executive actions if necessary. Currently, the President is considering up to 19 different executive orders that he could take to effect stricter gun control without having to wait for approval from Congress. “I’m confident there are some steps that we can take that don’t require legislation and that are within my authority as president,” Obama said in his press conference. “And where you get a step that has the opportunity to reduce the possibility of gun violence, then I want to go ahead and take it.”

In addition to action at the federal level, the state Senate of New Yorkapproved the first piece of legislation regulate guns since the Sandy Hook shooting. The bill, which would be the strictest in the nation, expands the definition of what is considered a banned assault weapon, increases penalties for criminal gun possession, and creates a database of submitted gun permits. N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters that the New York Senate “made a bold statement, coming together in a bipartisan, collaborative manner to meet the challenges that face our state and our nation, as we have seen far too many senseless acts of gun violence.”

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association (NRA) launched a new smartphone and tablet app that includes a game simulating shooting practice approved for children as young as four. “NRA: Practice Range” includes access to the NRA new, educational materials, and online resources along with the shooting practice game which features nine firearms, targets in the shape of coffins, and some guns that be upgraded for $0.99.