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Yesterday voters in the Sound Transit District overwhelmingly approved Sound Transit’s Proposition 1 to give the greater Seattle area a world-class transit infrastructure. After a combined roads and transit measure failed last year by a 5% margin, Sound Transit striped down this year’s Proposition 1 to a Transit-Only package. With this year’s Proposition 1 passing by a healthy 10% advantage, voters embraced a transportation vision for Seattle that revolves around a comprehensive transportation solution that doesn’t rely on the automobile.
The House of Representatives voted tonight to establish an independent Office of Congressional Ethics.
Washington, DCâ€â€Today, consumer, public interest and scientific groups applauded the U.S. Senate for passage of the sweeping Consumer Product Safety Reform Act, S. 2663. This bi-partisan legislation represents the most significant improvement in almost two decades to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the agency that oversees the safety of more than 15,000 consumer products in the United States.
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America’s automobile-centered transportation system was a key component of the nation’s economic prosperity during the 20th century. But our transportation system is increasingly out of step with the challenges of the 21st century.
For several years, we have reported that toys are safer than ever before, thanks to decades of work by product safety advocates and parents and the leadership of Congress, state legislatures and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Yet, as many have noted, 2007 has been described as the “year of the recall.†Millions of toys, including famous playthings like Thomas the Tank Engine and Barbie, have been recalled in 2007. Many of these toys have been from leading manufacturers like Mattel, and most were imported from China. Most of the recalls have been for hazards previously identified in this report—excessive levels of toxic lead, dangerous small magnets, and choking dangers.
Industries across the United States pump billions of pounds of toxic chemicals into our air, land, and water each year, many of which can cause cancer and other severe health effects. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program provides Americans with the best information about toxic chemicals released in their communities.
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Our Issues in the News
The Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG) said a family of a single parent with three children, or a couple with one child who filed joint tax returns, would have spent the equivalent of a $1,500 stimulus check between the week of Feb. 11, when the stimulus legislation was enacted, and this week.
Op-ed by WashPIRG's Blair Anundson. "Bridge inspectors have assigned this status [structurally deficient] to one in eight bridges across the U.S., totaling more than 70,000 and 415 in Washington.
Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the so-called "toxic toys" bill into law Tuesday, enacting the most stringent toy-safety standards in the nation.
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