State of the Union Commentary

Many education policy blogs have weighed in on the State of the Union address, including Eduwonk.com and Get Schooled. Both of these articles indicate that while President Bush strongly supports the reauthorization of NCLB, other domestic and international issues are likely to overshadow his education agenda.

Update on Minimum Wage Debate in Senate

The Senate is still deliberating on raising the minimum wage. The result is likely to be Senate passage of a bill that will raise the minimum wage, but also cut taxes for businesses. The AFL-CIO blog is one of the best resources I have found for up-to-date coverage.

Why Gun Control is a Children’s Health Issue

We have a special guest blogger today: Becky Richardson, President of Promise the Children!

I want to follow up on Shelby’s report about the recent shootings of children in Chances for Peace in the Midst of Boston Violence.

Death and injury by firearms is a serious health hazard for our nation’s children. According to the Million Mom March, eight children are shot and killed each day and on average one thousand children commit suicide with a gun annually.

I am reading Child Health in America: Making a Difference Through Advocacy by Judith Palfrey, M.D. Dr. Palfrey says in this book “the fiercest special interest group with anti-child health positions is the National Rifle Association.” She goes on to explain that this organization has cleverly and effectively blocked both the regulation of the gun industry and the broad publication of information by our governmental agencies about the hazards and dangers of the use of firearms.
    
However there is good news. The website www.millionmommarch.org gives you the following information:

• The contact information in your state for local chapters that advocate for safety.
  

• Information from the “Brady Report Card” on how your state’s regulations are graded in terms of safety from gun violence.

•  Actions to take in your state to protect children and families from gun violence.

Let’s join together with the Million Mom March and take action to protect our communities from violence!