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Legal Momentum, the women’s legal defense and education fund, applauds Rep. Gwen Moore’s (D-WI)  introduction of H.R. 4978, which would help victims of family access critical help and support when leaving abusive situations.  The bill would strengthen TANF’s anti-violence protections and make this vital family assistance program more accessible to domestic and sexual violence victims.

Irasema Garza, President of Legal Momentum, says, “Too often, victims of domestic violence confront an awful choice: either stay with an abuser, or sleep on the street. The recession has made the situation all the more critical: as employment rates dropped during the recession, rates of domestic violence climbed. H.R. 4978 is a vital step towards ensuring that victims get the help and support they need to begin building lives free of violence.”

HOME-ENERGY REBATES: Voting 246 for and 161 against, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 5019) authorizing rebates of up to $8,000 per home for energy-efficiency projects.

Modeled on the “cash-for-clunkers” law that spurred car sales last year, the program would last through 2012, cost $6 billion and benefit three million households with upgrades in areas such as heating, air-conditioning and insulation. Payments would go to the contractor for crediting to the property owner. The bill also would provide $600 million for state programs in which mobile-home owners could receive up to $10,000 for replacing pre-1976 homes with new, energy-efficient units. The bill is now before the Senate.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

C&D Technologies will begin renovations and construction this year in preparation for building advanced batteries next door to its lead-acid battery factory in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood.

Company officials said Friday that renovations of a building on Keefe Ave. are moving ahead after the U.S. Army awarded a $19 million contract to the Blue Bell, Pa.-based firm to develop large-format lithium-ion batteries in Milwaukee.

Funding for the project came through congressional earmarks proposed by U.S. Sen Herb Kohl, who discussed the project during an appearance at C&D in Milwaukee on Friday. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) also assisted in obtaining the funds. The project also is receiving forgivable loans of $500,000 from the state and $200,000 from Milwaukee, said Jim Paetsch, vice president at the Milwaukee 7 economic development group.

The efforts of about 15 first-graders who sought to raise awareness of an African-American civil rights pioneer were rewarded with the ultimate Black History Month activity Friday: a personal visit from the very heroine they have championed for a year.

Ruby Bridges – who, as a first-grader in 1960, was the first black child to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans – flew to Milwaukee on Friday to personally thank Barton Elementary School and the group of students who petitioned the federal government to recognize her integration efforts 49 years ago.

Based on the awareness campaign launched last year by teacher Laura Floryance and her students, Congress passed a resolution this month honoring Bridges for her bravery and recognizing Nov. 14, 1960, as the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans.

The House resolution was sponsored by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee), while a Senate version of the resolution was sponsored by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin).

>SEE PHOTO GALLERY<

Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D), who represents Wisconsin’s 4th District in Washington, traveled to Haiti today as part of a five member bipartisan Congressional Delegation, led by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA).

The purpose of the trip, according to a press release put out by Moore’s office, is to review and assess the humanitarian assistance that has been ongoing since the January 12th earthquake that devastated that country’s capital city Port-au-Prince and much of the Caribbean nation.

According to the U.S. Agency for International Developmenet (USAID), the U.S. government has contributed more than $636 million in earthquake response funding for Haiti in the month since the earthquake hit. The U.S. Department of Defense support of humanitarian efforts – primarily through transportation of U.S. government personnel and relief commodities into Haiti and the provision of health and medical services – has cost an estimated $255 million. The Obama administration is expected to submit a request to Congress for more funds for the recovery and rebuilding of Haiti.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore is now asking the state not to punish public school students here in Milwaukee… yesterday state Superintendnent Tony Evers threatened to withhold nearly 200 million dollars from M-P-S unless the district shapes up. Now Moore has written evers asking him to stop that process. She says if M-P-S isn’t able to meet