Q: There is legislation before Congress to protect older workers from discrimination. How many elected representatives have sponsored and co-sponsored this bill and how do their numbers line up?

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Q: There is legislation before Congress to protect older workers from discrimination. How many elected representatives have sponsored and co-sponsored this bill and how do their numbers line up according to political party? When is it expected to be brought to the floor for a vote? —Rose Trujillo, College Park

A: The three sponsors are Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), whose legislation seeks to restore civil rights protections for older workers. The Supreme Court’s July ruling in Gross v. FBL Financial made it more difficult for workers to prove age discrimination. Co-sponsors are Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). The legislation, which has been referred to committees in the House and Senate, seeks to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision and restore the law. “The Gross decision established a far higher standard of proof for age than for other forms of discrimination, without any rationale or justification,” Harkin said in a press release earlier this month.

Q: What is the correct pronunciation of the word Halloween? Does the “a” in the first syllable have a long sound as in Hal, the computer in “2001: A Space Odyssey” or does it sound short, as in “The Kids In The Hall?”
—Jill Klotz, Douglasville

A: The correct pronunciation is Hal-low-een. The first example is correct.

Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).