[Colorado-Talk] Need to contact U.S. Senate Leaders ASAP

[Dan Burke]

And if you are really ambitious, you can also send notes to the
designated transportation staffers for our Colorado Senators. That
way, if these amendments come up again tomorrow on the Senate floor,
they'll know to tell Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper to vote for
them.

Grishma               Pradhan               Sen.       Michael Bennet
CO          grishma_pradhan at bennet.senate.gov

Edgar     Rivas      Sen.       John      Hickenlooper     CO
edgar_rivas at hickenlooper.senate.gov


On 5/26/21, Dan Burke <burke.dall at gmail.com> wrote:
> Here's some updated info from John Pare. Please contact these Senate
> staffers today if possible -
> # # #
> It is possible that Senator Thune will bring his amendment to the
> floor tomorrow, Thursday, May 27, so getting your emails or phone
> calls in today would be most helpful.
>
> Note that the bill has been renamed the United Sates Innovation and
> Competition Act.
>
> The contact in Senator Schumer’s office is Meghan Taira,
> meghan_taira at schumer.senate.gov.
>
> The contact in Senator Peters’s office is Catherine Barrett,
> catherine_barrett at peters.senate.gov.
>
> Dan
>
> On 5/25/21, Dan Burke <burke.dall at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Fellow Colorado Federationists –
>>
>> People are always telling blind people how self-driving cars will be
>> great for us. Well, there is a bill now in the U.S. Senate that will
>> deal in part with autonomous vehicles. It’s called the Endless
>> Frontier Act. The NFB Legislative wunderkind have been working with
>> Senator John Thune to include amendments to the bill so that blind
>> people can actually benefit from using autonomous vehicles.
>>
>> There are two amendments. One will put provisions for accessibility
>> into the law, and that means, in part, nonvisual access and control.
>> The other would prohibit discrimination in terms of licensing
>> self-driving vehicles, meaning blind people could not be discriminated
>> against when it comes to licensing and operating an autonomous
>> vehicle.
>>
>> As you can see, having self-driving cars really won’t benefit us if
>> the right measures aren’t in place, and these amendments are taking us
>> in the direction we want to go. Thanks to our NFB legislative team!
>>
>> But these amendments are stalling out for lack of support on the
>> Senate floor. So right now we need to contact Senators Schumer and
>> Peters to pull these amendments out of the mud, to give them a
>> jump-start, or any other car metaphor you like. We need to email their
>> staffers and say we support the Thune amendments because they will
>> benefit blind people. Give your name, and your city and state. Here
>> are the contacts:
>>
>> The contact in Senator Schumer’s office is Meghan Taira,
>> meghan_taira at schumer.senate.gov.
>>
>> The contact in Senator Peters’s office is Catherine Barrett,
>> catherine_barrett at peters.senate.gov.
>>
>> Please contact them ASAP if you want to be in the driver’s seat!
>>
>> Below is the more detailed info from John Pare for your consideration:
>> # # #
>>
>> The National Federation of the Blind has been working with Senator
>> John Thune on an amendment to the Endless Frontier Act. This amendment
>> relates to fully automated vehicles and contains two provisions that
>> would benefit blind people.
>> The first provision would create an exemption classification for
>> manufacturers who “provide transportation access for individuals with
>> disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with
>> Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)), including non-visual
>> access for individuals who are blind or visually impaired,” as long as
>> the vehicle was equivalently safe to a non-exempt vehicle. The second
>> would prohibit a state from issuing a “motor vehicle operator’s
>> license for the operation or use of a highly automated vehicle in a
>> manner that discriminates on the basis of disability.”
>>
>> Despite support from both automobile manufacturers and disability
>> advocates, Senator Thune reluctantly withdrew his amendment on May 12
>> due to a lack of support from other senators on the Commerce, Science,
>> and Transportation Committee over safety and liability concerns.
>> President Riccobono wrote a letter to Chair Cantwell and Ranking
>> Member Wicker regarding this topic expressing our support and
>> endorsement of the Thune amendment on May 11.
>>
>>
>> # # #
>>
>> Vroom! Vroom!
>>
>> Dan
>>
>>
>> --
>> Dan Burke
>>
>> National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Co-chair
>>
>> President, NFB of Denver
>>
>> "Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"
>>
>> My Cell:  406.546.8546
>> Twitter:  @DallDonal
>>
>
>
> --
> Dan Burke
>
> National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Co-chair
>
> President, NFB of Denver
>
> "Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"
>
> My Cell:  406.546.8546
> Twitter:  @DallDonal
>


-- 
Dan Burke

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Co-chair

President, NFB of Denver

"Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"

My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal