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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I need a favor I keep saying to myself, I have to call my representatives and then I don't. Is this because I am lazy, a procrastinator, unsure of what to say, get frustrated scrolling through the excellent explanations to find the number of the bill or amendment I would like to voice my opinion on, or because my eyes and mind glaze over and shut down when I hear Legislative numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>So here's the favor:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Could someone write a script for me, what I should say exactly when I call.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Also, because I can't find where I filed a previous email which listed all the numbers of representatives,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If you could just include<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>the reps for West Hartford and the Senators phone numbers and emails, I promise to save it forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thanks so much for keeping it simple for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>llee@nfbct.org<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 23, 2013 10:27 AM<br><b>To:</b> NFB of CT list serve<br><b>Subject:</b> [Ct-nfb] legislative alert<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:6.0pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' id=replyBlockquote><div id=wmQuoteWrapper><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>As Andrew Norton stated in his May 16th email that was forwarded to this list serv, the threat to food service facilities operated by blind folks is still alive and real. It is currently included in a couple of possible amendments to HB6305 which is on the House Go List. However, if that inclusion doesn’t succeed, it could be added to another bill of a similar nature.</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>The wording in the amendment would remove BESB’s first right of refusal for vending facilities in the state parks that are maintained by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protections (DEEP) and offer them to the highest bidder. Currently, this involves three parks where blind people run vending facilities, but we certainly would like to preserve the right to have a vending facility in any state park or facility. BESB would still be able to bid on the facilities, but they would have to be the highest bidder for the blind operators to keep their facilities. </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>Blind entrepreneurs have had this right in Connecticut law since the 1940’s. The Randolph-Sheppard Act was extended to state facilities to help blind people find gainful employment. Our unemployment rate hovers around 70% and we need to safeguard such opportunities to be productively employed, taxpaying citizens of CT. </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>We now have an opportunity to express our dissatisfaction about this proposal to our State Representatives. We need to ask that any such proposed amendments be voted against.</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>To find contact information for your State Representative, <a href="http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp" target="_blank" title="click here ">click here </a>or call our outreach office at 860-289-1971 for assistance.</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>