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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'>Hi, I believe it has passed but not enforced in the states. Beth <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>Cheri Duquette via Ct-nfb<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 16, 2015 1:19 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB of Connecticut Mailing List<br><b>Cc:</b> cbduquette@comcast.net<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Ct-nfb] Planning the Year Ahead for State Legislation<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Hi all,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>I feel all three of these issues are of great importance. However, I'd like to understand where the Pedestrian Safety Act has landed. From my understanding this has yet to be passed/enacted. I feel very strongly on this Act and would like for us to consider it too.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Cheri<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center id=zwchr></span></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>"Deb Reed via Ct-nfb" <<a href="mailto:ct-nfb@nfbnet.org">ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>To: </b>"NFB of Connecticut Mailing List" <<a href="mailto:ct-nfb@nfbnet.org">ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Cc: </b>"Deb Reed" <<a href="mailto:deb.reed57@gmail.com">deb.reed57@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Sent: </b>Wednesday, December 16, 2015 11:31:30 AM<br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [Ct-nfb] Planning the Year Ahead for State Legislation<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>The three legislative issues you listed, sound like the ones we should focus on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'> Deb Reed, President <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>National Federation Of The Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Central CT Chapter<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Phone - 860-973-3679<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Email - <a href="mailto:deb.reed57@gmail.com" target="_blank">deb.reed57@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><br>On Dec 16, 2015, at 2:27 AM, Kathryn Webster via Ct-nfb <<a href="mailto:ct-nfb@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Justin and all,</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:#1F497D'> I think we should make one of our largest priorities </span><span style='color:black'>The Blind Persons Right to Parent Act. I, along with many other affiliate members I’m certain, will fight for this. Since other states have pursued similar legislation, we will have great models to mirror and optimize our efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Kate Webster<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><a name="_MailEndCompose"></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='color:black'> Ct-nfb [<a href="mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Justin Salisbury via Ct-nfb<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 15, 2015 5:21 PM<br><b>To:</b> '<a href="mailto:ct-nfb@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>'<br><b>Cc:</b> Justin Salisbury<br><b>Subject:</b> [Ct-nfb] Planning the Year Ahead for State Legislation<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>The Legislative Committee of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut needs your input!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>We need to know what you will be willing to fight for at the state level in the coming year. Basically, we want to make sure that we are attempting to legislatively lead the affiliate in the direction our members want to go.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>I would like to see us prioritize no more than three state-level bills if possible. Of course, we always react when things threaten us, like with that guide dog legislation earlier this year. Here are some ideas. Please let me know which ones matter most to you; if you think of one that I have not listed, please share it!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>The Blind Persons Right to Parent Act<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>This bill is a model bill which NFB affiliates have passed in other states that prevents anyone involved in child and family services from deciding that a blind person is unfit to be a parent specifically because of blindness. In other words, blindness can no longer be used as a reason to take someone’s kids away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>A bill to end subminimum wages<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Do I really need to explain this one?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Advocating for blind vendors to keep their jobs in our state parks and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection facilities<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>We know that the state is going to try to take these jobs away this year; and we can prepare our resistance proactively<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Do we need any legislation for the guide dog user community?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Do we want to ask for anything related to funding public transit systems?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>On behalf of the Legislative Committee of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut, thank you for your participation in our important work. If anyone is interested in joining the committee, please email me privately at <a href="mailto:president@alumni.ecu.edu" target="_blank">president@alumni.ecu.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Sincerely yours,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Justin Salisbury<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Justin Salisbury, NOMC</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Graduate Student</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Louisiana Tech University</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Email: <a href="mailto:President@Alumni.ECU.edu" target="_blank">President@Alumni.ECU.edu</a></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822</a></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Twitter: @SalisburyJustin</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>"None can be free as long as any are enslaved"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'>Dr. Kenneth Jernigan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>_______________________________________________<br>Ct-nfb mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Ct-nfb@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">Ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/deb.reed57%40gmail.com" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/deb.reed57%40gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><br>_______________________________________________<br>Ct-nfb mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Ct-nfb@nfbnet.org">Ct-nfb@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ct-nfb:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/cbduquette%40comcast.net">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/cbduquette%40comcast.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></html>