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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Justin and all,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> I think we should make one of our largest priorities </span>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></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kate Webster<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></a></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org] <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> 'ct-nfb@nfbnet.org'<br><b>Cc:</b> Justin Salisbury<br><b>Subject:</b> [Ct-nfb] Planning the Year Ahead for State Legislation<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Legislative Committee of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut needs your input! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Blind Persons Right to Parent Act<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A bill to end subminimum wages<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do I really need to explain this one?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Advocating for blind vendors to keep their jobs in our state parks and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection facilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do we need any legislation for the guide dog user community?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do we want to ask for anything related to funding public transit systems?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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">president@alumni.ecu.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely yours,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Justin Salisbury<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Justin Salisbury, NOMC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Graduate Student<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Louisiana Tech University<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Email: <a href="mailto:President@Alumni.ECU.edu">President@Alumni.ECU.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822">https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=325734822</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Twitter: @SalisburyJustin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"None can be free as long as any are enslaved" <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dr. Kenneth Jernigan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>