[il-talk] Fwd: [NFB-Legislative-Directors] Legislative Update

[Denise Avant]

Denise R. Avant
President, National Federation Of The Blind Of Illinois
Live the life you want



> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: "Diggs, Parnell via NFB-Legislative-Directors" <nfb-legislative-directors at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [NFB-Legislative-Directors] Legislative Update
> Date: April 13, 2016 at 7:50:08 AM CDT
> To: NFB Legislative Directors List <nfb-legislative-directors at nfbnet.org>, State Affiliate Leadership List <state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "Diggs, Parnell" <PDiggs at nfb.org>
> Reply-To: NFB Legislative Directors List <nfb-legislative-directors at nfbnet.org>
> 
> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> As we move further into the spring season, Federationists are hard at work on our legislative priorities for the remainder of the 114th Congress. Here are some thoughts on our progress to date.
> 
> In the House of Representatives, we have sixty-seven cosponsors on the TIME Act, H.R. 188, and fifty-two cosponsors on our Space Available legislation, H.R. 2264. There has been broad participation among the affiliates on our legislative priorities during this session; however, we can do even better if we try. Here is the breakdown of the states that have at least one cosponsor on the TIME Act and/or Space Available in either the House or Senate:
> 
> TIME Act:
> Alaska
> California
> Colorado
> Connecticut
> Florida
> Georgia
> Illinois
> Indiana
> Iowa
> Kentucky
> Louisiana
> Maryland
> Massachusetts
> Michigan
> Mississippi
> Nebraska
> New Hampshire
> New Mexico
> New York
> North Carolina
> Ohio
> Oklahoma
> Pennsylvania
> Puerto Rico
> Tennessee
> Texas
> Vermont
> Virginia
> Washington
> Wyoming
> 
> Space A:
> Arizona
> California
> Connecticut
> Delaware
> Florida
> Georgia
> Hawaii 
> Illinois
> Iowa
> Kansas
> Kentucky
> Maryland
> Michigan
> Minnesota
> Missouri
> Montana
> Nebraska
> Nevada
> New Jersey
> New Mexico
> New York
> North Carolina
> Ohio
> Oklahoma
> Pennsylvania
> Puerto Rico
> Rhode Island
> Tennessee
> Texas
> Utah
> Virginia
> Washington
> Wisconsin
> 
> If your state is missing from either or both of these lists, that means you have a wonderful opportunity to secure a commitment from anyone in your Congressional delegation on either of these pending bills. Please set a goal of securing at least one cosponsor within the next thirty days to help us move forward prior to the political conventions this summer and the fall campaign season to follow.
> 
> As to AIM-HEA, we are meeting with Congressional leaders in an effort to place a bill into a position that will give it a chance to pass in 2016. Please continue to gather stories from students about issues concerning access to instructional materials on college and university campuses across the nation and get them to Gabe Cazares. Gabe's email is gcazares at nfb.org.
> 
> The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for People Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled is pending in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Please ask your Senators to support the Treaty.
> 
> Fellow Federationists, I can't thank you enough for all you are doing in support of our legislative priorities during this session of Congress. Tremendous momentum has been building around these issues because of your advocacy efforts. If there is anything else I can do to provide you with the support needed to accomplish our work on the Hill, please let me know.
> 
> Parnell
> 
> Parnell Diggs, Esq.
> Director of Government Affairs
> National Federation of the Blind
> 200 East Wells Street
> Baltimore, MD 21230
> Office: (410) 659-9314, extension 2222
> Mobile: (843) 267-2018
> Email: pdiggs at nfb.org <mailto:pdiggs at nfb.org>
> Twitter: @NFB_Voice
> @ParnellDiggs
> 
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
> 
> Make a gift to the National Federation of the Blind and help ensure all blind Americans live the lives they want.
> _______________________________________________
> NFB-Legislative-Directors mailing list
> NFB-Legislative-Directors at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-legislative-directors_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFB-Legislative-Directors:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-legislative-directors_nfbnet.org/davant1958%40gmail.com