[MDABS] 2025 Legislative Agenda for Day in Annapolis

Thu Jan 2 22:12:13 UTC 2025

Friends,

This is a reminder to please let us know if you plan to participate in the
NFB of Maryland Day in Annapolis on January 16, 2025 and haven't already let
us know.  If you plan to attend the 2025 Day in Annapolis, please email
Annapolis at nfbmd.org <mailto:Annapolis at nfbmd.org>  by January 6.  If you need
transportation from Baltimore, please email Ellen Ringlein at
germlish77 at gmail.com <mailto:germlish77 at gmail.com> .  If you need
transportation from New Carrollton, please email Debbie Brown at
deborahb14 at verizon.net <mailto:deborahb14 at verizon.net> .  

Attached and shortly on our website and NFB Newsline you can find our
legislative fact sheets.  This year, we have three primary priorities we
will focus on during our Day in Annapolis, though you should note three
additional priorities we will work on throughout the session.  The three
primary priorities are:

1.	Leaving No Blind Person Behind: Raising the Blind Home Owner's
Property Tax Exemption (Sen. King and Del. Attar lead sponsors)
2.	Improving Transportation: Use of Autonomous Vehicles for Persons
with Disabilities (Sen. Love and Del. TBD lead sponsors)
3.	Protecting the $250K in the Governor's Budget for the Center for
Excellence in Nonvisual Access (CENA) (no sponsors needed)

Our three additional priorities that we'll work on throughout the session
but that aren't in your Fact Sheets are:

1.	Accessible Paperless Ballot Return for Vote by Mail for Voters with
Disabilities (Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and
House Ways and Means Committee)
2.	Tactile and Braille Flags for Veterans Cemeteries (Sen. Simonaire
and Del. Kaiser lead sponsors)
3.	Establishment of a Grant Program for Training Service Animals in
Maryland (Sen. Simonaire and Del. Lehman lead sponsors)

https://nfbmd.org/Annapolis2025

We will be hosting the Annapolis issues training on Monday, January 13, 2024
at 7PM via the NFBMD Zoom.  All who plan to attend the Day in Annapolis
should attend the training.

In addition, we'll be having dinner and debriefing on January 16, p2025.
Please bring $30 in cash to cover your meal.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Thanks,

Ronza

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

From: Maryland President <president at nfbmd.org <mailto:president at nfbmd.org> >

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Subject: Seeking Attendees for 2024 Day in Annapolis

Federation Family,

We are seeking as many people to come to Annapolis to advocate for our
legislative priorities in our Annual Day in Annapolis as possible.  We will
be going to Annapolis for a single day in person on January 18, 2024.  

Debbie Brown will coordinate transportation from New Carrollton Rail
Station, and I will coordinate transportation from the NFB National Center.

We will begin our day by arriving around 7:45AM in Annapolis, meaning
transportation will leave New Carrollton and Baltimore at least an hour
before that.  Participants will be assigned to teams of 3 - 4 individuals,
and each team will attend at least ten appointments, but more likely closer
to 15.  Lunch is available for purchase at the Senate Cantina, or folks can
bring their own.  We will debrief over dinner at Buddy's.  Participants
should plan to bring $25 for dinner, cash required.

The goal of our NFB of Maryland Day in Annapolis is to educate our elected
representatives in the Maryland General Assembly about our priorities as
blind and low vision Marylanders.  We will meet with 188 elected officials
that day, so we need your help.

We will hold a training via Zoom on January 15, 2024 at 7PM using the
affiliate Zoom.  Team Leaders will be assigned and will have a separate
training in addition to the one on January 15.

If you plan to attend the 2024 Day in Annapolis, please email me - off-list
- at President at nfbmd.org <mailto:President at nfbmd.org> , text me, or leave me
a voicemail - with your name, your legislative district number if you know
it, whether or not you need transportation, whether from the NFB or the New
Carrollton Rail Station, confirmation that you will eat at Buddy's, and
whether you need any reasonable accommodations.  You must tell me if you
plan to attend by January 6, 2024.  Those of you who have already told me
you plan to attend should send a note with the additional requested
information.

We will share our legislative priorities and fact sheets in the next few
weeks - we are finalizing some of the details.

Thanks for all you do - 2024 will be an incredible legislative session for
NFBMD.

Yours,

Ronza

Ronza Othman, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

443-426-4110

Pronouns: she, her, hers

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland 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

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