[Nfb-hi] Today's Votes on HB 646

[Justin Salisbury]

Aloha Fellow Federationists:

I am so proud to be a part of my new Federation Ohana here in Hawaii, and I want to thank Nani, Virgil, Katie, and everyone else here for encouraging me, by word and by example, and for showing me the ropes here in Hawaii. We made a heck of a showing at the public hearing. Once again, shout out to all those who took time off from work to go to the hearing.

I write to you all with some good news and some bad news. I’ll give the bad news first, the good news second, and then the next steps.

Bad News:
The Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy voted unanimously (though Senator Breene Harimoto was excused from the vote) to pass HB646, HD1 without any amendments. Since the Senate Committee on Human Services voted to defer the bill, this means that they are basically not going to deal with the bill. As a result, the bill will now go to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor (JDL).

Even though I think we outperformed the proponents during the public hearing, we were still unsuccessful at convincing one of the committees that society has fed them a lie about blindness, that blind people are actually able to learn to travel safely and independently.

Good News:
We were able to convince the Senate Committee on Human Services to back off from this bill. They didn’t want to support it.

Next Step:
Since our efforts are currently not enough, we really have to step it up in order to be successful. We need to reach out to the members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor in order to get them to oppose this bill. If we act quickly and enthusiastically, we might be able to get them to avoid scheduling a hearing for it. If not, we will have to go through the hearing process again. If you have been waiting for the right time to jump in, now is the time!

We need members to be willing to go to meetings with the Senators on the JDL committee. I am requesting meetings with every single one of them. If you might be willing to come out for a meeting with one of them, please respond to this message to let me know. Do not worry about having to go to one of these meetings alone; I am trying to set them up so that Virgil and/or Katie can be there, and I hope that I can, too.

The five Senators on the JDL committee are listed after my signature. Every person who reaches out to them to oppose this bill will help our cause.

Much mahalo for your work to oppose low expectations for blind people!

Aloha,

Justin Salisbury

Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB
Legislative Committee Chair
Honolulu Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

William Butler Yeats

Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran, Chair
Representing Maui
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 221
phone: 808-586-7344
fax: 808-586-7348
senkeithagaran at capitol.hawaii.gov

Karl Rhoads, Vice Chair
Representing Dowsett Highlands, Pu‘unui, Nu‘uanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown, and Downtown
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 204
phone: 808-586-6130
fax: 808-586-6131
senrhoads at Capitol.hawaii.gov<mailto:senrhoads at Capitol.hawaii.gov>

Mike Gabbard
Representing Kapolei, Makakilo, Portions of Ewa, Kalaeloa and Waipahu
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 201
phone: 808-586-6830
fax: 808-586-6679
sengabbard at capitol.hawaii.gov<mailto:sengabbard at capitol.hawaii.gov>

Laura H. Thielen
Representing Kailua, Lanikai, Enchanted Lake, Keolu Hills, Maunawili, Waimanalo, Hawai‘i Kai, Portlock
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 231
phone: 808-587-8388
fax: 808-587-7240
senthielen at Capitol.hawaii.gov<mailto:senthielen at Capitol.hawaii.gov>

Donna Mercado Kim
Representing Kapalama, ‘Alewa, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley, portions of Halawa and ‘Aiea
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 218
phone: 808-587-7200
fax: 808-587-7205
senkim at Capitol.hawaii.gov<mailto:senkim at Capitol.hawaii.gov>