[Nfb-idaho] Fw: [NFB-Legislative-Directors] Legislative Update

[Sandy Streeter]

From: Diggs, Parnell via NFB-Legislative-Directors 
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 6:50 AM
To: NFB Legislative Directors List ; State Affiliate Leadership List 
Cc: Diggs, Parnell 
Subject: [NFB-Legislative-Directors] Legislative Update

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
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/streeter.sandy%40gmail.com