<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Donald Porterfield via Arizona-News <arizona-news@nfbnet.org><br><b>Date:</b> March 23, 2024 at 2:34:08 PM MST<br><b>To:</b> Arizona-news@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Arizona-News] Dangerous update Call to action SB1335</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> nfb.az.president@gmail.com<br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">Hello again Federationists.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We have a troubling update to our funding increase for independent living services SB 1335.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We have just learned that the House appropriations committee will submit a strike everything amendment to our bill.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This means that they will delete all our language to increase funding to independent living services and replace the language with a completely different bill. In this case it is dealing with selling government property.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It is more important than ever that we attend with as many people as we can and write letters. I have modified the sample letter below. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We need y9our help to send to each of the representatives below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let’s stand together to show our legislators that we are serious about our advocacy. When: Monday March 25<sup>th 1:30 PM or after floor voting </sup><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Were, Arizona House building House hearing room 1.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you would like to attend and speak, please let Amy Porterfield know and I will help you sign up if needed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">WE also still need your letters. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Members of the Appropriations committee are <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 1 : Representative <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><a href="mailto:Selina ">Selina </a></span> Bliss, <a href="mailto:sbliss@azleg.gov">sbliss@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 1: Representative Quang H Nguyen, <span lang="FR"><a href="mailto:QNGUYEN@azleg.gov"><span lang="EN-US">QNGUYEN@azleg.gov</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 2: Representative Judi Schwiebert, <span lang="FR"><a href="mailto:jSchwiebert@azleg.gov"><span lang="EN-US">jSchwiebert@azleg.gov</span></a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 3: Representative Joseph Chaplik (vice-chairman), <a href="mailto:JCHAPLIK@azleg.gov">JCHAPLIK@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 4 : Representative Matt Gress, <a href="mailto:mgress@azleg.gov">mgress@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">District 9: Representative Lorena Austin, l <a href="mailto:Austin@azleg.gov">Austin@azleg.gov</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">District 10: Representative Barbara Parker, <a href="mailto:bparker@azleg.gov">bparker@azleg.gov</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">District 11: Representative Oscar De Los Santos, o De Los <a href="mailto:Santos@azleg.gov">Santos@azleg.gov</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">District 11: Representative Marcelino Quinonez, m <a href="mailto:Quinonez@azleg.gov">Quinonez@azleg.gov</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">District 13: Representative Julie Willoughby, j <a href="mailto:Willoughby@azleg.gov">Willoughby@azleg.gov</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES">District 18: Representative Nancy Gutierrez, </span><span lang="FR"><a href="mailto:nGutierrez@azleg.gov"><span lang="ES">nGutierrez@azleg.gov</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 19: Representative Lupe Diaz,ldiaz@azleg.gov <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 22: Representative Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton s <a href="mailto:StahlHamilton@azleg.gov">StahlHamilton@azleg.gov</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 25: Representative Michael Carbone, m <a href="mailto:Carbone@azleg.gov">Carbone@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 25: Representative Timothy Dunn, <a href="mailto:tdunn@azleg.gov">tdunn@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">District 28: Representative David Livingston, (chairman)) <a href="mailto:dlivingston@azleg.gov">dlivingston@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sampe letter is below<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Subject line. Please support blind seniors by voting no on the strike all to SB1335<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Dear Representative, (insert name) </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">I am writing to urge you to vote no on the strike all for SB 1335, and pass the original language of this bill. Currently there are 78,000 older individuals living in Arizona living with age related Vision loss. This number will double by 2030. The DES Independent living program is the only place to receive rehabilitation services to learn how to live independently with blindness. Bline Arizonans are waiting over one year to receive services causing them to resort to moving out of their homes into assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and to rely on in-home health services when learning the skills of blindness will allow them to live out the goals, they set for themselves as retired citizens. The ILB program has not received a funding increase since 2008. This additional funding would allow them to hire more instructors and offer more services through contracted providers so that older blind Arizonans can receive the training they need to live successfully and independently.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none">Add a personal paragraph discussing your own experience with training or how you have seen it positively impact blind seniors.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none">Please support SB1335 so older blind Arizonans can have the opportunity t</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">o<span style="color:#0563C1"> live the lives they want.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Amy Porterfield, She/Her</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">President,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Saavi Services for the blind</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">520-795-1331 EXT 321</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:aporterfield@saavi.us"><span style="color:blue">aporterfield@saavi.us</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.saavi.us/"><span style="color:blue">www.saavi.us</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Expect More,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Achieve More,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none">Become mor</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote></body></html>