[NFBAZ-EastValleyChapter] immediate call to action today reference sb1335 senior funding

Tue Mar 5 19:07:52 UTC 2024

Hello everyone,

This is an immediate call to action regarding SB 1335 adding
one-million dollars  ($1,000,000) to the DES independent living
program budget.  Today this bill will be read for the third time on
the floor of the Sennate.  This is one more step on the journey.  It
must pass for it to be voted its final time in the Sennate.

To look up your district please click

https://irc-az.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=424810a4667049388ef6df4f0c73098b

The list of senators and their contact information is attached.

A sample letter or phone message is below.  We need as many letters
and voicemails as we can get today by 1:00 PM.

Dear Senator ---,

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.

Then you may write a small paragraph describing either the benefits
you received from blindness training, the difficulties you have faced
waiting for services, or the benefits you have observed from quality
blindness training.

End your email or call with Please support SB1335 so older blind
Arizonans can have the opportunity to live the lives they want.

We thank you for your continued support to help get training to blind seniors.
The senator list is below:

District 1: Ken Bennet, kbennett at azleg.gov, 602-926-5874
District 2: Shawnna Bolick, sbolick at azleg.gov, 602-926-3314
District 3: John Kavanagh, jkavanagh at azleg.gov, 602-926-5170
District 4: Christine Marsh, cmarsh at azleg.gov, 602-926-3184
District 5: Lela Alston, lalston at azleg.gov, 602-926-5829
District 6: Theresa Hatathlie, thatathlie at azleg.gov, 602-926-5160
District 7: Wendy Rogers, wrogers at azleg.gov, 602-926-3042
District 8: Juan Mendez, jmendez at azleg.gov, 602-926-4124
District 9: Eva Burch, eburch at azleg.gov, 602-926-3374
District 10: David Farnsworth, dfarnsworth at azleg.gov, 602-926-3387
District 11: Catherine Miranda, cmiranda at azleg.gov, 602-926-3413
District 12: Mitzi Epstein, mepstein at azleg.gov, 602-926-4870
District 13: JD Mesnard, jmesnard at azleg.gov, 602-926-4481
District 14: Warren Petersen, wpetersen at azleg.gov, 602-926-4136
District 15: Jake Hoffman, jake.hoffman at azleg.gov, 602-926-3292
District 16: Thomas Shope, tshope at azleg.gov, 602-926-3012
District 17: Justine Wadsack, jwadsack at azleg.gov, 602-926-3106
District 18: Priya Sundareshan, psundareshan at azleg.gov, 602-926-3437
District 19: David Gowan, dgowan at azleg.gov, 602-926-5154
District 20: Sally Ann Gonzales, sgonzales at azleg.gov, 602-926-3278
District 21: Rosanna Gabaldon, rgabaldon at azleg.gov, 602-926-3424
District 22: Eva Diaz, EVA.DIAZ at azleg.gov, 602-926-3473
District 23: Brian Fernandez, BFERNANDEZ at azleg.gov, 602-926-3098
District 24: Anna Hernandez, ANNA.HERNANDEZ at azleg.gov, 602-926-3492
District 25: Sine Kerr, SKERR at azleg.gov, 602-926-5955
District 26: Flavio Bravo, FBRAVO at azleg.gov, 602-926-4033
District 27: Anthony Kern, AKERN at azleg.gov, 602-926-3497
District 28: Frank Carroll, FCARROLL at azleg.gov, 602-926-3249
District 29: Janae Shamp, JSHAMP at azleg.gov, 602-926-3499
District 30: Sonny Borrelli, SBORRELLI at azleg.gov, 602-926-5051

Amy Porterfield, She/Her