[Nfbk] URGENT: Please call your legislators TODAY

[Corbb O'Connor]

Good morning.

On behalf of Cathy and the Legislative Committee, I share the following:

As many of you know, the Senate passed their budget yesterday, and it’s not good news for the blind of Kentucky. I have included an e-mail below from Allison Flanagan listing the budget appropriations for the past few years, this current fiscal year, and the next biennium (by chamber). She also does a great job explaining the legislative process moving forward.

We are asking you to please call your legislators TODAY and leave TWO separate messages (that is, leave one message; then hang up and leave another message).

1. If the Senate budget amounts are approved by the House and signed by the Governor, Kentucky’s Office for the Blind will be short more than $900,000 for each year ($918,300 in 2017 and $914,400 in 2018). If this cut happens, Kentucky will send back more than $3.4 million each year to the federal government that could have helped blind Kentuckians get back to work, and these funds can then be used by other states. 
	Furthermore, Kentucky’s Accessible Electronic Information Service (also known as NFB-NEWSLINE®) will see a reduction in service and outreach if these amounts stand.
	So, we are asking that legislators restore the full amount requested by the Office for the Blind so as to maximize our ability to draw down federal funds to help blind Kentuckians get off government benefits and become contributing taxpayers.

2. On your second call, ensure that your legislators understand that while funding for Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) was restored in the House budget, it was zeroed-out in the Senate plan. This will mean that blind children will lose crucial services that help to ensure that they don’t fall behind their development milestones. We wouldn’t want our children to stop learning to read and write, yet this is exactly what a budget cut would do to blind children.

Again, please make sure to leave two separate messages on these issues so as not to confuse our legislators. I talked with Jimmy Higdon this morning, and even he thought OFB, the School for the Blind, the accessible electronic information service, and NFB were all one budget item! Let’s not confuse our friends in Frankfort!

Thank you for your assistance. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at 703-309-4884.

Corbb O’Connor

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Flanagan, Allison A (OFB-FK) 
> Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2016 10:56 AM
> To: WFD DFB Users
> Subject: Budget Bill
>  
> Staff,
>  
> I have had a few questions related to the current Budget Bill and the Budget Process in the Legislative Session.  I hope this email will provide you with some details and keep everyone informed.
>  
> HB 303 is the Budget Bill that was introduced in the House Side in January and is required by law to be introduced in the House first.  HB 303 in its original format is a mirror of the Governor’s Budget Proposal.  On March 16th the House passed their amended version of HB 303 and the bill then went to the Senate.  Keep in mind the entire session both sides of the house have been having various committee meetings to discuss the budgets, listen to agency representatives on their requests and impacts of the proposed HB 303.  On March 23rd the Senate approved their version of the Budget Bill.  What is occurring now is a Conference Committee which includes members of both the Senate and House are working through the differences of each Chambers passed Budget Bill and will come to an agreement, pass a final bill and send to the Governor for approval.  The last official day of this Budget session is April 12th however the last day for either chamber to submit any action is March 29th.  This means we will more than likely see a final budget bill in the next week.
>  
> What I have provided below is a breakdown of the proposed budgets from the Governor, House, and Senate as well as our current 2016 level of funding and also the amount requested by our agency in the Biennial Budget request.  This is just the state general funds which is what our state legislators approve and does not include our Federal Match but it should go without saying that when our state general funds are reduced so is our ability to match available federal funds.  I hope you find this information useful and please contact me with any questions you may have as we prepare for even greater difficulties within our agency.
>  
>             General Funds 
> 2013    $1,235,200      Actual Budget
> 2014    $1,385,100      Actual Budget
> 2015    $1,413,700      Actual Budget
>                         
> 2016    $1,413,700      Actual Budget
> 2016    $1,350,084      4.5% Cut Across Board Proposal
>                         
> 2017    $2,406,700      Requested
> 2017    $1,361,200      Governor Recommended
> 2017    $1,488,400      House
> 2017    $1,361,200      Senate
>                         
> 2018    $2,416,700      Requested
> 2018    $1,375,100      Governor Recommended
> 2018    $1,502,300      House
> 2018    $1,375,100      Senate
>  
> Allison Flanagan, MRC, CRC
> Executive Director
> Kentucky Career Center
> Office for the Blind