<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Federation Family,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Today, the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee will vote on SB0949 our Accessible Ballot Return Work Group bill. The voting session will be live streamed for anyone interested in watching. The voting session will begin after the bill hearings end. You can visit the below link.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Meetings/Day/03062025?cmte=eee">https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Meetings/Day/03062025?cmte=eee</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Apologies for the short notice – we just learned last night that the Senate put this on the voting list, and the Senator, Delegate, their staff, and I have been working feverishly since then to get the amendments we need drafted. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fingers crossed, and this is what collective action looks like!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ronza<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#1F497D'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='color:#1F497D'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Pronouns: she, her, hers</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Maryland President <president@nfbmd.org> <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 6, 2025 2:58 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'nfb-maryland@nfbnet.org' <nfb-maryland@nfbnet.org>; 'nfb-maryland@nfbnet.org' <nfb-maryland@nfbnet.org>; 'nfbmd@nfbnet.org' <nfbmd@nfbnet.org>; 'greater-baltimore@nfbnet.org' <greater-baltimore@nfbnet.org>; 'nfbmdtlc-chapter@nfbnet.org' <nfbmdtlc-chapter@nfbnet.org>; 'central-md-chapter@nfbnet.org' <central-md-chapter@nfbnet.org>; 'md-atlarge@nfbnet.org' <md-atlarge@nfbnet.org>; 'md-sligo@nfbnet.org' <md-sligo@nfbnet.org>; 'nationalharbor@nfbnet.org' <nationalharbor@nfbnet.org>; 'mabm@nfbnet.org' <mabm@nfbnet.org>; 'mdabs@nfbnet.org' <mdabs@nfbnet.org>; 'mdpobc@nfbnet.org' <mdpobc@nfbnet.org>; 'NFB of Maryland, Baltimore County List' <md-baltimore-county@nfbnet.org><br><b>Subject:</b> Sad News: Thompson<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federation Family,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’m very sorry to share that Mary Ellen Thompson passed away yesterday, March 5, 2025, after a short illness. Mary Ellen was a long-time member of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of NFBMD, a driver on the NFB of Maryland staff, and previously a long-time member of the NFB national staff. I’ll share information about arrangements once they become available. Please keep Mary Ellen, her siblings, her family and friends, and all who love her in your thoughts and prayers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ronza<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland 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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>