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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Hello, fellow Montana Federationists.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Below are proposed resolutions to be voted on at our upcoming convention for your perusal. These will also be available on our web site. Your NFB of Montana Resolutions Committee at work. Thank you all.</span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Resolution</span> <span style='color:#1F497D'>2019-01 </span>Regarding NFB-Newsline Funding for Montana <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS<span style='color:#1F497D'>,</span> NFB-NEWSLINE is an audio news and information service offer<span style='color:#1F497D'>ing</span> access to more than 500 national and local newspapers and magazines, emergency weather alerts, job listings, retail and grocery ads, TV listings, <span style='color:#1F497D'>and </span>community news <span style='color:#1F497D'>for the </span>blind or otherwise print-disabled; and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Subscribers may access NFB-NEWSLINE by means of a land line, iPhone, computer, KNFB Reader, or Amazon Alexa compatible device; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, 363 Montanans, many of whom are senior citizens, rely on this service <span style='color:#1F497D'>for the information they need </span>to participate fully in their communities and to live independently in their homes<span style='color:#1F497D'>; and </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHER<span style='color:#1F497D'>E</span>AS<span style='color:#1F497D'>,</span> <span style='color:#1F497D'>no </span>other service provide<span style='color:#1F497D'>s</span> the easy-to-use access to information <span style='color:#1F497D'>free to its subscribers </span>that NFB-Newsline does; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, as of June 30, 2019, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services terminated funding for NFB-Newsline, based on false interpretations of state and national public policies<span style='color:#1F497D'>,</span> <span style='color:#1F497D'>thereby callously disregarding </span>the value <span style='color:#1F497D'>of NFB-Newsline t</span>o <span style='color:#1F497D'>its many subscribers</span>; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, despite the best efforts of the National Federation of the Blind of Montana to secure <span style='color:#1F497D'>alternate</span> funding, NFB-Newsline will soon be <span style='color:#1F497D'>unavailable </span>to Montanans simply because state government does not value NFB-Newsline <span style='color:#1F497D'>e</span>nough to continue to fund the less than $40,000 <span style='color:#1F497D'>a year </span>it costs to pay for the service: NOW,<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>THEREFORE, <span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind <span style='color:#1F497D'>of Montana </span>in convention assembled this 12th day of October, 2019, in the city of Missoula, Montana, that this organization condemns and deplores the decision of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to discontinue the funding of such a vital service as NFB-Newsline; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT Further RESOLVED that this organization calls <span style='color:#1F497D'>up</span>on the Department <span style='color:#1F497D'>of Public Health and Human services </span>to reverse this misguided decision, thereby reinstating access to information<span style='color:#1F497D'> that only NFB-Newsline can provide for blind and print-disabled Montanans, so that we can live the lives we want</span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Resolution 2019-02 Regarding Protecting the Rights of Montana Voters with Disabilities <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>WHEREAS, Montana received a 3 million dollar Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant, 1.3 million of which will be used to upgrade voting registration and security procedures, and to match funds contributed by counties to purchase new voting technology for voters with disabilities; and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>WHEREAS, On August 28, 2019, the Montana Secretary of State’s Office certified the Election Systems and Software (ESS) ExpressVote touch screen voting system to replace the aging AutoMARK voting system; and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>WHEREAS, Senate Bill SB 291, a bill revising laws related to voting systems and ballot form, was passed by the 2019 Montana Legislature and signed into law; and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>WHEREAS, Senate Bill SB 291 specifies that: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>E</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>ach polling place ha<span style='color:#1F497D'>s</span> at least one voter interface device with accessible voting technology available, set up<span style='color:#1F497D'> in a prominent place</span>, and ready to <span style='color:#1F497D'>be </span>use<span style='color:#1F497D'>d</span>;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>M</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>easures <span style='color:#1F497D'>are</span> taken to ensure that each voter using the device <span style='color:#1F497D'>is</span> able to cast their ballot independently, privately, and securely; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Measures <span style='color:#1F497D'>are</span> taken to ensure that the screen cannot be seen by others to protect the privacy<span style='color:#1F497D'> and secrecy of the voter and the ballot</span>;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Election administrators <span style='color:#1F497D'>are</span> trained in how to use, explain, and troubleshoot the voter interface device; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Votes cast using the voter interface device <span style='color:#1F497D'>are</span> counted in a manner which preserves the privacy and secrecy of the voter and the ballot; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Since the ballots used by the ExpressVote are of a different size than standard ballots, measures <span style='color:#1F497D'>are</span> taken to preserve the privacy and secrecy of the voter and the ballot, which may include, but are not limited to, encouraging a portion of the nondisabled electors to use the device to cast their ballots, <span style='color:#1F497D'>or </span>providing that votes on a ballot produced by the voter interface device <span style='color:#1F497D'>be </span>transcribed in secre<span style='color:#1F497D'>cy</span> to the standard ballot form so that the ballots are indistinguishable from and counted with the other ballots<span style='color:#1F497D'>; and </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>WHEREAS, Making the voter interface device available only to voters with disabilities has the undesirable effect of segregating those voters and their ballots, thereby compromising their rights to privacy, secrecy, and anonymity: NOW, THEREFORE, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind <span style='color:#1F497D'>of Montana </span>in convention assembled this 12<sup>th</sup> day of October, 2019, in the city of Missoula, Montana, that <span style='color:#1F497D'>this </span>organization calls upon </span>election officials to train poll workers to instruct all voters in how to use the voter interface device; and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization <span style='color:#1F497D'>calls upon election officials to place the voter interface device in a prominent location, to take the necessary steps to ensure voter privacy, secrecy, and anonymity, and to proactively and strongly encourage the use of the voter interface device by all Montana voters, not just those with disabilities.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Resolution 2019-03 Regarding Competitive Integrated Employment in Medicaid Programs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, segregated, sub-minimum wage work for Montanans with disabilities should never be the sole option for employment services under Montana’s Medicaid programs; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, national public policy is bending towards the justice of work in our communities at comparable wages; and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whereas, Montana programs such as Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services routinely apply competitive integrated employment, thus demonstrating Montana’s commitment to justice for workers with disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Montana’s Medicaid programs, including programs under multiple Divisions of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, currently offer zero options for developing competitive integrated employment: Now<span style='color:#1F497D'>, Therefore, </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind <span style='color:#1F497D'>of Montana </span>in convention assembled this 12<sup>th</sup> day of October, 2019, in the city of Missoula, Montana, that <span style='color:#1F497D'>this </span>organization calls upon the Governor and the Department of Public Health and Human Services <span style='color:#1F497D'>to </span>develop and implement competitive integrated employment services immediately under each of its Medicaid programs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Joy Breslauer, Resolutions Committee Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Montana <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Web Site: <a href="http://www.nfbofmt.org/"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.nfbofmt.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Live the life you want</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>