[NFBMT] Montana Legislation ... where we are now

Fri Dec 21 16:10:02 UTC 2018

Hi All,

They say making laws is a lot like making sausage.  It's hard to believe the
end result can be so tasty when one knows what goes into the process.
Something we know for certain is that blind Montanans must show up and stand
up for ourselves.  If we somehow neglect our responsibilities, others will
speak and act for us, and history clearly shows this never goes well for
blind folks.

This listserv should be used for general discussions and not replace the
governance of the NFB-MT.  Happily, we have our Convention, Board,
Committees, and Chapters for running our outfit.  Sometimes, we use the
listserv to keep members updated and to seek volunteers for NFB-MT
activities.  However, the listserv should never be used as a substitute for
running our outfit.

The name of the Committee Joy leads is the Public Policies Committee.  In
the past, we referred to this Committee as the Legislative or Government
Committee.  Now that I am President and am vested with the constitutional
power to create and name committees, I set up the Public Policies Committee
to deal with all parts of government, including the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches as well as the diversity of federal, state, and local
governments.  I charge the Public Policies Committee with the duty of
establishing and maintaining public policies that benefit members of the
NFB-MT.  

I support Joy's call for others to help out with the important work of the
Public Policies Committee.  We can use one or two members to lend a hand to
the effort.

Since the topic of voting rights came up, I feel it's necessary to provide a
bit more clarification.  We learned after our wonderful Convention last
September that the 2017 Legislature passed an electronic voting bill that
the Governor signed already.  This relatively new law establishes a method
of voting electronically by people with disabilities.  In other words, we
already have what one of our 2018 Resolutions called for.  This voting
technology relies on a PDF ballot, so we have more work to do to figure out
if the system truly is accessible to and usable by blind Montana voters.  If
it is not, then we will work with the Secretary of State to make changes.
Additional legislation is not needed.  The other 2018 Resolution that dealt
with voting rights will be addressed through a bill that proposes to study
voting rights for people with disabilities.  Thus, we are dropping nothing
we planned to do, and we are simply moving forward to see our collective
will through to reality.

I'll spare everyone additional details of what's going on with our Public
Policies Committee work.  We sure are busy and hopeful we will gain and hold
important ground.  Please feel free to contact Joy or me with any questions,
ideas, or concerns.  From time-to-time, Joy will post updates on this
listserv.  The rich details behind the sausage making... I mean the public
policy making, will be left up to the NFB-MT governance.

Best!

Jim Marks
President, National Federation of the Blind of Montana
president at nfbofmt.org
(406) 438-1421

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER via
NFBMT
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2018 6:22 PM
To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List' <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Cc: BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER <breslauerj at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NFBMT] Montana Legislation ... where we are now

That brings me to another subject.  Does anyone want to be on the
legislative committee, or the public policy committee, or the whatever it is
committee?
These decisions I have outlined have already been made, but if someone wants
to be on the committee, we can have conference calls to discuss things.  I
hope to be aware of what bills are coming before the legislature in time to
mobilize us to support or oppose them.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Rik James via NFBMT
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2018 6:15 PM
To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List' <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Rik James <rixmix2009 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NFBMT] Montana Legislation ... where we are now

Is this discussion list a forum to discuss these bills?
Or is it better to have that discussion within a committee of persons to
sort it out?
I am not sure I know enough yet about any of them.
But I am pleased that we are going to be active, and try and promote, or
conversely, to oppose, various  proposed bills of legislation.

So when is the conversation?

Christmas morning?
Santa has me on a tight schedule again this year.
I can't make it. But don't count me out.

Merry Christmas.
And thank you Madam Vice President.
Rik James

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER via
NFBMT
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2018 5:20 PM
To: mtparents <nfbmt-parents at nfbnet.org>
Cc: BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER <breslauerj at gmail.com>; nfbmt <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [NFBMT] Montana Legislation ... where we are now

Hello, fellow Montana Federationists.

Here is where we are so far.

LC2761: Prohibition of subminimum wages for workers with disabilities.
Looking for a sponsor

LC2762: Establishment of accessible electronic alternative for mail voting.
Drop this one for now, since a voting bill was passed by the previous
legislature having to do with PDF ballots, and we may be better to wait for
that to be revisited in a future legislature.

LC2763: Provide that ballots for voters with disabilities be same form used
by all. Same as above.

LC2764: Establish penalties for malicious or negligent injury or death of
service animal. We may be merging this bill with other groups of people with
disabilities regarding their signal, guide, or service dogs, so that it is
more inclusive and therefore more likely to pass.

LC2765: Protect rights of blind parents in family law.  The title of this
bill cannot be changed once it has been submitted to the legislative
council, and as of right now it only addresses the parental rights of blind
parents.
The prevailing wisdom is that it might have a better chance of passing if it
promotes the parental rights of other disabilities as well.

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org <http://www.nfbofmt.org/>