[NFBMT] SB 439

[Rik James]

It is really good to recognize amongst ourselves what we feel like, and
appreciate the efforts. And make resolution toward the next session.
I also am grateful to you all who had a hand, in helping. On this, and that,
and all the other things. 
Thank you.

Also, I was just having a thought. How about this?

President Jim, Joy, and all of the crew.
Let's write up a press release.
Let the public know about this bill, and what it meant, and how we wished it
could have been improved.
How our vision of its outcome could have benefited people on both sides of
the topic.
Make it very succinct, with a brief description of our affiliate's mission
in Montana.
I know several of you have the writing skills to do it.
Then. Let's distribute it to the AP. See if we can get in the papers.  And
of course public radio, too, in Missoula and Billings where the 2 main NPR
affiliates are.
Maybe even a radio station, those few who still do carry news service, and
actually have news on-air personnel,  they might have someone notice it and
mention it on the air.
Actually from my listening to Bozeman radio, and TV, most of them have such
small budgets, they repeat syndicated news stories. So they might even just
pick it up if it gets reported out on Associated Press.

Somebody be ready to get a call, in case they ask for an interview. Have
talking points at the ready, just in case.

Send me some copy, I'll try and see what I could maybe help with.
Why do this?
Well, from my thinking, it could just help the wider public's understanding.
On this and any other number of issues, as regards to blind persons in
Montana.
Perhaps, just perhaps.
And besides that. Nobody yet, even knows yet to a sufficient degree, who we
are, NFB of Montana. 

We know from this effort, many still don't understand the issues surrounding
the bill, it could be argued. 

Just an idea.
A seed in the spring snow, just outside of Bozeman on a trail with dripping
Cottonwood tree branches, and red-winged blackbirds singing like all the
world is full of hopes and good prospects.

Rik James, President
Treasure State At-Large Chapter
The National Federation of the Blind




-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of president--- via NFBMT
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 3:54 PM
To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List' <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Cc: president at nfbofmt.org
Subject: Re: [NFBMT] SB 439

Hi Dar,

The NFB-MT tried to change the guide dog laws, but our bill failed in the
first legislative committee that looked at it.  We will have to try again
next legislative session, which will begin January 2021.  National helped us
out with our efforts, but the thing about the Federation is that we pretty
much do for ourselves.  Joy Breslauer did an extraordinary job of leading
our legislative efforts.  It isn't quite over, but it's good to have so many
colleagues to help us fight the good fight.

Oh, the failed change we sought was to establish penalties and restitution
for injuring or killing a service animal.  It's very frustrating that the
bill to criminalize the misrepresentation of service animals is sailing
through so far.  Don't know about you, but I'm feeling very angry that our
point of view is dismissed and that others are speaking for us.  We have to
keep pushing ahead even when we face setbacks.  Being persistent and
relentless matters very much.

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 d m gina via NFBMT
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 3:43 PM
To: nfbmt at nfbnet.org
Cc: d m gina <dmgina at mysero.net>
Subject: Re: [NFBMT] SB 439

I can't repeat this well,
Look up the Texas laws for guide dogs and what happens if the team is
bothered in any way especially in harm.
Is there any way that national would help change what the law is here in
Montana?
Mental cruelty is hard for me.
I lived with this in Colorado.
Just wanting to use a guide dog for traveling.
I wasn't bothering anyone.
The schools start saying things like, if you have to many more problems with
your dogs, we will take set dog away.
As though it was my fault wanting folks to come bother us.
It says to me, that they would rather see no guide dogs on the streets, just
canes maybe.
Yes the set person I was talking about would come in the middle of the
street, and step in the middle of the cane to see it brake.
Some blind would scream out of fear.
I just kept walking strait.
Would always have a back up cane.
Now I understand revenge isn't sweet, lol.
The guy came up to me wanting to put his shoe between the harness handle to
step on my dogs back.
I grabbed shoe and threw it in the middle of the street.
The police did see what happened, where he did get a good scolding.
As though that would stop set problem.
I am doing some really hard thinking, on behalf of after this dog, do I want
to put up with any more of the foolishness we have to put up with just to be
a guide dog user.
We will cross one bridge at a time.

Original message:
> Great Treasure State Chapter meeting last night.  Here are more 
> details on the MT Supreme Court decision I mentioned during our meeting.

> FYI the following is an excerpt from a Montana Supreme Court decision 
> in which a veteran with a disability using a service dog lost his 
> complaint against the Bozeman Police Department for failing to enforce 
> his civil rights.  Interestingly enough, the man also sued and won a 
> complaint against the C'Mon Inn in Bozeman.  The hotel refused to rent 
> the man a room because they wanted no animals in their business, and 
> the courts found this to be illegal discrimination and awarded the man 
> $15,000.  .  More details are below.

> The importance of this case is that Montana law enforcement does not 
> have to enforce the rights of people with disabilities as outlined in 
> MCA 49-4-211 Public Accommodation Access.  Even though Montana law 
> assigns a misdemeanor to violations of civil rights, law enforcement 
> is under no obligation to enforce the law according to this case.
> Since the decision comes from the Montana Supreme Court, the public 
> policy established with this decision stands now and for the 
> foreseeable future.  One take-away from this case is that people with 
> disabilities have to advocate for ourselves, that disputes and 
> violations are civil and not criminal, and that we can never look to 
> law enforcement to intervene when we encounter discrimination.  Here 
> is the
> excerpt:

> IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA May 26 2015 Case Number: 
> DA 14-0683




> COREY HANSEN,
>    Plaintiff and Appellant,
>   V.
>  BOZEMAN POLICE DEPARTMENT,
> APPEAL FROM:   District Court of the Eighteenth Judicial District,

>   Submitted on Briefs: April 8, 2015 Decided: May 26, 2015 Chief 
> Justice Mike McGrath delivered the Opinion of the Court.
> ¶1   Corey Hansen appeals from the District Court's orders denying leave
to
> file an amended complaint and granting summary judgment to the Bozeman 
> Police Department. We affirm.
> ¶2   Hansen presents the following issues for review:

>   9   Issue One: Did the District Court err in denying Hansen's motion for
> leave to file an amended complaint?


>   ¶4   Issue Two: Did the District Court properly grant summary judgment
to
> the Bozeman Police Department?


> BACKGROUND

> ¶5   Corey Hansen is a veteran who suffers from service-connected physical
> conditions, including a seizure disorder. He has a service dog that 
> alerts him to oncoming seizures. In 2011 Hansen and a few friends 
> planned a visit to the C'Mon Inn, a hotel in Bozeman, Montana. Hansen 
> had a reservation
and
> had stayed at the hotel with his service dog in the past. He left 
> copies
of
> the certification papers for his service dog on file at the hotel. 
> Those papers were still on file in September 2011 when Hansen arrived 
> to check
in,
> accompanied by his service dog wearing the appropriate identification
vest.
> ¶6   The C'Mon Inn staff refused to allow Hansen to register at the hotel
> because he was accompanied by his service dog. The hotel's reason for 
> excluding Hansen was that dogs are not allowed on the premises. This
refusal
> persisted after Hansen explained that he had a disability that 
> required
the
> presence of the service dog; that the presence of the


> 2




> service dog had been noted when the reservation was made; that he had
stayed
> there in the past with his dog; and that the dog's papers were on file 
> at the hotel. Eventually Hansen called 911 and complained that the 
> hotel was violating his rights and discriminating against him by refusing
him entry.
A
> hotel employee also called 911 to ask that Hansen be removed from the 
> premises.
> ¶7   Three Bozeman Police Department officers responded. They first
> interviewed Hansen and his friends, and then the C'Mon Inn manager. 
> The manager claimed that Hansen had become "disorderly" when employees 
> questioned him about his service dog and asked that Hansen be removed 
> from the premises. The officers told Hansen that he would have to 
> leave, but suggested other motels that would allow him to stay with 
> his dog and obtained a C'Mon Inn business card so that Hansen could 
> file a complaint
if
> he wished.
> ¶8   Hansen filed a complaint against the hotel with the Montana Human
> Rights Bureau. After an investigation and an evidentiary hearing, the 
> hearing examiner determined that the C'Mon Inn had discriminated 
> against Hansen and had violated his rights under the Montana Human 
> Rights Act. The hearing examiner awarded Hansen $15,000 in damages against
the C'Mon Inn.
> ¶9   Hansen filed a separate Human Rights complaint against the Bozeman
> Police Department. The Human Rights Bureau investigated and concluded 
> that the police did not discriminate against him. The Human Rights 
> Commission upheld that conclusion




> 3




> and issued a right to sue notice.' Hansen filed the present action 
> against the Bozeman Police Department, contending that the responding 
> officers themselves violated the Human Rights Act when they "aided, 
> abetted and facilitated" the C'Mon Inn's discrimination against him.
> ¶10 Hansen appeals from the District Court's refusal to allow him to 
> amend his complaint and from the subsequent order granting summary 
> judgment to
the
> Bozeman Police Department. We affirm.

> STANDARD OF REVIEW

> ¶11 This Court reviews a district court's decision on a motion under 
> Rule 15, M. R. Civ. P. to file an amended pleading to determine 
> whether there
was
> an abuse of discretion. Seamster v. Musselshell County Sheriff's 
> Office,
> 2014 MT 84, Ili 6, 374 Mont. 358, 321 P.3d 829.
> ¶12   This Court reviews a district court's decision on a motion for
summary
> judgment de novo, using the same criteria as the district court under 
> Rule
> 56 M. R. Civ. P. Passmore v. Watson, 2014 MT 287,119, 376 Mont. 529, 
> 337 P.3d 84.

> DISCUSSION


>   ¶13   Issue One: Did the District Court err in denying Hansen 's motion
> for leave to file an amended complaint?

> ¶14 Hansen filed the complaint in this action on October 18, 2012, and
moved
> for leave to file an amended complaint on June 3, 2014, proposing to
include
> a new claim that the Bozeman Police Department negligently trained and 
> supervised its officers. The


>   1 We have not located copies of these documents in the record on appeal.


> 4




> deadlines for the close of discovery and for amendment of pleadings 
> had
been
> set in a stipulated scheduling order and had already passed. Hansen 
> contended that he did not learn of the facts to support the new claim
until
> he deposed the responding officers the last day of the discovery period.
> Bozeman objected to the motion.
> ¶15   The District Court concluded that Hansen had unduly delayed both
> deposing the officers and filing the motion to amend. Further, 
> Hansen's claims had been through two Human Rights proceedings, 
> including investigations and a hearing. The District Court therefore 
> concluded that Hansen's claim that he did not have information on a 
> failure to train
issue
> was "disingenuous." Additionally, while Hansen did not request a new 
> pretrial scheduling order, the new claim would require additional
discovery
> and designation of expert witnesses. The District Court determined 
> that
the
> motion for leave to amend was therefore untimely and prejudicial to
Bozeman,
> and should be denied.
> ¶16   We find that the District Court thoroughly considered the positions
of
> the parties and the context of the case to determine that leave to 
> amend should not be granted. Determining whether to grant leave to 
> amend is
within
> the discretion of a district court, which acts arbitrarily if it acts 
> without employing conscientious judgment, or exceeds the bounds of 
> reason
in
> view of all the circumstances. Campbell v. Bozeman Investors, 1998 MT 
> 204, II 34, 290 Mont. 374, 964 P.2d 41. Hansen has not demonstrated 
> that the District Court abused its discretion, and the decision to 
> deny leave to
file
> the amended complaint is affirmed.




> 5




>   ¶17   Issue Two: Did the District Court properly grant summary judgment
to
> the Bozeman Police Department?

> ¶18 Hansen's complaint alleged two claims for relief: that the 
> responding officers discriminated against him by violating § 49-2-302, 
> MCA (part of
the
> statues referred to as the Montana Human Rights Act), and by violating 
> the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act. The District Court 
> granted
summary
> judgment to Bozeman on both claims, concluding that neither Act 
> required that the officers enforce Hansen's asserted rights against the
C'Mon Inn.
> The essential facts are not in dispute and therefore there is only an
issue
> of law.
> ¶19 Montana law provides that it is an unlawful discriminatory 
> practice
for
> a public accommodation to refuse service to a person "because of a
physical
> or mental disability." Section 49-2-304, MCA. As noted, the Human 
> Rights Bureau, in a separate proceeding and after hearing, determined 
> that the C'mon Inn violated § 49-2-304, MCA, by refusing to provide a 
> room to
Hansen.
> Hansen contends that the Bozeman police officers were required to
materially
> assist him at the scene in his dispute with the hotel personnel. At 
> the hearing on summary judgment, Hansen's attorney argued that the 
> officers responded to the situation with the wrong attitude, that they 
> did not try
to
> get the hotel to reconsider its position, and that they did an 
> inadequate investigation. He did not contend that the officers should 
> have forced the hotel to give Hansen a room. The officers, he said, 
> were required "to at least attempt to enforce his rights."
> ¶20   The District Court considered these arguments and the Human Rights
> statutes and was unable to find support for these contentions, 
> concluding that officers responding to a


> 6




> 911 call are not required to force another to make a reasonable 
> accommodation to a person with disabilities. Rather, Hansen's 
> statutory remedy, which he utilized, was to pursue a claim under the 
> Human Rights statues. Montana law, § 49-2-501 to -504, MCA, provides 
> that the duty to enforce the Human Rights Act rests with the Montana 
> Department of Labor
and
> Industry (Department). Persons "aggrieved by any discriminatory practice"
> may file a complaint with the Department, § 49-2-501, MCA, which is 
> the exclusive remedy to address unlawful discrimination in Montana. 
> Section 49-2-512(1), MCA; Edwards v. Cascade County Sheriff 2009 MT 
> 451, If 69,
354
> Mont. 307, 223 P.3d 893.
> ¶21 When an aggrieved person files a complaint, the Department is 
> required to investigate and attempt to informally settle the dispute. 
> Section 49-2-504(1), (2), MCA. The Department must issue a finding 
> based upon the facts of the case as to whether there is reasonable 
> cause to believe that unlawful discrimination has occurred. Section
49-2-504(7), MCA; Reeves v.
> Dairy Queen, 1998 MT 13, irf 28, 287 Mont. 196, 953 P.2d 703. The
Department
> may determine that the facts either support the claim or that they do not.
> Section 49-2-504(7)(b), (c), MCA. If there is reasonable cause to 
> believe that there was discrimination, the matter is referred to a 
> contested case hearing. Section 49-2505, MCA. The hearing officer 
> issues a decision and either party may appeal to the Human Rights 
> Commission. Section
49-2-505(3)
> to (5), MCA. The Human Rights Division hearings officer may provide 
> appropriate relief to the aggrieved party, § 49-2-506, MCA, which may 
> be enforced by petition to district court, § 49-2-508, MCA.



> 7



> ¶22   The express allegation in Hansen's complaint was that Bozeman itself
> violated the

> Human Rights Act when it "aided and abetted" the C'Mon Inn's
discriminatory
> conduct. Hansen's claim is based upon § 49-2-302, MCA:


>   It is unlawful for a person, educational institution, financial 
> institution, or governmental entity or agency to aid, abet, incite, 
> compel or coerce the doing of an act forbidden under this chapter or 
> to attempt
to
> do so.


> The Montana Human Rights Act does not contain a definition of the 
> terms "aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce" as used in § 49-2-302, 
> MCA. The District Court and the parties relied upon the Restatement of 
> Torts for a definition of "aiding and abetting":


>   For harm resulting to a third person from the tortious conduct of
another,
> one is subject to liability if he


>   does a tortious act in concert with the other or pursuant to a 
> common design with him, or


>   knows that the other's conduct constitutes a breach of duty and 
> gives substantial assistance or encouragement to the other so to 
> conduct
himself,
> or


>   gives substantial assistance to the other in accomplishing a 
> tortious result and his own conduct, separately considered, 
> constitutes a breach of duty to the third person.

> Restatement (Second) of Torts, § 876. Assuming that this definition
applies,
> Bozeman does not qualify as an aider or abettor of C'Mon Inn's 
> discrimination. Most obviously, the hotel had already discriminated
against
> Hansen by refusing to register him before the officers arrived. There 
> is nothing but speculation to support a contention that the C'Mon Inn 
> staff would have reversed its decision if only the officers had done 
> or said something different. And, it is notable that the C'Mon Inn 
> organization continued its resistance to Hansen's claim through the 
> investigation and
the
> evidentiary hearing that resulted in an adverse decision.


> 8




> ¶23   There is also no material support for the contention that the
> responding Bozeman officers committed a discriminatory act "in concert
with"
> or as part of a "common design" with the hotel, or that the officers 
> gave "substantial assistance or encouragement" to the hotel to 
> discriminate against Hansen. While Hansen sees assistance and 
> encouragement in the officers' ultimate request that he leave the 
> hotel and seek a room elsewhere, there is no showing that this was 
> anything more than their good faith effort to diffuse the impasse between
Hansen and the hotel staff.
> Last, the officers did not discriminate against Hansen through their 
> own separate conduct. Therefore, we find no evidence to support a 
> contention that they aided or abetted C'Mon Inn's conduct.
> ¶24 We agree with the District Court's conclusion that the Human 
> Rights
Act
> on its face does not make law enforcement officers responsible for
remedying
> unlawful discrimination following the aggrieved party's call to 911. 
> To
the
> contrary, the law sets
> out clear procedures and remedies to address and correct discrimination.
> While § 49-2-601, MCA, makes engaging in willful discrimination a 
> misdemeanor, nothing in that section evidences an intent to allow or 
> require law enforcement officers to supplant the statutes providing 
> for enforcement of protections against discrimination in Montana. 
> Hansen is unable to concretely describe the parameters of a law 
> enforcement officer's responsibility in a
situation
> like the one in this case. See McDonald v. DEQ, 2009 MT 209, 351 Mont.
243,
> 214 P.3d 749 (determining the parameters required for employer's 
> accommodation of employee's service dog).
> ¶25   Hansen sued under the Human Rights Act, and we find no basis therein
> to require
> law enforcement officers to investigate and determine the merits of 
> discrimination

> 9




> disputes. Determination of whether there has been unlawful 
> discrimination can involve intricate issues of law and proof. Reeves, 
> ¶¶ 10-18, 21; BNSF
v.
> Feit, 2012 MT 147, iii 8, 365 Mont. 359, 281 P.3d 225. These are not 
> the kinds of situations that are suited to resolution by officers 
> responding
to
> a 911 call. These are, however, the kinds of situations commonly
considered
> and disposed of under the investigation, hearing and enforcement
provisions
> in Montana law.
> ¶26   We reach a similar conclusion under the Federal Americans with
> Disabilities Act.
> Under the ADA, 42 USCA § 12132, "no qualified individual with a
disability"
> may be "excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of the 
> services, programs or activities of a public entity, or be subject to 
> discrimination by any such entity." Like the Montana Human Rights Act, 
> the ADA does not contain any express requirement that the officers 
> enforce or vindicate whatever rights Hansen had against the hotel.
> ¶27 The parties agree that Bozeman is subject to the requirements of 
> that statute. Sheehan v. San Francisco, 743 F.3d 1211 (9th Cir. 2014). 
> This certainly prohibits Bozeman from itself unlawfully discriminating 
> against citizens, but it does not also carry an obligation to enforce
citizens'
> rights as against third parties.2 The District court concluded as follows:

>   There's no dispute that police officers are subject to the ADA and 
> that Mr. Hansen was qualified to participate or receive the benefit of 
> the Bozeman Police Department services. But the Court does not find 
> that,
first
> of all, there are sufficient allegations either in the Complaint or as
even
> supplemented through the briefing that he was denied the benefit of 
> the


> 2 Law enforcement agencies are subject to non-discriminatory 
> requirements
of
> Montana law. Section 49-2-308, MCA; Edwards,¶ 62.

> 10




>   Police Department services or that he was specifically discriminated 
> against by the Bozeman Police Department by reason of his disability.

> We agree with the District Court's assessment of the ADA claim.
> 128   There is no evidence that Bozeman denied any services to Hansen,
aside
> from his contention that the officers were required to do something 
> more than they did to assist him in his dispute with the C'Mon Inn. 
> The
officers
> responded promptly to Hansen's 911 call; they assessed the situation, 
> interviewing Hansen first; and they tried to assist Hansen to find 
> some other place to stay. While the officers did not do what Hansen 
> says they should have done, they did not discriminate against Hansen 
> because of his disability. They had no obligation to force the C'Mon 
> Inn to provide him a room or to negotiate on his behalf.
> 129 The District Court properly exercised its discretion in denying
Hansen's
> motion for leave to file an amended complaint and properly granted 
> summary judgment to the Bozeman Police Department.
> 130   The District Court is affirmed.

> Jim Marks
> Blind.grizzly at gmail.com
> (406) 438-1421

> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of BRESLAUERS via 
> NFBMT
> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2019 8:06 PM
> To: nfbmt <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: BRESLAUERS <breslauerj at gmail.com>
> Subject: [NFBMT] SB 439

> On Thursday, April 11, SB 439 was concurred as amended by the Senate 
> Judiciary Committee.  There were three amendments offered, two of 
> which passed.  One changed the language to be more in sync with the 
> ADA.  One changed the language dealing with complaints, that they be 
> taken to law enforcement rather than the Commission for Human Rights.



> Joy Breslauer, First Vice President and Public Policies Committee 
> Chair

> National Federation of the Blind of Montana

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



> Live the life you want



> 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.



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--
--Dar
skype: dmgina23
  FB: dmgina
www.twitter.com/dmgina
every saint has a past
every sinner has a future

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