[NFBMT] Action Request: Testify on Your Voting Rights

[president at nfbofmt.org]

Please submit testimony on the following bill:

Tomorrow, Friday, January 11 at 8:00 AM, the House State Administration and
Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing in Capitol 455 on the bill,
HJ3.  HJ3 calls for a joint House and Senate resolution to study voting
accessibility by citizens with disabilities.  You can read HJ3 here:

https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/billhtml/HJ0003.htm

I plan to attend the hearing and provide testimony on behalf of the NFB-MT.
The hearing will be broadcast online, so anyone can watch the hearing via
going to leg.mt.gov and following the links to the broadcasts from the
Legislature.  Be sure to find the House State Administration and Veterans
Affairs Committee link for the hearing on HJ3.

Even if one cannot attend the hearing in person, one may message a Committee
member or another legislator by following the message links from leg.mt.gov.
Please submit testimony supporting HJ3.  For example, a brief telephone or
e-mail message to any member of the Committee or to your local legislator
would be helpful.  One can say you support HJ3 and emphasize accessible and
private voting by blind voters.  In addition to assuring accessible and
private voting, please mention that our ballots should be the same used by
everyone.  Using the same ballots everyone uses assures that voters with
disabilities ballots cannot be segregated.  Voting technology is changing,
and it's vital NFB-MT members speak up to assure accessible and private
voting rights.  One big problem in Montana voting is that while state and
county elections comply with voting rules for people with disabilities, our
state has yet to assure the same for stand-alone municipal and school
district elections.

Committee Members
Member	Assignment
Forrest Mandeville  (R) HD 57
Chair
Jacob Bachmeier  (D) HD 28
Vice Chair
Wendy McKamey  (R) HD 19
Vice Chair
Jade Bahr  (D) HD 50
Member
Geraldine Custer  (R) HD 39
Member
Julie Dooling  (R) HD 70
Member
Frank Fleming  (R) HD 51
Member
Rodney Garcia  (R) HD 52
Member
Frank Garner  (R) HD 7
Member
Sharon Greef  (R) HD 88
Member
Denise Hayman  (D) HD 66
Member
Jessica Karjala  (D) HD 48
Member
Dale Mortensen  (R) HD 44
Member
Tyson T Runningwolf  (D) HD 16	Member
Walt Sales  (R) HD 69
Member
Ray L Shaw  (R) HD 71
Member
Mark Sweeney  (D) HD 77
Member
Marvin Weatherwax  (D) HD 15
Member
Peggy Webb  (R) HD 43
Member
Thomas Winter  (D) HD 96
Member
Sheri Scurr	Legislative Branch Staffer
Karen Armstrong	Secretary


If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to
contact NFB-MT Public Policies Committee Chairperson, Joy Breslauer at
breslauerj at gmail.com.  I welcome the same as well, and my contact info is in
my electronic signature below.  Thank you for helping strengthen the voting
rights of blind Montanans!

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