[Nfbofnc] legislative update budget vetoed

[Lusi Radford]

Greetings All.

 

I’m sorry that I haven’t emailed you in a couple of weeks, but there really wasn’t anything to say. It is very difficult for hard working folks to stand back and wait when they want to know the results of their efforts. 

 

The Governor has vetoed the budget. We don’t know what will happen to the budget at this point. Either all of the Republicans plus a few Dims will over ride the veto or no Dems will vote with the Republicans and everyone will have to go back to work to create a budget that the Governor will sign. 

 

There have been cuts everywhere in this budget. We are fortunate because the blind citizens of North Carolina did not fair too badly. Newsline is in the budget under Federal Block Grant Funds. Merger is out. Although we defeated it this year, Executive Order Eighty-Five Section 7B is still in effect. We’ll have to work on getting that negated next year during the short session. DPI has been mandated to close one of the ghree schools—two for the deaf and Governor Morehead. They are to decide which one by January 2012 and close it by July first, 2012. We can also lobby against that next year.

 

All in all we should be very proud of our efforts. You all have done a fantastic job. All of those new legislators know that the organized blind are a force to be reckoned with. 

 

There is a task that every chapter needs to be involved with in the months between the end of the long session and the beginning of the short one. We need to be making friends with the newly elected Republican Senators and Representatives in your area. Even if Republican officials have been around for a while, it would still be good to try to build some bridges. It is in our best interest to keep friends on both sides of the isle.

 

Each one of you need to give yourselves a big hug and a pat on the back for your outstanding lobbying efforts. Then take a deep breath, step back, and see how many new elected friends you can make between sessions. 

 

Thanks again for all your hard work.

Lusi