[NFBOK-Talk] Call to Action - Legislative Alert!

[Jeannie Massay]

Federation Family, 

 

Your help is needed and necessary in order to stop legislation that will be
detrimental to the blind community in Oklahoma. You may have heard that
there are several bills that have been proposed affecting the blind in our
state. The bills and the actions you can take to help are outlined below:

 

HB1861 Regarding the Older Blind program 

 

This bill will effectively remove the management and services to the older
blind from the Department of Rehabilitation and its employees to other
possible organizations or private agencies. This legislation will take
dollars away from Visual Services and afford it to outside interests. This
bill seeks to provide a solution to a problem that does not exist. The Older
Blind program needs to stay where it is! 

 

Please e-mail or call Representative Osborne and sign the online petition to
show your support for the older blind in our community. Information on how
to do this is below. 

Contact Representative Leslie Osborne to let her know that you, as a blind
person, or someone that has close ties to the blind community and as an
Oklahoman question why this is necessary and that you oppose HB1861. You may
call or e-mail Representative Osborne at (405) 557-7333 or
<mailto:leslie.osborn at okhouse.gov> leslie.osborn at okhouse.gov 

 

Please sign the online petition against this legislation at the link below:

 
<http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/against-the-privatization-of-services-fo
r-older?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email_thank_you>
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/against-the-privatization-of-services-for
-older

 

HB2230 Regarding the exemption of county jail commissaries from priority to
licensed blind managers

 

This bill will effectively remove a blind manager from the job that he does
well and will set precedent for other locations to be removed for exemption
in the future. The bill, in its current form, will remove all county jails
from prioritization. Further, in the future other facilities are quite
likely to be targeted as well. Last year, the legislature exempted the
Capitol from priority and claimed that they would not pursue further
locations in the future. 

 

This bill is not about bad service or someone's inability to do a good job.
Rather, it is about the bottom line of the Tulsa County Sheriff wanting the
funds from the Commissary for the jail and is willing to put a blind guy out
of his job in order to do so. Should this legislation pass the Business
Enterprise Program will be the target for further "bottom line" driven
decisions that will put many other blind women and men out of jobs. Please
contact Representative Glen Mulready, as a blind person, or someone that has
close ties to the blind community and as an Oklahoman question why this is
necessary and that you oppose 

 

Please contact Representative Mulready by phone or e-mail and sign the
petition to let him know that you support the BEP and the blind managers in
Oklahoma and that you oppose this legislation. You may contact
Representative Mulready at (405) 557-7340 or
<mailto:glen.mulready at okhouse.gov> glen.mulready at okhouse.gov. 

 

Please sign the petition supporting our blind managers and opposing this
legislation at the link below:

 
<http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tulsa-county-sherrif-against-working-bli
nd>
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tulsa-county-sherrif-against-working-blin
d

 

Please pass this along to your family and friends. Ask them to support you
by contacting these representatives and by signing the petitions. Together,
we can make a difference! 

 

Thank you for being a part of the collective voice of the National
Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma. See you at convention!

 

Warm regards, 

 

Jeannie 

 

Jeannie M. Massay, President

National Federation of theBlind 

Of Oklahoma

505 Baker Street

Norman, OK 73072

Phone: 405-600-0695

Jeannie.massay at nfbok.org <mailto:Jeannie.massay at nfbok.org>  

 

Live the life you want!

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day, we raise
expectations of the blind because low expectations create obstacles between
blind people and our dreams. Blindness is not what holds you back. You can
live the life you want.!. 

 

 

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