[Nfbv-announce] Budget and the DBVI

[Fredric Schroeder]

Good evening all:

 

Business in the Virginia General Assembly session moves quickly.  Here is
the latest and our position on the Budget.

You may use this information to telephone your Delegate and Senator in the
General Assembly.

To our Delegates and Senators,

We now have confirmation that the amendment to take away funding for Library
Services for the Blind is not in the House or Senate Budget bills.

However, in the Governor's budget was an additional amount of $1 million to
the DBVI annual budget for Vocational Rehabilitation.  We voiced our support
for this addition when we visited with you.  It seems that the House Budget
bill has eliminated this for both budget years.  The Senate version
eliminates the addition in the first year only.

This $1 million was offered by the Governor from the General Fund to help
ensure that Virginia matches the Federal funds  used for Vocational
Rehabilitation.

Therefore, we support the Governor's budget and oppose the House and Senate
efforts to eliminate these funds from the DBVI.

We would appreciate if you would voice our opposition to those on the budget
conference committee of the House and Senate.

Thank you for supporting our issues.

Sincerely,

Michael