[Ohio-Talk] URGENT ACTION NEEDED - H.B. 448

[Todd Elzey]

Good afternoon fellow Federationists. Unfortunately, I come to you today
with some disturbing news. Apparently, we have not done our job well enough
in regards to the Ohio House Insurance Committee and H.B. 448. I just
received the Committee's agenda for their March 23, 2022 meeting and H.B.
448 is not scheduled to be heard.

When we send out these legislative action needed emails, we need everyone
to pitch in and send a message. We have an organization of several 100
blind Ohioans, and yet its always the same 15-20 members who pitch in and
send these emails. We need everyone to send emails - that means you!

We are getting to the point in the legislative session where if we do not
get this bill through the Committee very soon, we will run out of time for
it to get through both the House and Senate by the end of the year. So we
need to put pressure on Chairman Brinkman again to schedule H.B. 448 for a
hearing as soon as possible. This time, instead of just emailing Chairman
Brinkman, I am asking that members also email each member of the House
Insurance Committee. This is what worked the first time, perhaps it will be
what works this time.  Here is a list of the entire committee and their
email addresses.

Thomas E. Brinkman, Chair, rep27 at ohiohouse.gov
Brian E. Lampton, Vice-Chair, rep73 at ohiohouse.gov
Jessica E. Miranda, Ranking Member, rep28 at ohiohouse.gov
Kristin Boggs, rep18 at ohiohouse.gov
Rick Carfagna, rep68 at ohiohouse.gov
Jon Cross, rep83 at ohiohouse.gov
Bill Dean, rep74 at ohiohouse.gov
Mark Fraizer, rep71 at ohiohouse.gov
Dontavius L. Jarrells, rep25 at ohiohouse.gov
Kris Jordan, rep67 at ohiohouse.gov
Jeff LaRe, rep77 at ohiohouse.gov
Thomas F. Patton, rep7 at ohiohouse.gov
Jason Stephens, rep93 at ohiohouse.gov
Bride Rose Sweeney, rep14 at ohiohouse.gov
Terrence Upchurch, rep10 at ohiohouse.gov

We need emails from every single Chapter and Division President, every
member of the Board of Directors, and every single member of the NFB of
Ohio. Here is what I sent to Chairman Brinkman this morning.

Chairman Brinkman:

Good afternoon! Currently, H.B. 448 is assigned to the House Insurance
Committee. The Committee held the first hearing on this legislation on
February 16, 2022. However, despite several other bills from that same
hearing moving forward, the Committee has not moved H.B. 448 forward.

H.B. 448 would ensure the health and safety of blind Ohioans by requiring
pharmacies to provide accessible prescription medication labels. These
labels will ensure that blind Ohioans can independently and safely take
their prescription medications as prescribed by their physicians. Every day
this legislation is delayed puts the health, safety, and independence of
blind Ohioans at risk.

So, I was extremely disappointed to learn this morning that H.B. 448 once
again does not appear on the Committee's agenda for its March 23, 2022
committee meeting. I am writing to call upon you to make the health,
safety, and independence of blind Ohioans a priority by scheduling H.B. 448
for all of its remaining hearings immediately. I know of numerous blind
Ohioans who are ready to present in-person and written testimony to the
committee regarding the importance of this legislation if only the
committee will give them the opportunity to be heard.

I look forward to hearing when the Ohio House Insurance Committee plans on
scheduling H.B. 448 for its remaining hearings?

Sincerely,

Todd Elzey, Treasurer
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
3779 Waterbury Drive
Dayton, OH  45439
315-879-1746
toddelzey at gmail.com

Don't forget to include personal stories of why you believe this
legislation is important.  Let's make our voices heard and flood the
Committee's email boxes with messages. Let's get 100 individual messages
out by Monday morning at 9:00 A.M. so that legislators start their work
week next week knowing that Ohioans want the Ohio House Insurance Committee
to hear H.B. 448.

Todd Elzey