[Tall-Corn] NFBI Legislative Goals For 2024

[bray at nfbi.org]

Greetings, 

 

Remember back to our State Convention and we talked about the goals of the
NFBI for this upcoming legislative season. We said that there would most
likely be two major legislative one for getting a law passed for accessible
prescriptions and one to get mobile voting for the blind of Iowa. At that
same convention we passed a resolution supporting the idea requiring
pharmacies to make accessible labelling available for prescriptions. Several
states have done this and our time is now. Senator Nate Bolton was with us
at the convention he said he would be glad to help us get  that legislation
going. Since then we have provided Senator Bolton and Senator Bisignano as
well as Representative John Forbes with a proposed bill that would meet our
needs. They have submitted it to the Legislative Service Bureau and it is
currently being prepared for introduction.

 

The second goal of course was to continue our attempts to bring mobile
voting to Iowa and that it needs to be accessible. At the same time we also
need to find ways to improve the voting at the polling places on election
day. This means that we need to find ways to help the counties make sure
their accessible machines are properly installed and set up. Mary McGee and
I hope to be going to visit with Secretary of State, Paul Pate to find ways
to accomplish these things. The law of course is clear that Secretary Pate
has the authority to make things happen. He has talked to the NFBI in the
past that he would rather see the Legislature pass a law introducing the
mobile voting since he feels that would be cleaner. He has also stated
publicly that he doesn't believe we need mobile voting for blind persons in
this state.  

 

Two years ago three legislators got a bill introduced to get mobile voting
in Iowa. They stopped a bit short of where we wish to go in that the ballots
from this mobile voting would need to be done on paper ballots that would
need to be processed in the same manner as all other absentee ballots. That
doesn't solve the accessibility issue completely but it is a step in the
right direction. Here are  a few facts about Mobile voting that may surprise
you.

 

In the 2020 elections nationally over fifty percent of the ballots cast were
cast by mobile voting. The estimates are that this year may even be higher. 

 

Next, more and more states are signing on for this type of voting and in a
few of them we have been able to get people with disabilities included as
people that may make use of them.

 

Many people are concerned about the safeguards that are available for
electronic voting. In many states where they have been allowing people in
the military to use this method for some years the safeguards have met or
surpassed those for paper ballots.

 

You will remember at state convention that Senator Nate Bolton told us that
if want a legislator to sponsor or at least support a bill they much prefer
to hear from their own constituents. This means that Mary McGee and I, and
others may spend some effort trying to get legislators interested in
sponsoring and supporting a bill like this but if we wan to get it passed
all of us need to contact our own legislators, one Representative and one
senator and talk to them about why it is important that this bill be
introduced     and passed for this year's election. 

 

So far the legislators that have been willing to help us are all Democrats.
That does not mean that the Republicans will not support us, it means thatwe
we haven't been able to get to the ones that will. Remember that this year's
Legislature is mostly Republican and they can make the difference. We have
always had good bipartisan support and this year should be no exception. 

 

All bills introduced into the Iowa Legislature are assigned to committees.
Both of these bill will most likely be assigned to the State Government
Committee. What we need for each of you to do is contact your Representative
and Senator  to ask them in your own words to support both of these bills.
Let them know why it is important to you. It would also be helpful if you
would tell them that the Legislative Committee of the NFB of Iowa will be
getting in touch with them and that you support what our committee is
telling them. 

 

You have never come to the Iowa Legislature and met legislators? Well, it is
of course best if you can at least talk to them on the phone in the next few
weeks before they come to Des Moines so that you can explain why these
things are important. What happens shortly after the legislative session
starts? On January 16th the NFBI is going to have a day at the Iowa
Legislature and the Iowa Disability Council has made us a grant to help
people get to that event. In the morning you will be able to learn about
legislative process and in the afternoon you should make appointments to see
your Representative and your Senator. More details on this event will be
coming out shortly.

 

We of course also know that budget matters and possibly other thins related
to the Iowa Department For The Blind may well come up and we will need to be
watching them too.

 

Please, everyone we need your help to get our goals through the Iowa
Legislature and we also have an opportunity here this year to see the
Legislature in action. If you have any questions feel free to contact either
of the members of the NFBI Legislative Committee. Convince your Legislators
that is important that blind persons have the rights of being first classed
citizens in Iowa. Call on us any time for answers to your questions.

 

Bob Ray, Legislative Chair NFBI    

Email: bray at nfbi.org <mailto:bray at nfbi.org> 

Phone. 515 334-7231

 

Mary L. McGee

Address: 201 Locust, #341, 

          Des Moines, IA, 50309

Phone:  515 280-1281

EMIAL: mmcatitude at gmail.com <mailto:mmcatitude at gmail.com> 

 

                

 

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