[Txabs] [NFBT] Texas Senate Bill 200

[Gabe Cazares]

Hey Y’all,

I too have just completed all 9 calls between classes. I strongly urge everyone to carve out 10-15 minutes tops to call all the members who serve on the Health and Human Services Committee, so far, many offices have indicated they have only heard from 3 of us. Students, please do your part and pick up the phone, and make a quick call to these guys. All the information you need is included below in Norma’s original Message.

Make those capital office phones light up!

Happy calling!

 

...Gabe

 

Gabe Cazares

281-965-9583

Twitter: @gmcazares

 

“I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

Malala Yousafzai

 

From: Lara Sowell [mailto:lara at sowellpodiatry.com] 
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 9:38 AM
To: Norma Crosby
Cc: member at nfbtx.org
Subject: Re: [NFBT] Texas Senate Bill 200

 

Dear NFB of TX,

 

Just letting you know that I contacted all nine senate offices this morning. Hope you can too!

Sent from my iPhone

Lara Sowell

 


On Mar 21, 2015, at 1:43 AM, Norma Crosby <ncrosby at nfbtx.org> wrote:

Hello everyone,

 

On Monday, March 23, the Senate Health & Human Services Committee will be holding hearings related to several Sunset Bills. One of those bills is SB200, which deals with the Health & Human Services Commission. This is not the Sunset Bill that moves some of DARS functions over to the Texas Workforce Commission; however, because all our services have not been moved in SB208 and HB3294, which do move some services over to TWC, there is some need for us to act on this bill. 

 

Many of us have jobs, and this promises to be a long hearing. So, I am not advocating sending a large group of people to this hearing. I do have some action planned, and I need your help to carry out a part of that plan. On Monday, I would like as many people as possible to make a quick telephone call to the offices of Texas senators who serve on the Health & Human Services Committee. I will list their names and phone numbers at the end of this message. When you call, ask to speak to the legislative assistant who deals with Health & Human Services issues. Tell them that we support the move of vocational rehabilitation services from HHSC to TWC. Tell them that you'd like to ask that the senator support the move, but let them know that you also want the senator to support moving all services related to blind Texans over to TWC, along with those already planned for transfer.

 

The message is pretty simple, and you don't need to try to keep the staffer on the phone forever. Keep it short and sweet. Use your own words, but convey the message I have just laid out. If they ask you which other services you want moved, here is the list:

 

1.	Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center
2.	Independent Living Services for the Blind (This is commonly called the older blind program, but it does serve any blind person who needs help but doesn't intend to enter the workforce.)
3.	Blind Children's Vocational Discovery and Development Program (Commonly known to most people as the blind children's program)

You may also be asked why we want these services moved. The answer is that we want to maintain a continuum of service for blind Texans, and putting all these services under a single agency will insure that blind Texans will have a single door to enter for all services related to their disability. It is also fair to point out that the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center is a training center that teaches blindness skills that help blind people to become employed, and it is funded exclusively with vocational rehabilitation dollars. So, if it remains at HHSC while the rest of vocational rehabilitation is moved, a funding nightmare could be created, and service delivery could be compromised because a consumer would have to deal with two different agencies if they need training in the skills of blindness. 

 

Again, use your own words to stress the importance of moving these critical services, but don't be shy about asking. Since we are hoping that they get a lot of calls that day, they may not ask everyone for background, but I wanted you to have it just in case. I am also including an updated version of our fact sheet that deals with this issue. Read it, and feel free to share it. The message it contains may also help you when you are formulating what you will say in your phone calls.

 

I also need your help for Texas Twitter Tuesday. If you use social media, please use it on Tuesday, March 24, to get our message out to the Health & Human Services Committee members. They will be voting to move SB200 on Wednesday, so let them hear your voice before they do. If you don't use Twitter, post something on their Facebook pages, and everyone retweet and share as much as possible. Get your friends and families to help us too.

 

We'll come up with a couple of good hashtags to use for this effort, and I will share those with you soon. Below is the list of Senate Health & Human Services Committee Members. Their phone numbers and social media handles are included. 

 

Senator Charles Schwertner, Chairman

(512) 463-0105

Twitter:  @DrSchwertner

 

Senator Lois Kolkhorst, Vice Chair

(512) 463-0118

Twitter: @loiskolkhorst

 

Senator Donna Campbell

(512) 463-0125

Twitter:  @DonnaCampbellTX

 

Senator Craig Estes

(512) 463-0130

Twitter: @EstesForTexas

 

Senator Charles Perry

(512) 463-0128

Twitter:  @electcharles

 

Senator Jose Rodriguez

(512) 463-0129

Twitter:  @JoseforTexas

 

Senator Van Taylor

(512) 463-0108

Twitter:  @VanTaylorTX

 

Senator Carlos Uresti

(512) 463-0119

Twitter:  @CarlosUresti

 

Senator Judith Zaffirini

(512) 463-0121

Twitter:  @JudithZaffirini

 

Encourage others to call on Monday by posting to this list after you have made as many phone calls as you can. We all want to hear anything interesting that the staff members may say, and we definitely want to know that you were successful at getting through. Or maybe, we can overload their phone system. If you can take the time to call all nine members of the committee, that will be great. Please do. If you can't work nine calls into your schedule, please call senators Schwertner (Chairman) and Kolkhorst (Vice Chairman).

 

Thanks to all of you for all that you do to build the Federation.

 




Norma Crosby, President

National Federation of the Blind of Texas

(281) 331-2525 (Office)

(979 583-6344 (Cell)

-- 
National Federation of the Blind of Texas 
"Live the life you want."
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<Rehab Fact Sheet.docx>

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National Federation of the Blind of Texas 
"Live the life you want."
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