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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We were warned last year that there would be
trouble for our program if things didn't start getting cleaned up; and our
response was to ignore the messenger. Below is an article that suggests
strongly what may be happening in Michigan shortly. Doubt what I'm saying?
Can you say "State Plate?" I rest my case.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oklahoma Senate defeats bill to end Capitol vending
space<BR>for vision impaired<BR>Through the Department of Rehabilitation
Services, vision-impaired entrepreneurs<BR>run two snack bars at the Capitol,
but a bill proposed making the space available<BR>to private companies
instead.<BR>BY MEGAN ROLLAND and BARBARA HOBEROCK Tulsa World | Published: April
19, 2012<BR> 2<BR>The state Senate defeated a bill termed “mean spirited”
by one lawmaker that would<BR>have taken snack bar space in the state Capitol
from a program intended for the vision<BR>impaired and put it up instead for
free-market competition.<BR>“Our job is to protect the most vulnerable in
society,” said Sen. Earl Garrison,<BR>D-Muskogee. “There is no reason in the
world to do it.”<BR>House Bill 2119 passed the House with only one no vote, but
was defeated in the Senate<BR>15-27.<BR>Author of the bill, House Pro Tem Jeff
Hickman, R-Fairview, said the service provided<BR>by the blind and
vision-impaired vendors was not meeting the needs and demands of<BR>the busy
Capitol.<BR>The bill would have exempted the Capitol from a state-adopted
federal law that gives<BR>preference to vision-impaired vendors in state and
county buildings with few exceptions,<BR>such as hospitals and golf
courses.<BR>It also stipulated, however, that proceeds from renting the spaces
to private vendors<BR>would go to the Department of Rehabilitation Services to
help fund programs like<BR>their Business Enterprise Program that trains
vision-impaired clients to run their<BR>own vending stands in state and federal
buildings.<BR>_______________________________________________</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>