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Capitol Before Disability Day 2013

Disability Day 2013

Nuggets from the Gold Dome

Your Nuggets:

• Ava’s Law: HB 309 or “Ava’s Law” was filed on February 12^th. It currently sits with House First Readers. The law would require Georgia-regulated health plans to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Georgia is one of just 18 remaining states that do not require autism coverage by law.
• The Little Budget: Last Friday, the House passed the amended FY2013 budget by a vote of 145-18. The Senate has read and referred HB 105 to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Once adopted, both chambers will begin considering Gov. Deal’s FY2014 budget.
• Can’t get enough of the Legislative Session?The Open States app, produced by the Sunlight Foundation, lets the user stay abreast of what is happening in your state capitol. This app has a lot of up-to-date information about proposed legislation, committees, and legislators.

What I am Watching:

• 45 Days of Early Voting? Senator Steve Henson has introduced SB 50 which will extend the in person advanced voting period from 21 days to 45 days, the same length of time absentee ballots are available. Longer early voting periods will allow citizens to easily cast their ballots and avoid long lines. In 2012, the State lowered the number of days available for advanced in person voting from 45 to just 21 days. SB 50 has been read and referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics.
• State Health Plan and Abortion: Senator Judson Hill sponsored SB 98, which would effectively prohibit the State Employee Health Insurance Plan from covering abortions. One of the cosponsors, Butch Miller, is the Chairman of the Republican Caucus which leads me to believe that Senate GOP leadership must feel like it is time to modify the state employees’ health coverage.

Take Action!

• Call your State Representative! Let him/her know what you think of HB309/Ava’s Law.

• To find your representative, use this website — www.votesmart.org.

 House Committee Schedule: http://webmail.legis.ga.gov/Calendar/default.aspx?chamber=house

Senate Committee Schedule: http://webmail.legis.ga.gov/Calendar/default.aspx?chamber=house

Warren Hill

Letter to the Editor

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Warren Lee Hill, Jr. Execution

As a Community Support Specialist for the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University, it is my privilege and honor to work with people all across our state that have disabilities. I have dedicated my career to serving this wonderful community of people – a community that has all too often been marginalized.

 Based on my experience, I oppose the execution of Warren Hill, who is scheduled to be put to death on February 19th. Mr. Hill is a Georgia death row inmate with an intellectual disability. His I.Q. has been tested numerous times, each test showing his I.Q. to be around 70.  In accordance with Georgia’s state policies, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities references an IQ of 70 and below to be eligible for state-funded services.

As a state, we can be proud that Georgia led the nation in being the first to prohibit the execution of persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. However, the State still requires defendants to prove their disability beyond a reasonable doubt – the highest standard of proof in any trial. Georgia is the only state in the Nation to require that an intellectual or developmental disability be proven beyond reasonable doubt.  The U.S. Supreme Court, in Atkins v. Virginia, ruled that it is unconstitutional to execute persons who have an intellectual or developmental disability, still known in legal language as mental retardation.

If our state chooses to execute a citizen with and intellectual or developmental disability, it will further marginalizing this community of families and friends that I have grown to love and respect.

Sincerely,

Ryan Johnson

Nuggets From The Gold Dome

Your Nuggets:

• Little Budget: HB 105 , or the “Little Budget” was debated by the House Appropriations Committee yesterday (2/6/13) and was reported on favorably. The Little Budget funds the State government from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.
• ASD Screening in well-child visits: SR 20 , sponsored by Sen. Donzella James (D-35), requests that physicians include autism spectrum disorders screening in all well-child visits no later than 18 months of age. There was mentioning of a “Reference Committee on Autism” in the text of the resolution, however, while digging deeper, I have found that this committee may, or may not exist. Stacey and I will be meeting with Senator James next Thursday, and I will report back to you what we find out. Please note that a Resolution does not carry the power of law if passed.
• Social Media Password Protection: HB 117, sponsored by Rep. Sandra Scott (D-76), would prohibit employers from asking for your password to your private social media accounts. The bill does make an exception for work accounts or employees under investigation. It currently sits with House Second Readers and by all accounts, this bill should be passed.

 

What I am Watching:

• Rep. Paul Battles (R-15) prefiled legislation after the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings to authorize local school boards to designate one or more administrators in each school to possess and carry firearms within a school safety zone. HB 35 currently sits with House Second Readers and will be referred to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
• 45 Days of Early Voting? Senator Steve Henson has introduced SB 50 which will extend the in person advanced voting period from 21 days to 45 days, the same length of time absentee ballots are available. Longer early voting periods will allow citizens to easily cast their ballots and avoid long lines. In 2012, the State lowered the number of days available for advanced in person voting from 45 to just 21 days.

 

Take Action!

• There are no bills where action is currently needed
• In preparation for other Action Items that may come up, find your legislators using the website www.votesmart.org.

 

House Committee Schedule: http://webmail.legis.ga.gov/Calendar/default.aspx?chamber=house

Senate Committee Schedule: http://webmail.legis.ga.gov/Calendar/default.aspx?chamber=house

Nuggets From The Gold Dome

Your Nuggets:

• Insurance Coverage for Autism: SB 47 would require each individual accident/sickness policy sold to cover the treatment of children with cancer and autism. This bill was referred to the Insurance and Labor Committee.
• Reporting of Bullying Incidents: HB 15 would require annual reporting of bullying incidents from local school boards and would provide for input into anti-bullying strategies by school councils.
• Lots of “Hoppy” Georgians: HB 99 will double the amount of beer Georgians can produce in their own homes, AND allow them to transport it (untaxed) to Homebrew festivals and competitions. 

What I am Watching:

• The House has introduced legislation that would repeal current prohibitions against firearms on college campuses. HB 29, or the Georgia Campus Carry Act of 2013, is already with House Second Readers. This is obviously a highly contentious proposal and I will continue to keep an eye on it.

Take Action!

• There are no bills where action is currently needed
• In preparation for other Action Items that may come up, find your legislators using the website www.votesmart.org.

House Committee Schedule: http://webmail.legis.ga.gov/Calendar/default.aspx?chamber=house

Senate Committee Schedule: http://webmail.legis.ga.gov/Calendar/default.aspx?chamber=house

Absentee Voting by People with Disabilities

Voting is the foundation upon which our American democracy is built. In recent decades, Congress has made some efforts to promote accessibility of polling places for individuals with disabilities, most notably through the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the Helping America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). However, Americans with disabilities who wish to vote, often still find it difficult to secure reliable transportation, use voting equipment without assistance, and even enter the polling place to which they were assigned. 

Enter the absentee ballot. 

The absentee ballot is a way for someone who is unable or unwilling to cast their ballot at their official polling site. The rules in recent years have been liberalized, with most states allowing “no excuse” absentee voting. In Oregon, they have eliminated precinct based voting entirely, moving to an all-mail voting system, which technically allows everyone to cast an absentee ballot. For people with disabilities, the absentee ballot can mean the difference between participating in our nation’s electoral process, and not. 

Let’s be clear, by making it easier for individuals to vote using an absentee ballot, does not excuse policymakers or election officials from their responsibility to create accessible polling places. Nor does the liberalization of the rules for which a person is allowed to vote via absentee ballot mean that all people with disabilities should only vote using this method. People with disabilities should have the same right as all voters to vote on election day in their assigned polling place, or vote in advance using an absentee ballot.

So what are some of the arguments for and against for voting by mail-in absentee ballots that relate to people with disabilities?

For individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, giving the voter more time to understand the candidates and their positions on issues that they deem important can allow them to make better and more informed decisions. If any of you have been to your assigned polling place, eager to cast your ballot in a federal election, only to find the line meandering out the door and a controlled chaos inside, know all too well the importance of knowing you have the time to accurately complete your ballot.

For people with disabilities who choose to vote via an absentee ballot, there is always a risk of coercion or out-right “proxy” voting by a third party. Meaning, someone could simply force an individual with a disability to vote for a different candidate than they intended. In one case that I have read, a caregiver at a group home took each resident’s absentee ballot, and cast their votes without them even knowing. So yes, there are dangers to this type of voting.

However, I will never say that providing more options for people to cast their ballot is the wrong way to go. Early and absentee voting are ways in which we can create more opportunities for people with disabilities to be able to cast their vote in not just federal elections, but state and local ones as well. For more information on the early and absentee voting laws in your state, please check out this site. 

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?” The theme promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce that includes workers with disabilities, who represent a highly skilled, yet often ignored, talent pool.

“Employers who ensure that inclusive workplace policies and practices are woven into the fabric and culture of the organization create an environment that encourages all workers — including those of us with disabilities — to work to their full capacity and contribute fully to the organization’s success,” said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy.

Approximately 54 million Americans are living with a disability.  The Federal government has an important interest in reducing discrimination against Americans living with a disability, in eliminating the stigma associated with disability, and in encouraging Americans with disabilities to seek employment in the Federal workforce.  Yet Americans with disabilities have an employment rate far lower than that of Americans without disabilities, and they are underrepresented in the Federal workforce. Which is why President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13548 – Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities. In 2011, the unemployment rate was 15.0%, while the unemployment for those without disabilities was 8.7% (the official number for those without disabilities is now 7.8%). 

It is vitally important, that the Federal government, which is the nation’s largest employer, employing nearly 2.5 million Americans, becomes a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities. If done correctly, this Executive Order could easily pave the way to a more inclusive workforce – not just in our Federal bureaucracy, but in the private sector as well. Private sector firms could use the model laid out in the Executive Order to create a more inclusive workforce as well. 

National Forum on Disability Issues

The National Forum on Disability Issues is an historic nonpartisan event. The 2012 event builds on the success of the first ever forum organized by the disability community in 2008. The forum will focus on the disability positions of the 2012 Presidential candidates. Candidates for the U.S. Senate seat from Ohio will also be invited to participate. The candidates will be given the opportunity to provide their positions on a wide variety of disability issues directly to the disability community.

“There are more than 57 million Americans with disabilities,” said Sue Hetrick, Director of Public Policy at the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, and who also coordinates the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition. “This is an opportunity for the growing disability community to hear the policy viewpoints of the people who will represent them in Washington.”

Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, Jr., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) are speaking on behalf of their respective parties at the event. Each representative will have 30 minutes on state alone. The time will be broken into two sections – 10 minutes will be spent on their party’s vision for the future of disability policy in America, and the remaining 20 minutes will be spent fielding questions from moderator Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, and CNN White House Correspondent.

Mark Crenshaw, Director of Interdisciplinary Training at the Center for Leadership in Disability proudly shows off his Disability Vote shirt

The representatives will speak to a crowd of 500, and even though registration is full for the event, you can still register to view a webcast of the event. If you would like to stream the event live, click here. Mark Crenshaw, Director of Interdisciplinary Training here at the Center for Leadership in Disability is excited for the event. He even bought a shirt from www.3elove.com to promote the importance of people with disabilities voting in this coming election. When I asked Mark why people should pay attention to the National Forum on Disability Issues, he told me, “These policies being promoted by both sides will have an enormous effect on the way people with disabilities live their lives! We need a more informed electorate, people with disabilities and those without, this would be a great setting for people to learn where both parties stand on these issues.”

If you would like to submit a question for the moderator to ask, click here. Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee your question will be asked. 

Remember, politicians at all levels of government can positively and negatively impact the lives of people with disabilities. So be sure to speak with you local and state representative about any concerns you may have. If you do not know who your representatives are, use this resource to find out!