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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>I saw fit to search out his web site and ask him…. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Why over all the support your constituents and even the OHA’s had for the bill did to he see fit to block it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And how are they not relevant? After all the years that hams have helped in that state with the many hurricanes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>he has basically made their efforts more difficult in the future.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Basically this means things have to start all over again… let’s hope he is NOT in office by that time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Makes you wonder exactly what behind the scenes actions were going on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:19.0pt;color:#C00000'>Amateur Radio Parity Act Bill Unable to Overcome Florida Senator's Objections</span><span style='font-size:19.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#C00000'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301, suffered an unbefitting demise on December 9 as the 114th Congress drew to a close. After passing the House of Representatives on a unanimous vote earlier this fall, the bill stalled in the Senate due to the intervention of only one member, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). The measure would have directed the FCC to extend its rules relating to reasonable accommodation of Amateur Service communications to private land-use restrictions, such as covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) imposed by homeowners associations.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=198 height=197 src="cid:image001.gif@01D2578E.70D78230" align=left hspace=3 vspace=3 alt="http://www3.arrl.org/nl/al/image/ARRL%20in%20Washington%20logo.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"[During 2016] Nelson received thousands of e-mails, letters, and phone calls from concerned constituents asking for his support of H.R. 1301. Numerous meetings were held with his senior staff in an effort to move the legislation forward," ARRL said in a <a href="http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-vows-continued-pursuit-of-the-amateur-radio-parity-act-in-the-115th-congress" target="_blank">news release</a>. "Negotiations, which led to an agreement with the Community Associations Institute (<a href="https://www.caionline.org/" target="_blank">CAI</a>), the national association of homeowner's associations and publicly supported by CAI and ARRL, were brushed aside by Sen. Nelson as irrelevant."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In a final meeting with Nelson's staff as the 114th Congress neared adjournment, it became clear that no matter what was said or done, the Senator would oppose the bill and refuse to allow it to move forward. Because the measure had not been put on the floor schedule, the only way it could have passed the Senate would have been through a process called "unanimous consent." A Senate member may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside rules and expedite proceedings. If any single Senator objects, though, the request is rejected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The unhappy ending followed nearly 2 years of intense effort on the part of ARRL and thousands of its members, who contacted their Congressional representatives to urge their support of the measure on Capitol Hill. The ARRL Board of Directors is expected to discuss the future of the initiative at its January meeting.<a name=toc02></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>----------------------------------------------------------------</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>73<br>Max Vaughan <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>----------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>