To all:

Today, Thursday, July 20, Mike Ervin and I spoke with Elaine Hoff, Policy Advisor on Disability Rights for Illinois Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan, to get an update on the Garrett amicus process. Ms. Hoff informed us that Ryan's Litigation Committee would be meeting next week to discuss signing on to the Minnesota amicus brief. She said that she and other staff have been working hard doing research on a number of issues to prepare for next week's meeting. Ms. Hoff also told us that AG Ryan never even considered signing onto the Hawaii brief! States have until August 7 to make a decision regarding signing onto the Minnesota brief so we should know soon. We will pass the word if we hear anything else. In the meantime, it can't hurt to call or write to AG Ryan to thank him for not signing onto the Hawaii brief.

Indiana & Wisconsin activists: Ryan did contact Indiana's and Wisconsin's AGs offices to let them know about our meeting and asking them to get in contact with us. We have not heard from them. What contact have you had? Let us all know and let us know if we can help!

- Kevin Irvine

also....

State Update - from the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems' website

Congratulations, advocates! Your efforts were instrumental in limiting the number of states that signed on to the states* rights brief in Garrett v. University of Alabama. Now we need to turn our attention to the states who are currently *neutral* and convince them to sign on to the Minnesota pro-ADA brief.

As of July 13, here's what we definitely know about the states' positions:

Will sign on to a brief in support of the ADA: Minnesota, Arizona, New York, Missouri, Washington

Will at least stay neutral and may sign on to a brief in support of the ADA: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Signed on to the state's rights/anti-ADA brief: Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee