ACTION ALERT! The following information was shared via email with the library community by Elaine Keefe, Capitol Hill Associates, in her role as MLA-ITEM lobbyist.
Our latest intelligence indicates that the Senate has offered to accept the House position on Legacy funding for regional public libraries. This would mean that libraries would receive $4 million over the next two years, as compared to $6 million during the current two-year budget period. If you have not already done so, please contact the members of the conference committee listed below.
In addition: Please contact your Senator and ask him or her to urge Senator Cohen to uphold the Senate position on Legacy funding for libraries. The House position is UNACCEPTABLE. Your senator will likely assume that Senator Cohen will be fighting to uphold the Senate position, but we have strong reason to believe that Senator Cohen has said privately that he prefers the House position.
Please contact your House member and urge him or her to urge Rep. Urdahl to move to the Senate position on Legacy funding for libraries. The Senate position is still $50,000 per year below current funding, but is substantially better than the House position.