From the MLA/MEMO Lobbyist, Elaine Keefe of Capitol Hill Associates
The House Education Policy Committee and its counterpart, the Senate Education Committee, posted their draft omnibus education policy bills on March 17. Both omnibus bills include the provision proposed by MDE that would repeal all of 134.34, subdivision 4, and replace it with a cross-reference to the provision passed in the 2011 tax bill. That provision reduced both the minimum level of support and library maintenance of effort to 90% of what was required in 2011 and froze it at the level permanently.
If the MDE provision passes, it will be nearly impossible to ever get the freeze lifted and return to the previous minimum level of support and maintenance of effort requirements.
Please call or e-mail Senator Torres Ray and Rep. Mariani and the members of their committees to ask them to remove these provisions from their omnibus education policy bills.
Sample message to Senator Torres Ray and members of the Senate Education Committee:
Please delete Article 6, sections 1 and 2 from the omnibus education policy bill. This will damage public libraries by making permanent the harm inflicted over the past three years as a result of the cut and freeze in library maintenance of effort and the minimum level of support. Libraries have suffered significant service reductions as a result of this, and we cannot survive if it goes on forever.
Send this message to Senator Torres Ray or call her at 651-296-4274 (or do both!) Click here for a link to contact info for other members of the committee.
Sample message to Representative Mariani and members of the House Education Policy Committee:
Please delete Article 7, sections 1 and 2 from the omnibus education policy bill. This will damage public libraries by making permanent the harm inflicted over the past three years as a result of the cut and freeze in library maintenance of effort and the minimum level of support. Libraries have suffered significant service reductions as a result of this, and we cannot survive if it goes on forever.
Send this message to Representative Mariani or call him at 651-296-9714 (or do both!) Click here for a link to contact info for other members of the committee.