mnlibleg17 – CRPLSA

Legislative Update 2017-01-26

The following information was shared via email with the library community on Thursday, January 26, 2017 by Sam Walseth, Capitol Hill Associates, in his role as the MLA-ITEM lobbyist.

Dayton’s Budget Plan

Governor Dayton announced a budget plan earlier this week that would add significant new revenue into the public education system. $371 million would go toward “2&2” on the basic formula allowance for all students. Another $75 million would go toward expanding his voluntary pre-K program. $40 million would go toward special education. He also proposed $68 million to help solve the Teacher Retirement Association (TRA) solvency problem.
There’s no new funding proposed for library programs, but your legislative team is working on that!

Bonding Bill??

We’re well aware that 2016 did not produce a bonding bill and our $2 million for library renovation and construction projects is still in limbo. Governor Dayton at the start of this session announced a $1.5 billion bonding package that includes the $2 million for library renovation and construction. Later today the Senate Capital Investment Committee is expected to move a significant bonding package out of committee that will include the $2 million for library renovation and construction. The Senate bill is a ‘dust-off’ of the bill that almost passed last session. As for the House, it’s unclear as to what their game plan is on bonding at this point.

RLBSS & Multi-County Multi-Type Funding

Our bill to improve the formula and funding for RLBSS and the Multi-types will be chief authored by Rep. Bud Nornes (GOP Fergus Falls) and Sen. Gary Dahms (GOP Redwood Falls). We’re still gathering co-authors so we won’t have a bill introduction with a bill number for some time yet.

We’ve also begun discussions with and bill drafting for the Library Legacy request, but that won’t appear for some time yet.

Legislative Day Registration Opens

Minnesota Library Legislative Day is just around the corner. Library supporters are invited to converge at the Capitol for this important annual event on February 21-22.

Although Wednesday is the highlight, activities begin on Tuesday at the Rice Street Library. After light refreshments and an informal meet-and-greet, representatives of Capitol Hill Associates, MLA’s lobbying team, will provide and update on legislative developments affecting libraries in 2017-2020.

If you are unable to attend the evening briefing, don’t worry. Capitol Hill Associates will host a repeat session the next morning at the Judicial Center (on the capitol grounds). Throughout the day you will have a chance to meet with your legislators and voice your support for libraries and their continued funding.

Click here to learn more, and to register for this free and truly invaluable advocacy opportunity.

February Legislative Day

Just announced: Library Legislative Day will be held Wednesday, February 22. Briefings will be offered Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Times and locations are still being finalized. Mark your calendar now and plan to join library supporters at the Capitol.

Minnesota Loves Libraries Launched

Today marks the official launch of Minnesota Loves Libraries, a statewide, grassroots advocacy campaign set to run through January. We are looking for stories that exemplify service, community connections, and individual success. Have you had a positive interaction with a library staff member? Did you attend a program that taught you something? Maybe you were able to access information that helped you get a job or improve your work skills, or maybe a librarian guided you to the perfect book to share with your child at bedtime. Whatever it is, we’d like to hear about it!

Supported by CRPLSA, the campaign is launching statewide and will be administered by each library region individually. Library users are invited to stop by their local library to fill out a postcard or visit Minnesota Loves Libraries to use the online form. The purpose is to gather stories of how Minnesotans use the library and how it makes a difference in their lives.

Library supporters who attend Minnesota Library Legislative Day at the Capitol in March will hand deliver these messages from across the region. Legislators will receive comments from their constituents so that they get a glimpse of library services available in their district, and to provide an opportunity for them to respond directly.

Legislative Update 2016-12-02

The following information was shared via email with the library community by Sam Walseth, Capitol Hill Associates, in his role as the MLA-ITEM lobbyist.

State Budget Forecast Released

State officials released the November budget forecast for the state of Minnesota on Friday, December 2nd. The forecast estimates that the state will close its current fiscal biennium next June 30th with $678 million left on the bottom line. That figure takes into account $334 million that will be automatically transferred to the state’s budget reserve as required by law. This action will bring the state’s budget reserve to $1.9 billion, just shy of its $2 billion statutory goal.

The forecast shows a $736 million surplus for the next fiscal biennium (FY 18-19). When added to the $678 million current fiscal year projected surplus you get the “$1.4 billion surplus” figure you’re seeing in the headlines. There are two important factors here. The first is that a significant portion of the $1.4 billion surplus figure is one-time money carried forward from the current fiscal year. The second is that there’s no inflationary assumption built into the forecast. If the state applied an estimated CPI factor into the forecast, the FY 18-19 surplus shrinks to $87 million.

The ‘tails’ forecast for FY 20-21 is also important to note. Friday’s data show a $1.5 billion surplus for the tails, but again with no inflationary factor. If an inflationary factor is assumed for the tails that surplus figure disappears and could actually look like a deficit. The bottom line is that while the headline numbers look good, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the economy moving forward. The current forecast assumes GDP growth just above 2% for the foreseeable future instead of figures north of 3% that were hoped for a year ago.

Legislative Response

The major players in St. Paul are all indicating that a special session is a definite possibility. They’re targeting December 20th as the date to come in and tackle some of the major unresolved issues from this year, including; the Tax bill, the Bonding bill and a new proposal to buy down insurance premiums for those buying health coverage through MNSure’s individual market. The Bonding bill is the most significant interest to libraries as it contains $2 million for library construction grants.

For more information on the budget forecast

Samuel P. Walseth, Capitol Hill Associates

Minnesota Loves Libraries close to launch

It’s almost here — Libraries throughout the state are nearly ready to launch the first-ever, statewide Minnesota Loves Libraries campaign! The time has come to begin gathering stories of how libraries make a difference in people’s lives so we can share those stories with our legislators during the 2017 session.

There will be two ways of collecting stories from library users — 2-sided postcards that libraries may print and cut for patrons to write on and leave at the library and an online form that can be filled out anywhere. Libraries may promote either or both methods, whatever works for a particular location.

A special Minnesota Loves Libraries website has been created for collecting comments. There is a tab on the site with resources for library staff — posters, postcards, and images for use in social media. Some of the posters contain a QR code that will enable patrons to immediately access the website on their mobile devices. Check out the website for FAQs.

A statewide press release will be issued early next week and more details will be shared then, so stay tuned.

CRPLSA thanks the hard working statewide team (Jon Tatting – ECRL, Bernadette Stevens – GRRL, Hillary Stevens – LARL, and Jennifer Harveland – SELCO) that developed the campaign. We hope it will be fun and rewarding for all who participate!

First Legislative Update for the 2017 Session

The following information was shared via email with the library community by Sam Walseth, Capitol Hill Associates, in his role as the MLA-ITEM lobbyist.

House and Senate GOP leadership announced committee structures and chairs today. They worked to align the committees as closely as they could between the two bodies.

Senate GOP Chairs

This morning Senate GOP leaders announced a committee structure and chairs for the upcoming 2017-18 biennium. The newly elected Senate will serve a four year term, so this structure is likely to be in place through 2020.

The E-12 work has been divided up between a Finance and Policy committee. Sen. Carla Nelson (GOP Rochester) will chair E-12 Finance and Sen. Eric Pratt (GOP Prior Lake) will chair E-12 Policy. Merging and slitting the E-12 Finance and Policy committee work has gone back and forth under both DFL and GOP leadership in the Senate.

The Capital Investment Committee will be chaired by Sen. Dave Senjem (GOP Rochester). Senate Taxes will be chaired by Sen. Roger Chamberlain (GOP Lino Lakes).

Legacy Funding goes to Sen. Carrie Ruud (GOP Breezy Point) whose committee is titled “Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance”.

House GOP Chairs

The House committee structure remains largely the same, but due to a few retirements there is some reshuffling. Education will stay the same with Rep. Sondra Erickson (GOP Princeton) at Policy and Rep. Jennifer Loon (GOP Eden Prairie) at Finance.

The more notable House changes are with Rep. Dean Urdahl (GOP Grove City) going to Capital Investment and Rep. Paul Torkelson (GOP Hanska) going to Transportation. Tax committee stays with Rep. Greg Davids (GOP Preston) and the Property Tax committee stays with Rep. Steve Drazkowski (GOP Mazeppa).

Rep. Bob Gunther (GOP Fairmont) will chair the Legacy committee.

Link to the House Chairs

KRLS & MELSA make it an even dozen!

With board action by the Kitchigami Regional Library System (KRLS) and MELSA trustees, the library community has unanimous support by 12 regions for a 2017 legislative initiative to change the Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS) formula.

This new initiative will request a $3 million per year increase in the annual RLBSS appropriation, well as a change to the current formula. The formula change will reduce the Equalization factor from 25% to 15% and increase the Basic System Services factor from 5% to 15%. The formula changes reflect increased costs in basic operation and use of public library service and lessens the volatility of the formula associated with Adjust Net Tax Capacity (ANTC). In addition, the proposal requests that the formula be based on the population and tax capacity figures as reported by the Minnesota State Departments of Demography and Revenue respectively by January 1 of the year in which the grants are awarded. This will enable regional libraries to prepare budgets based on accurate calculations rather than estimates.

Proposal to amend current statutory language tied to a funding increase

VLS Endorses RLBSS Formula Change

On November 15, 2016, the Viking Library System Board approved a resolution supporting a change in the formula by which Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS) is calculated and the state aid is distributed to the 12 regions. The resolution also included the Board’s support for a funding request. The last increase in RLBSS was approved by the Legislature in 2009.

SELCO approves formula change initiative

The SELCO Board of Directors unanimously supports the resolution to seek a formula change and an increase in the annual appropriation of Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS). The proposed formula change will reduce the Equalization factor of the formula from 25% to 15% and increase the Basic System Services factor from 5% to 15%. This will will minimize volatility and stabilize the flow of state financial support.

Proposal to amend the current RLBSS formula tied to a funding increase

SELCO’s approval of the proposed legislative initiative, brings the tally of regional votes to nine of 12, with a goal of unanimous endorsement for future support by the Minnesota Library Association.

Formula change support grows!

Recent action at mid-month board meetings on October 20 moved forward the possibility of a 2017 legislative initiative to change the Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS) formula. The most recent approvals were from:

Lake Agassiz Regional Library
Northwest Regional Library
Pioneerland Library System
Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative

Proposal to amend the current RLBSS formula tied to a funding increase

GRRL & PCLS Support Formula Change

The regional library boards governing Great River Regional Library (GRRL) and Plum Creek Library System (PCLS) approved supporting resolutions to seek a statutory formula change tied with an increase in the annual Regional Library Basic System Support appropriation. The formula change will reduce the Equalization factor of the formula from 25% to 15% and increase the Basic System Services factor from 5% to 15%. This will will minimize volatility and stabilize the flow of state financial support.

Proposal to amend the current RLBSS formula tied to a funding increase

With the GRRL endorsement on October 18 and PCLS action on October 19, the tally of regional resolutions increases to four following action by ECRL and ALS. Additional regional meetings are scheduled within the next few weeks.

GRRL Board Members have committed to working actively at the Capitol during the upcoming 2017 legislative session and the county commissioners on the PCLS Board will be working through the Association of Minnesota Counties for complimentary support.

ALS Endorses RLBSS Change

The Arrowhead Library System (ALS) Board unanimously approved a legislative initiative to amend Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS) formula on October 13. The initiative seeks an annual funding increase of $3 million, a change to the statutory funding formula that will shift funds from the equalization factor to the base, and modifies the year from which state data will be used.

Proposal to amend current statutory language tied to a funding increase

ECRL Endorses RLBSS Change

The East Central Regional Library (ECRL) unanimously endorsed a legislative initiative that will seek a formula change and a funding increase in Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS).

The proposal requests a $3 million per year increase in the annual RLBSS appropriation, well as a change to the current formula. The formula change will reduce the Equalization factor from 25% to 15% and increase the Basic System Services factor from 5% to 15%. The formula changes reflect increased costs of basic operation and use of public library service and lessens the volatility of the formula associated with Adjust Net Tax Capacity (ANTC). In addition, the proposal requests that the formula be based on the population and tax capacity figures as reported by the Minnesota State Departments of Demography and Revenue respectively by January 1 of the year in which the grants are awarded. This will enable regional libraries to prepare budgets based on accurate calculations rather than estimates.

CRPLSA members present at an October 4, 2016 meeting voted unanimously in favor of the recommendation.

Proposal to amend current statutory language tied to a funding increase

ECRL is the first regional library governing board to authorize this 2017 legislative initiative. In addition, the ECRL Board will seek advocacy support from the Association of Minnesota Counties.

Library advocacy theme unveiled!

Library advocates from across Minnesota began planning for the 2017 Minnesota Legislative session during the annual Library Legislative Forum on July 12, held at the St. Cloud Public Library (GRRL).

Minnesota Loves Libraries will be unifying theme for 2017 library advocacy efforts. A smart-looking new logo was unveiled. The original art for the logo is the work of Bernadette Stephenson, GRRL.

Details about the new campaign are still in development by a CRPLSA Advocacy sub-committee. Regional staff include:

Jon Tatting – ECRL
Bernadette Stephenson – GRRL
Hillary Stevens – LARL
Ken Behringer – MELSA
Jennifer Harveland – SELCO

ECRL Director Barbara Misselt is the 2016 Legislative Chair of the Minnesota Library Association. She is working closely with the sub-committee.

As proof that Minnesotans do indeed love libraries. State Librarian Jen Nelson reported to the Forum that there were 24,340,258 visits to Minnesota’s 355 public libraries in 2015. She also said that 3,860,346 library card holders checked out 52,512,434 physical and electronic library items.

Legislative Issues Survey

MLA/ITEM 2016 Legislative Forum – Registration Reminder & Interest Survey

Library advocates are invited to gather at the St. Cloud Public Library on Tuesday, July 12th from 9:00am – 3:00pm for the annual Library Legislative Forum. This is the work session to begin planning for the 2017 legislative session.

Reminder: Registration closes on July 5, 2016.

Elaine Keefe, MLA lobbyist, will review the 2016 Legislative Session. The majority of the day will be dedicated to group work – identifying legislative priorities for 2017, as well as ongoing opportunities, challenges, and issues for 2017 and beyond. Come be a part of this opportunity to shape the 2017 legislative agenda!

Click here to take a short survey to express your 2017 issues of concern and help form the library legislative platform

Legislative Forum 2016 – Registration Open!

Calling all MLA and ITEM members and library advocates and trustees — you are invited to gather at Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud on Tuesday, July 12th from 9:00am until 3:00pm for the annual Library Legislative Forum. This is the work session to begin planning for the 2017 legislative session – an appropriations/budget year.

Elaine Keefe, MLA lobbyist, will review the 2016 Legislative Session and provide a preview of what to expect in the 2017 session. The majority of the day will be spent on group work: identifying legislative priorities for 2017, as well as ongoing opportunities, challenges, and issues for 2017 and beyond.

Come be a part of this opportunity to shape the 2017 legislative agenda!

Registration is free and lunch will be provided by MLA. Goodies will be ready for your arrival – Thank you to Minitex!

Click here for more information and to register.

2016 Legislative Forum

Save the date — July 12!

The annual Library Legislative Forum will be held at the St. Cloud Public Library/Great River Regional Library headquarters on July 12th. Mark your calendars! More information will be coming soon.