FY14 State Budget Conference Items - Action Needed

Last week the Senate finished and voted on its version of the FY 2014 budget.  See Cindy Roach’s email of 5/24/13 for full details. 

The Speaker of the House and Senate President will each appoint 3 members to serve on the Conference Committee very soon.   The line items below will be considered by the Conference Committee since the Senate and House versions and language differ for these accounts. 

7000-9101              For the operation of the board of library commissioners

WMLA Supports the Senate Budget figure:               $1,018,754     

                                                          House Budget                  $1,012,047

  

7000-9401              For state aid to regional public libraries; provided, that the board of library commissioners may provide quarterly advances of funds for purposes authorized by clauses (1) and (2) of section 19C of chapter 78 of the General Laws, as it considers proper, to regional public library systems throughout each fiscal year, in compliance with the office of the comptroller’s regulations on state grants, 815 CMR 2; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in calculating the fiscal year 2013 distribution of funds appropriated in this item, the board of library commissioners shall employ population figures used to calculate the fiscal year 2012 distribution; and provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the library of the commonwealth shall receive not less than thirty-five and nine tenths cents for each resident of the commonwealth

WMLA Supports the Senate Budget figure:                      $9,731,475

                                                      House Budget                            $9,279,475

 

*** IMPORTANT:   Ask your legislators to support the SENATE version, since Boston would get an additional $150,000 and MLS would get a much-needed increase of $350,000. 

 

Advocates please emphasize to all legislators – House and Senate Leadership, those legislators who are appointed to Conference and those who are not – that the Senate bottom line increase for this account MUST be approved in order to benefit both BPL and MLS.  If the lower House total is passed, and the Senate language increasing the BPL per capita remains, the increase for BPL will be taken from the MLS budget.   

 

This happened in the past to the Regional Systems, and some legislators did not realize the unintended consequence of only approving the per capita increase.  They thought they were passing an increase for the Regions, when the actual result was a cut.  We need them to understand that “You can’t increase BPL’s per capita without increasing the bottom line.”

 

7000-9506              For the technology and automated resource sharing networks

                                                     Senate Budget                             $1,929,238  

WMLA Supports the House Budget figure:                         $2,129,238

 

Contact your legislators as soon as possible.

 

 

Advocacy in D.C.

On May 7- 8, 2013, hundreds of library supporters from all across the country convened in Washington DC for National Library Legislative Day. They were briefed on legislative issues affecting libraries and met with their members of Congress to discuss them.  Massachusetts Libraries were well represented on Capitol Hill.  A number of MA librarians brought our message to our Congressional delegation.  For the first time, the Western Massachusetts Library Advocates (WMLA) sponsored an advocate of our own.  Betty Johnson, Colrain, reports on her trip to our nation’s capital:

It was a great opportunity.  There were 4 of us from Massachusetts-in the photograph, Julie Farrell, Library Media Specialist-Overlook Middle School, Ashburnham; Betty Johnson, Director-Griswold Memorial Library, Colrain; Senator Elizabeth Warren; Cindy Roach, MBLC-Head of Library Advisory and Development; Dianne Carty, MBLC-Acting Director.

We had individual appointments with all the Massachusetts legislative delegation.  Most of the visits were with Aides but they were very receptive to our requests.  LSTA funding was the major talking point.  With sequestration the funding level is down of course and will affect the number of grants that the MBLC is able to award.  ALA is asking for LSTA funding to return to the 2010 level.  Julie spoke to the legislators about school issues as she was representing the MSLA.  We wholeheartedly thanked the legislators for all their support of libraries.  Cindy said our delegation is very supportive. 

My husband and I drove down on Monday and stayed at the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University.  A shuttle bus went back and forth from the university to Union Station all day, so it was very convenient.  I was able to visit the Martin Luther King Memorial and the Library of Congress building.  The Library is beautiful if you ever get a chance to see it.

On Tuesday morning there was a conference meeting at The Liaison Capitol Hill with a delicious continental breakfast.  Many states had much bigger groups of librarians represented.  After a lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern, our group met with several Congressional Aides and ended our day with a reception in the Hart Senate building.

On Wednesday, it was very exciting to visit the House and Senate Office buildings. We met with the rest of the Congressional Aides and actually had the chance to speak to Congresswoman Tsongas and Congressman Keating.  We had lunch at the Tortilla Coast, and ended the day with the Meet and Greet with Senator Warren. Our meet and greet with Senator Warren was in the Visitor's Center of the Capitol Building.

Thursday we drove home to the real world. 

Here is a link to handouts and information covered in the briefing on Tuesday: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/nlld