Budget update - time to speak up again!
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Please excuse the cross-postings…
As the budget process drags on we find ourselves at another crossroads regarding the proposed cut to library funding in the State budget… Now is another critical time to speak up to legislators as the Governor may try to pass his proposed $2.4 million cut to library funding through a budget extender bill next week – you may think you’ve already done this but trust me, click on the link below to send an updated letter to your legislators!
Here’s a message from NYLA Director Michael Borges that went to the NYLA Legislative Committee this afternoon:
As you know, since the April 1st budget deadline passed the Governor has been submitting to the Legislature one-week budget extenders that fund basic state operations. The last two weeks he has included cuts/revenue proposals in the one week extenders that have a majority of support in the Legislature (cuts that were agreed upon or not controversial). Funding for health, human services, mental health have already been approved and the Governor is expected to submit his budget proposals for transportation, economic development and public safety this week as well.
This piece meal approach to approving the State Budget is somewhat like how Congress approves the Federal Budget. The budget is approved in parts with the less controversial being approved first. Next week the plan is to submit the Education/Library Aid part of the State Budget to the Legislature. At this point there is no agreement on resolving the differences between the Senate, Assembly and Governor on the amount of School Aid and Library Aid cuts.
If there is no agreement, then the Governor may send the Legislature his proposed $1.4 billion in School Aid and $2.4 million in Library Aid cuts and include it one-week budget extender to force the Legislature either to compromise or risk shut down of state government. Regarding Library Aid, there has been no discussions in the Legislature of making cuts deeper than the Governor requested.
Therefore I am urging library advocates to once again contact their state legislators to remind them to reject the Governor’s proposed cut and resolve their differences in their proposals to restore Library Aid. If you remember, the Senate Majority proposed full restoration and the Assembly proposed 40% or $960,000 restoration.
An updated letter is now on our Online Advocacy Center at http://capwiz.com/ala/ny/home/
Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association
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Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Coordinator for Library Growth & Sustainability
Mid-Hudson Library System
103 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845.471.6060 x239
845.454.5940 | fax
2010
President, Library
Administration & Management Section, New York Library Association
2010 Library
Journal Mover & Shaker
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