Second Annual Legislative Day in the District
By John McGinnis
On Friday, January 10, in legislative district offices from Del Norte to Imperial counties, librarians and library supporters served as ambassadors of advocacy to their state and federal legislators on behalf of California libraries.
The second annual Library Day in the District was another major success. Despite significant impediments, over 160 library advocates found ways to visit 82 of their legislators statewide! The impediments included newly drawn district boundaries, scores of newly elected legislators, many of whom had hardly settled into their new offices, and a much earlier appointment date. The date which coincided with the release of the governor's budget proposal could not have been more timely.
Now we turn our attention to Library Legislative Day in Sacramento on Wednesday, April 30, 2003. Given the state of the budget and the governor's proposals, this is shaping up to be the most important Library Legislative Day in a decade.
Attendance at Day in the District, January 10, 2003
| Total Legislators | Legislators Visited | Percent Visited | CLA/CSLA Attendees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | 80 | 52 | 65% | 125 |
| Senate | 40 | 25 | 63% | 102 |
| Congress | 53 | 5 | 9% | 17 |
| Total | 173 | 82 | 47% | 166* |
*Some attendees visited more than one legislator.