March 20, 2003
| TO: | Cla Members/ Systems/ Network Contacts |
| FROM: | Mike Dillon, Lobbyist Christina Dillon, Lobbyist |
| RE: | News From The Capitol |
I. Senate Begins Hearings on $2 Billion Library Bond Bill
SB 40 by Senator Dede Alpert, principal co-author Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, and coauthor, Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, was heard in the Senate Education Committee last week. The bill seeks to provide $2 billion in General Obligation bonds for the purpose of financing the construction and renovation/remodel of libraries throughout California, if approved by the voters in the 2004 direct primary election.
SB 40 contains the same 35% local match requirement as is currently found in the existing library bond, provides up to $25 million to encourage the development of joint use projects between libraries and school districts or higher education, and would allow unfunded Cycle 3 applicants to get "first call" on new bond act funds, without having to complete a new application. Remaining funds would be available to any additional applicants.
During the hearing in Senate Education, Senator Alpert, the Senate representative on the current bond board, told the committee members that it was "amazing the number of worthy applicants before us. It is a shame we can't fund all of them. We are seeing a great support for libraries throughout the state."
The California Library Association, the bill's sponsor, was represented by the following individuals who testified in support: Anne Cain, CLA Legislative Chair and Contra Costa County Library Director; Susan Hildreth, San Francisco County Library Director; and Margaret Donnellan Todd, Los Angeles County Library Director. All three individuals testified as to the tremendous need for more library bond funding, and the appeal of the Cycle 3 "first call" component. Alameda County's lobbyist and the lobbyist for the Coalition For Adequate School Housing also testified in support.
Two Republican members of the committee asked Senator Alpert to continue to work with their caucus to ascertain what the state would be able to absorb in terms of bonded indebtedness capacity. Chairman, Senator John Vasconcellos, has instituted a "suspense file" process in his committee, whereby bills with an appropriation of $500,000 or more, will be automatically set aside so that measures with cost implications can be considered together and then moved forward on a priority basis. We believe that because Senator Alpert is a member of the Senate Education Committee, and because SB 40 is a top priority measure for her, the bill will be sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee (which she chairs) in April. In the meantime, CLA members are encouraged to begin writing the Senate Appropriations Committee members during April, to urge their strong support of SB 40. (The committee analysis for the Senate Education Committee only indicated a few letters of support. Members of the CLA Legislative Committee will be contacting library directors in the next few weeks to ask them to write letters and contact their legislators.) Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee are:
Senator Dede Alpert (Chair) Senator Jim Battin (Vice Chair) Senator Sam Aanestad Senator Roy Ashburn Senator Debra Bowen Senator John Burton, Senate President pro Tem Senator Martha Escutia Senator Ross Johnson Senator Betty Karnette Senator Mike Machado Senator Kevin Murray Senator Chuck Poochigian Senator Jackie Speier
II. AB 222-Corbett Has Been Set for Hearing in Assembly
Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett, the Assembly representative on the current library bond board, has also expressed her concern over the lack of available bond monies for library construction grants. As a result, she has introduced AB 222, a library bond measure on the Assembly side. CLA and the State Library have been involved in a series of meetings with the Assemblywoman's staff for several months. While the bill in print mirrors that of Senator Alpert's SB 40, Assemblywoman Corbett's staff has indicated that the direction of their measure will be somewhat different, including features such as a higher bond dollar amount. The Assemblywoman has also informed us that she has been in contact with Senator Alpert about their joint effort.
AB 222-Corbett has been scheduled for hearing in the Assembly Local Government Committee on Wednesday, April 9, 2003. The CLA Legislative Committee has taken a "support/work with author" position on the measure. We will forward you additional information about potential amendments to AB 222 when they are available. Please take a moment today to write the members of the Assembly Local Government Committee and urge their support of AB 222-Corbett. Members are:
Assemblyman Simon Salinas (Chair) Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (Vice Chair) Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia Assemblyman Jay LaSuer Assemblyman Mark Leno Assemblyman Gene Mullin Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg Assemblywoman Patricia Wiggins
Sample address:
The Honorable Simon Salinas Chair, Assembly Local Government Committee State Capitol Sacramento, CA. 95814
III. Budget Battle Continues
In recent weeks, a few Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly have banded together to pursue possible budget solutions on their own. Additional legislators we have talked to have expressed dissatisfaction with the apparent lack of progress towards an eventual budget solution. Partly in response to this discontentment, Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson has cancelled all policy committees for next week to allow the Budget subcommittees to direct their focus toward current and Budget Year problems... and the problems remain huge.
Earlier this week, we were told by a key official in the Department of Finance that another $2.5 billion must be cut from the current year budget within the next few weeks, otherwise the money will have gone out as scheduled, thereby making next year's problem that much worse.
IV. PLF and TBR Still at Risk
Thanks to the Budget subcommittee's refusal to cut the Public Library Foundation (PLF) in the current year, as requested by the Governor in December, this year's PLF allocation was distributed to public libraries at the end of February 2003, as scheduled and required by law. As reported previously, the Governor's proposed mid-year cuts would have reduced the $31.5 million to $15.7 million, with the $15.7 million being continued for the upcoming Budget Year. In addition, the Governor proposed eliminating the entire $12.1 million currently going for Transaction Based Reimbursement (TBR), for 2003-04.
In arguing for restoration of the TBR and PLF with one of the Department of Finance officials with responsibility for education and library issues, he responded, "Libraries are a local function. With all we are cutting at the State level, we have to take that point of view."
The library community has previously been asked to write, call, or visit their local legislators as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittees on the TBR and PLF. Several of the legislators we have checked with indicate they have heard very little from the library community. If you have not already done so, please take that action today. The library issues are not scheduled to be heard for several weeks, however that timetable could always be moved up on short notice at the direction of the committee chairs (particularly in light of this recent development on the Assembly side to concentrate their efforts regarding immediate Budget cuts). Thanks for your help - letters do make a difference!