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Library Bond Measure and Budget Committees Announced
TO: CLA Members/ Systems/ Network Contacts
FROM: Mike Dillon, CLA Lobbyist Christina Dillon, CLA Lobbyist
RE: News from the Capitol
I. SENATOR JOE SIMITIAN INTRODUCES $4 BILLION LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION BOND BILL, SPONSORED BY CLA
Late yesterday afternoon, Senator Joe Simitian, who is one of the most vocal library supporters at the Capitol, introduced a $4 billion library construction and renovation bond measure. The bill, SB 156, is entitled the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2008. SB 156 is sponsored by the California Library Association. Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, who, as members know, was very active in last year's bond campaign, is a principal co-author of SB 156.
SB 156 is the work product of an ad hoc committee of CLA Members and the Proposition 14 Steering Committee. The measure will be similar to the last proposed bond act (SB 1161-Alpert, which failed passage on the June 2006 ballot), except for the following:
- The minimum amount per project has been increased from $50,000 to $500,000.
- The maximum amount per project has been increased from $20 million to $30 million.
- 5% of the total bond amount will be made available for joint-use projects, rather than the specific $25 million set aside in the last bond act.
- There will be no priority given to applicants submitted, but not funded, from the 2000 Bond Act (the so-called "Cycle 3" Applicants), as the committee felt too much time will have elapsed to make this provision appropriate. Thus, everyone will start on an even, competitive playing field with SB 156.
Upon hearing of the introduction of this bill, CLA President Margaret Donnellan Todd said, "The California Library Association is pleased to have such a strong library champion in Senator Joe Simitian, and we thank him for his willingness to shepherd this important library construction and renovation bond measure. The state is simply not keeping pace with the infrastructure needs of California's 20 million library users."
The Senator's bill will need to be in print for 30 days before it may be heard in its first policy committee. As has been standard practice, CLA's bond bills are typically assigned to the Senate Education Committee in the Senate. We will alert you when the bill is, in fact, assigned to committee and when you may begin writing members of the committee to urge their support of this important legislation. SB 156 will face substantial competition from other bond measures this year, as well as the Governor's own proposed $41 billion Strategic Growth Plan, a massive infrastructure bond package he is shopping, based on the success of his last bond package. Thus, the policy and fiscal committees will need to receive hundreds of letters on behalf of SB 156 in order to make the desired impact.
Special Note: In the coming days, Senator Simitian will be sending around a letter to his colleagues in the Legislature, asking them to be co-authors of his bond measure. If you are meeting with your legislator on Friday for "Day InThe District," please encourage him or her to sign on to the co-author letter or to call Senator Simitian's office directly. If you have already met with your legislators, you may wish to follow up with them.
II. BUDGET COMMITTEES ANNOUNCED - OVERVIEW OF GOVERNOR'S 2007-08 BUDGET BEGINS
The Assembly Budget and Senate Budget Committees have been named for the 2007 session. In the Senate, Denise Ducheny will serve as the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee while Senator Dennis Hollingsworth will return as the Vice Chair of the Budget Committee. In the Assembly, John Laird resumes his post as the Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, while Assemblyman Roger Niello will be a new face as the Vice Chair of the Budget Committee. These four appointments are significant, as they will likely be the designees for the powerful Budget Conference Committee that will convene over the summer months to debate the differences between the Assembly Budget, the Senate Budget, and the Governor's Budget.
In addition, Budget Subcommittees have been named in each house. The Education Budget Subcommittees have the jurisdiction over State Library issues, including the Public Library Foundation and Transaction Based Reimbursement. These important subcommittees will begin reviewing the Governor's January Budget in March, and will hear our library issues in March or April for a preliminary discussion. They will then make their final decision on the majority of the issues pending before their subcommittee after the Governor's May Revision is released in mid-May. You will recall that when the Governor released his January Budget, he was silent on any increases for the Transaction Based Reimbursement, but he did make a small reduction to the Public Library Foundation in the amount of $52,000. The $52,000 is intended to "initiate the California State Library's Integrated Library System Replacement Project," according to the Budget document. However, CLA believes that borrowing from the PLF source for this purpose is not appropriate, and we will be lobbying to request that the Administration, in working with the California State Library, create a separate Budget "line item" so that the monies come out of General Fund revenues to fund this program and not out of the Public Library Foundation baseline. In addition, CLA will be lobbying for a restoration of the $52,000 to the PLF, and will be requesting that the PLF baseline be increased. (The PLF currently stands at $21.3 million.)
Please take a moment today to write the members of the Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees and urge their support to 1) restore the $52,000 that the Governor cut to the PLF, and 2) request that they continue increasing funding to this program that is woefully underfunded. (Full funding, according to statute, would require $94,217,000.)
SENATE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE NUMBER ONE ON EDUCATION FINANCE
Senator Jack Scott, Chair
Senator Bob Margett, Member
Senator Joe Simitian, Member
Hearing Date: TBA
ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE NUMBER TWO ON EDUCATION FINANCE
Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, Chair
Assemblyman Michael Duvall, Member
Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, Member
Assemblywoman Jean Fuller, Member
Assemblyman Gene Fuller, Member
Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, Member
Hearing Date: TBA
SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION:
BUDGET ITEM #: 6120-221-0001
Sample address:
The Honorable Jack Scott, Chair
Senate Budget Subcommitee Number One on Education Finance
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
We will let you know when official hearing dates are assigned and more details become available.
Posted on January 30, 2007 11:02 AM | Permalink