Statehouse Updates
March 24, 2017
Contact Appropriations Committee Members
If your Senator is a member of the Appropriations Committee, or if your library relies on the internet reimbursement grant, please consider contacting members to request that they maintain the modest increase included in the House version of the budget for Internet Connectivity for libraries and schools ($1M over 2-year budget) . Contact Brittany or Lucinda for tips and sample messages, if needed.  
 
Bills in the second half of the session of the Indiana General Assembly 
 
Thanks to our Legislative Advocates at Bose Public Affairs, we will continue to provide you:
  • Legislative Update from Bose - includes an overview of the prior week of the session. Review this update for important updates at this halfway point in the session! (archived Bose Reports at bottom of linked page)

  • Bill Tracking List - Note that this is a  list of bills that may relate to our ILF Policy Priorities and for bills that are still alive. We will provide a separate action alert with key facts or talking points when appropriate. 

Mobilizing our library champions
The  Institute of Museum and Library Services, among other federal agencies, have been targeted for elimination or drastic cuts. See list from USA Today (3/17/17). 

IMLS funding supports Indiana State Library, InfoExpress, Evergreen, LSTA grants and so much more. We should do our part to make sure our members of Congress understand the importance of this federal funding in support of libraries.
  • Contact your member of Congress through ALA's action center.
  • Email Lucinda with a few bullets of how your community benefits from federal library funding.
  • Recruit one "mover and shaker" in your community to join a sign-on letter in the coming month (more info coming soon).    
National Library Legislative Day May 1-2
ALA will host its National Library Legislative Day (NLLD), which includes training workshop on May 1 and a day meeting with members of Congress on May 2. This NLLD is more important because of the proposed budget cuts. If you are not able to attend in person, there are other ways to advocate. 

ILF encourages members to attend and regrets we are not able to support the costs of attendance. Full costs may range in the $600-$1,000. However, a couple of people snagged affordable flights for one-day trips for May 2 advocacy on the Hill. Terry Rheinheimer, Director of Middlebury Public Library, serves as our federal advocacy coordinator. Contact Terry or Lucinda for more info. 
  
Only a few slots open at ESSA Input Meetings
Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), under new Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick, will hold input sessions about indiana's plan for implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Will you help shape Indiana's ESSA plan at a meeting? Sessions will be held through April 24 throughout the state. Visit IDOE to learn more and register. Only Richmond and New Albany sessions have remaining slots. Contact us or Michelle Houser, VP of the AISLE Board, if you will attend a session.