Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees Approve Library Funding for CLSA

Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees Approve Library Funding for CLSA 

NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL: 5.24.2016 by Mike Dillon & Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

This morning at the State Capitol, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance approved, without discussion, $1.8 million in “ongoing funding” for the California Library Services Act and $3 million in “one time funding” for CLSA to encourage innovative “digital delivery” projects among the 8 regional Systems.  The vote of the Assembly Subcommittee was unanimous (5-0).  Last week, the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance also approved the same funding motions for the CLSA on a unanimous vote of 3-0.

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The Subcommittees did not approve new funding for broadband grants this year.

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The Conference Committee will likely commence hearings after the Memorial Day weekend in order to meet the Constitutional deadline of June 15 to have the Budget passed and sent to the Governor.  At this point in time, because the Senate and the Assembly adopted the exact same action on the CLSA items, we anticipate that this funding will remain in the Budget.  READ MORE @

GOVERNOR BROWN RELEASES UPDATED 2016-17 BUDGET: Recommends No New Spending

GOVERNOR BROWN RELEASES UPDATED 2016-17 BUDGET

He recommends no new spending with tax revenues down $1.9 billion

News From the Capitol: 5.13.2016 by Mike Dillon & Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

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The May Revision includes two minor adjustments that were requested by the State Library:  an increase in $56,000 to account for a rent increase for its Sacramento facility, and $505,000 for “services, including publications, database subscriptions, and other resources.”

Highlighted below is additional funding that the Governor proposed for the California Library Services Act in his January Budget and is continued in the May Revise:

•Adding $1.8 million in ongoing funding to the current $1.8 million baseline

•Adding $3 million in one-time funding for the purpose of allowing the regional systems to explore more creative and effective ways to loan and share materials between libraries (e.g. “digital delivery.”)

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STATE’S LEGISLATIVE ANALYST RECOMMENDS LEGISLATURE REJECT CLSA PROPOSAL This week the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, the non-partisan unit that advises the Legislature and provides annual analysis of the Governor’s proposed Budget, is recommending that the legislature reject the $3 million proposal relative to the CLSA due to lack of specifics about the proposed expenditure.

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Instead the Analyst suggests that the item be deferred in this Budget year, to make way for a year of planning by the State Library, which would include a “proposed timeline for development and implementation and expected outcomes.”  (However, this assumes that the Governor would include $3 million in next year’s Budget, which is clearly now an uncertainty given the declining state revenues.)

Next week the Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees on Education Finance will begin reviewing the Governor’s May Revision and will either accept, reject, or modify his January and May proposals.  These subcommittees are the critical first step in ensuring that new library funding is included in the Budget.  Without the support of the subcommittees, it is very difficult to include new funding for libraries down the road in the Budget negotiations.  The subcommittees are on schedule to conclude their work by Friday, May 27.  After that date, the full Senate and Assembly Budget Committees will meet, followed by the commencement of the powerful Budget Conference Committee process, where the final details will be reconciled between the conferees and the Governor.  READ MORE @

ACTION ALERT :: Letters Needed in Support of Library Funding in California State Budget :: CLA

ACTION ALERT

Letters Needed in Support of

Library Funding in California State Budget

NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL: 4.08.2016 by Mike Dillon & Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

The Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittees have been meeting weekly at the State Capitol in order to review and to make recommendations regarding various program funding areas proposed in Governor Brown’s 2016-17 State Budget.

Send letters to 10 key legislators involved in the Budget process, in order to ensure that the California Library Association’s “Budget ask” is realized.

Letters are due by April 29.

ACTION REQUESTED

•Approve the Governor’s January Budget proposal to provide an additional $1.8 million in funding to the California Library Services Act.  Budget Item 6120-211-0001.

•Approve the Governor’s January Budget proposal to provide $3 million in one-time funding to the California Library Services Act for the purpose of collaborative “digital delivery” uses.  Budget Item 6120-215-0001.

•Approve a request by the California Library Association to provide $4 million in one-time funding for broadband connectivity grants in order to continue to bring public libraries on to a high-speed broadband “backbone” operated by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC).

•Approve a $1-2 million increase to the California Literacy Services program in order to restore public library literacy programs, provide enhanced resources for existing programs, and continue to address the backlog of adult literacy learners in need of assistance at the library.

Additional information on these items can be found on the CLA webpage in the Advocacy “Day In the District” section.

Please address letters to the following individuals and send them via mail or fax no later than April 29:

The Honorable Marty Block, Chair

Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 4072  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 651-4939

The Honorable Ben Allen, Member

Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 2054  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 651-4926

The Honorable John Moorlach, Member

Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 2048  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 651-4937

The Honorable Kevin McCarty, Chair

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 2160  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 319-2107

The Honorable Rocky Chavez, Member

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 217  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 319-2176

The Honorable Chris Holden, Member

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 3152  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 319-2141

The Honorable Young Kim, Member

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 4177  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 319-2165

The Honorable Patrick O’Donnell, Member

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

State Capitol, Room 4166  Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 319-2170

Easy Voter Guide :: June 7 :: Presidential Primary Election

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Easy Voter Guide

California Presidential Primary Election

Easy Voter Guide

YOUR VOTE. YOUR VOICE.

Presidential Primary Election

June 7, 2016

Sign up to vote

May 23: Last day to register to vote in this election.

May 31: Last day to request a “vote by mail” ballot.

Jun  07: ELECTION DAY  Your polling place is open from 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

~ President

~ Representatives in U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature

~ A proposed law for California, Proposition 50: Suspension of Legislators

~ Other candidates and proposed laws depending on where you live

Voting for President

The political party you choose will determine which candidates for President appear on your ballot.

If you register without choosing a political party, there is still a way you can vote for a candidate for President:

Three of the political parties, American Independent, Democratic, and Libertarian, will allow voters with “no party preference” to ask for their ballots in the June 7 election.

But if you want to vote on presidential candidates for the Green, Peace & Freedom, or Republican Party then you must re-register and select that party. Just make sure you re-register by the May 23 deadline.

You can sign up to vote if you are:

•   18 years or older by Election Day

•   a U.S. citizen

•   not in prison or on parole for a felony To sign up to vote, get a registration form:

•   Fill out the form online at REGISTER TO VOTE

     in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, or Vietnamese.

•   Or call 1-800-345-8683 to have the form sent to you.

•   Or pick one up at the library, post office, or DMV.

There is no cost to register.

Fill out the form completely and mail it in. You will be asked to include your driver’s license number or other identification.

When should I sign up?

•   Sign up (register) by May 23, 2016, to vote in the June 7, 2016, election.

•   If you are already registered, you need to fill out a new form only if you move, change your name, or want to change your choice of political party.

Produced for statewide elections in California since 1994, the Easy Voter Guide is a collaboration of the League of Women Voters® ofCalifornia Education Fund and the California State Library.

Los Angeles Public Library :: National Voter Registration Day | September 22

National Voter Registration Day

September 22

Register To Vote At Your Library

Los Angeles Public Library

National Voter Registration Day is a huge national effort to get as many people to register to vote as possible. The goal is not to advocate on behalf of a candidate or party, but to make sure that people have access to voting.

Have you've moved since the last election? Have you've recently turned 18? Not sure if you are registered to vote? Drop by any time between 1:00 to 4:30 pm, and volunteers from the League of Women Voters will help you register to vote on the spot, verify your voter registration status, or help answer your questions.

Alma Reaves Woods - Watts Branch  September 24, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Canoga Park Branch  September 22, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Chatsworth Branch  September 22, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Donald Bruce Kaufman - Brentwood Branch September 24, 2015 3:30PM to 5:30PM

Eagle Rock Branch September 22, 2015 1:30PM to 3:30PM

John Muir Branch  September 23, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Little Tokyo Branch September 22, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Los Feliz Branch  September 22, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Memorial Branch  September 24, 2015 1:00PM to 3:00PM

Northridge Branch  September 24, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Panorama City Branch  September 22, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Robertson Branch  September 21, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch  September 21, 2015 3:00PM to 4:30PM

Studio City Branch  September 24, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Sylmar Branch  September 24, 2015 3:00PM to 5:00PM

Venice - Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch  September 25, 2015 3:30PM to 5:30PM

Letters Needed in Support of Increased Library Funding in State Budget : : CLA Call To Action

Letters Needed in Support of Increased Library Funding in State Budget

CLA -News From the Capitol: 3.31.2015 by Mike Dillon & Christina DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

CLA is requesting your help in writing to the members of the two subcommittees to urge their strong support of a proposal to provide $11.5 million in new funding for three very important library programs.  The CLA Legislative Committee has developed the following “Budget Ask” for the 2015-16 Budget.

This “ask” was developed based on feedback from your “Day in the District” visits with Legislators, where many of you told your Senators and Assemblymembers that more funding for the California Library Services Act is critical.  Additionally, the roll-out of the Governor’s Broadband proposal for libraries and his “AB 86” adult education consortia reforms necessitate additional funding.

Specifically, CLA is requesting $11.5 million in new funding:

·  $4 million for the California Library Services Act

·  $2 million for the California library literacy program

·  $5 million for connectivity grants, to assist libraries in joining the new broadband network operated by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC)

·   $500K in administration costs and staff for the CLSA and broadband project.    

Please take a minute today to use the following “sample letter,” adapting it to reflect the specific needs of your own library or programs, and mail or fax it to the following key legislators.

Note:  Your letters should be received

by these subcommittee members by April 15.

Senate Budget Subcommittee Number 1 on Education Finance

Senator Marty Block, Chair
Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 4072
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916) 651-4939

Senator Ben Allen, Member
Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 2054
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916)  651-4926 

Senator Mike Morrell, Member
Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 3056
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916) 651-4923

Assembly Budget Subcommittee Number 2 on Education Finance

Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, Chair
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 2160
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916) 319-2107

Assemblymember Rocky Chavez, Member
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 2170
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916) 319-2176

Assemblymember Young Kim, Member
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 4177
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916) 319-2165

Assembymember Patrick O’Donnell, Member
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 4166
Sacramento, CA.  95814
Fax:  (916) 319-2170

Assemblymember Phil Ting, Member

Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
State Capitol, Room 3123
Sacramento, CA.  95814

Fax:  (916) 319-2119

Help Secure Funding for Key Library Programs :: LSTA <> IAL

Help us secure funding for key library programs

District Dispatch: 3.09.2015 by Kevin Maher

The appropriations process is in full swing and library priority programs face tremendous scrutiny from Members of Congress in search of programs to cut or put on the chopping block. This is your time to be heard and let Congress know how important continued funding is for the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL).

You can make the difference. Members of Congress need to let the Appropriations Committee know of their support for continued funding. Contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to add their name to both “Dear Colleague” letters supporting LSTA and IAL currently being circulated. Many Members of Congress will only add their names if they hear from constituents.  Note: these letters are due before the end of the month so you will need to call this week.

For a list of who signed the letters last year, view the FY 2015 Funding Letter Signees document (pdf).

Support Funding for Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)

LSTA is the only source of funding for libraries in the federal budget. The bulk of this funding is returned to states through a population-based grant program through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Libraries use these funds to, among other things, build and maintain a 21st century library that facilitates employment and entrepreneurship, community engagement, and individual empowerment.

Please contact your Senators (202-224-3121) and Representative (202-225-3121) this week and ask them to sign on to a letter supporting LSTA being organized by the members listed below. Your Members of Congress will need to contact these offices by March 20 to add their name to the letters:

•  Senate LSTA letter: Senator Jack Reed

(staffer Moira Lenehan-Razzuri)

•  Representative LSTA letter: Rep. Raul Grijalva

(staffer Norma Salazar)

Support Funding for Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL)

IAL is the only federal program supporting literacy for underserved school libraries IAL has become the primary source for federal funding for school library materials.  Focusing on low income schools, these funds help many schools bring their school libraries up to standard.

Please contact your Senators (202-224-3121) and Representative (202-225-3121) this week and ask them to sign on to a letter supporting IAL being organized by the members listed below. Your Members of Congress will need to contact one of these offices before March 20 to add their name to the letters:

•  Senate IAL letter: Senators Jack Reed

(staffer: Moira Lenehan-Razzuri)

Charles Grassley

(staffer: James Rice)

•  House IAL letter: Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson

(staffer: Don Andres)

Easy Voter Guide: Your Voice. Your Vote. November 4, 2014

Easy Voter Guide: Your Voice. Your Vote.

November 4, 2014 California General Election

Table of Contents

§  About This Election

§  The State Candidate Races

§  California Courts and Judges

§  Propositions

§  Proposition 1: Bonds for Water Supply

§  Proposition 2: State Budget Reserve

§  Proposition 45: Healthcare Insurance Rates

§  Proposition 46: Medical Safety and Lawsuits

§  Proposition 47: Reducing Criminal Penalties

§  Proposition 48: Indian Gaming Agreements

§  Voting is as easy as 1-2-3!

§  About the Easy Voter Guide

View the Easy Voter Guide online in English or Spanish.
View and download printable guides in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.

Los Angeles Public Library - Pros and Cons

The League of Women Voters will present "Pros and Cons" programs at various LAPL branches during the month of October. These informative one-hour programs will give a non-partisan description of each ballot measure—along with arguments by both supporters and opponents—to help voters make better decisions when they go to the polls on Election Day.

Get the facts, hear the arguments both pro and con, and decide for yourself!

Cut through campaign hype about the November ballot measures and learn the facts! The League of Women Voters will give non-partisan descriptions of each ballot measure, along with arguments by both supporters and opponents.

Upcoming events

Studio City

October 9, 2014 6:30PM to 7:30PM

San Pedro Regional

October 11, 2014 1:30PM to 2:30PM

Little Tokyo

October 18, 2014 1:00PM to 2:00PM

Central Library

October 18, 2014 3:00PM

Westchester - Loyola Village

October 21, 2014 6:00PM to 7:00PM

Central Library

October 21, 2014 6:00PM