CALL TO ACTION: Support Funding for School Library Databases

As part of two-pronged initiative, TLA is seeking authority for the State Library to license databases on behalf of school libraries and funding to help support school databases access.  The statutory changes needed to make this possible are being put forward as HB 661 (Branch) and the companion bill on the Senate, SB 483 (Staples and Ellis).  We expect the bills to be set for a hearing within the upcoming weeks. 

The funds needed to help support school library access will be requested as a contingency rider on the draft appropriation bill in each chamber.  These riders will soon be presented.

CALL TO ACTION

Library supporters are urged to contact members of both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee to urge support for funding of school database access. The rider, which requests $4.3 million per year for access, would be attached to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission budget should the enabling legislation (HB 661/SB 483) pass and should the funding committees agree to actually fund all or a portion of the request for $4.3 million/year.

It is crucial that the committees hear from library supporters. For information about this issue, go to: http://www.txla.org/html/legis/School%20Databases.pdf.

Members of the full House Appropriations Committee are:

• Rep. Pitts, Jim (R-10) (Chair); (phone) 512-463-0516; (fax) 512-463-1051
• Rep. Luna, Vilma (D-33) (Vice Chair); (phone) 512-463-0484; (fax)512-463-8090
• Rep. Chisum, Warren (R-88) (phone) 512-463-0736; (fax)512-463-5896
• Rep. Edwards, Al (D-146) ; (phone) 512-463-0518; (fax) 512-463-7968
• Rep. Gattis, Dan (R-20) ; (phone) 512-463-0309; (fax) 512-499-8354
• Rep. Guillen, Ryan (D-31) ; (phone) 512-463-0416; (fax) 512-463-0102
• Rep. Haggerty, Pat (R-78) ; (phone) 512-463-0728; (fax) 512-463-0397
• Rep. Hegar, Jr., Glenn (R-28) ; (phone) 512-463-0657; (fax) 512-463-3151
• Rep. Hopson, Chuck (D-11) ; (phone) 512-463-0592; (fax) 512-463-8792
• Rep. King, Tracy (D-80) ; (phone) 512-463-0194
• Rep. Martinez, Armando (D-39) ; (phone) 512-463-0530
• Rep. Pena, Aaron (D-40) ; (phone) 512-463-0426; (fax) 512-463-0043
• Rep. Smith, Todd (R-92) ; (phone) 512-463-0522; (fax) 512-463-9529
• Rep. Berman, Leo (R-6) ; (phone) 512-463-0584; (fax) 512-463-3217
• Rep. Branch, Dan (R-108) ; (phone) 512-463-0367; (fax) 512-322-9935
• Rep. Brown, Betty (R-4) ; (phone) 512-463-0458; (fax) 512-463-2040
• Rep. Brown, Fred (R-14) ; (phone) 512-463-0698; (fax) 512-463-5109
• Rep. Crownover, Myra (R-64) ; (phone) 512-463-0582; (fax) 512-463-0471
• Rep. Davis, John (R-129) ; (phone) 512-463-0734; (fax) 512-463-6955
• Rep. Dukes, Dawnna (D-46) ; (phone) 512-463-0506; (fax) 512-463-7864
• Rep. Hamric, Peggy (R-126) ; (phone) 512-463-0496; (fax) 512-463-2077
• Rep. Hope, Ruben (R-16) ; (phone) 512-463-0726; (fax) 512-463-7100
• Rep. Isett, Carl (R-84) ; (phone) 512-463-0676; (fax) 512-708-8427
• Rep. Kolkhorst, Lois (R-13) ; (phone) 512-463-0600; (fax) 512-463-5240
• Rep. McClendon, Ruth (D-120) ; (phone) 512-463-0708; (fax) 512-463-7071
• Rep. Menendez, Jose (D-124) ; (phone) 512-463-0634; (fax) 512-463-7668
• Rep. Pickett, Joseph (D-79) ; (phone) 512-463-0596; (fax) 512-463-6504
• Rep. Truitt, Vicki (R-98) ; (phone) 512-463-0690; (fax) 512-477-5770
• Rep. Turner, Sylvester (D-139) ; (phone) 512-463-0554; (fax) 512-463-8380
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• Members of the Senate Finance Committee are:
• Sen. Ogden, Steve (R-5) (Chair) (phone) 512-463-0105; (fax) 512-463-5713
• Sen. Zaffirini, Judith (D-21) (Vice Chair) (phone) 512-463-0121; (fax) 512-475-3738
• Sen. Averitt, Kip (R-22)  (phone) 512-463-0122; (fax) 512-475-3729
• Sen. Barrientos, Gonzalo (D-14)  (phone) 512-463-0114; (fax) 512-463-5949
• Sen. Brimer, Kenneth (R-10)  (phone) 512-463-0110; (fax) 512-475-3745
• Sen. Deuell, Bob (R-2) (phone) 512-463-0102; (fax) 512-463-7202
• Sen. Duncan, Robert (R-28)  (phone) 512-463-0128 or 800-322-9538; (fax) 512-463-2424
• Sen. Janek, Kyle (R-17)  (phone) 512-463-0117; (fax) 512-463-0639
• Sen. Nelson, Jane (R-12)  (phone) 512-463-0112; (fax) 512-463-0923
• Sen. Shapiro, Florence (R-8)  (phone) 512-463-0108; (fax) 512-463-7579
• Sen. Shapleigh, Eliot (D-29) (phone) 512-463-0129; (fax) 512-463-0218
• Sen. Staples, Todd (R-3)  (phone) 512-463-0103; (fax) 512-463-1526
• Sen. West, Royce (D-23)  (phone) 512-463-0123; (fax) 512-463-0299
• Sen. Whitmire, John (D-15)  (phone) 512-463-0115; (fax) 512-475-3737
• Sen. Williams, Thomas (R-4) (phone) 512-463-0104; (fax) 512-463-6373