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I. Update on Budget

II. Update on Bills

I. Update on Budget
The Appropriations Committee will meet early next week to consider the State Library budget. The initial draft state budget restored most of the 10% cut to the State Library budget, although it appears that no new funding will be directed to the agency. 

URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Library supporters are urged to contact their representatives and senators and ask them to support funding for libraries by: 

1) increasing funding Loan Star Libraries, a program at the State Library. This funding request is included in the agency’s exceptional items request (General Government agencies, Article I of the Appropriations Bill, HB 1/ SB 1).

2) appropriating $2.5 million per year for K-12 online school library resources. This funding request will be made as a proposed rider to the Texas Education Agency budget (Article III of the Appropriations Bill, HB 1/ SB 1) and also on the State Library budget in the coming days.

3) providing an additional $500,000 per year for TexShare databases. This funding request will be made as part of a proposed rider to the State Library budget in the coming days.  

For talking points, go to http://www.txla.org/html/govt_aff.html and see 80th Legislative Issues.

House Appropriations Members:

Note: General Government Subcommittee has oversight over the State Library’s budget

Note: Education Subcommittee has oversight over the Texas Education Agency’s budget

Rep. Warren Chisum  -- Chairman
Rep. Ryan Guillen – Vice Chairman
Rep. Alma Allen
Rep. Dan Branch – Vice Chair, Education Subcommittee
Rep. Betty Brown –General Government Subcommittee
Rep. Fred Brown – on Education Subcommittee
Rep. Norma Chavez – on General Government Subcommittee
Rep. Myra Crownover -- on General Government Subcommittee and Education Subcommittee
Rep. Drew Darby
Rep. John Davis
Rep. Dawnna Dukes
Rep. Kirk England
Rep. Dan Gattis
Rep. Linda Harper-Brown -- on General Government Subcommittee"
Rep. Chuck Hopson
Rep. Carl Isett Chair of General Government Subcommittee
Rep. Jim Jackson
Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst – Chair of Education Subcommittee
Rep. Eddie Lucio III
Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon – on Education Subcommittee
Rep. Jim McReynolds
Rep. Jose Menendez
Rep. Rick Noriega Vice Chair of General Government Subcommittee
Rep. John Otto – on Education Subcommittee
Rep. Debbie Riddle
Rep. Larry Taylor
Rep. Sylvester Turner
Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale
Rep. John Zerwas 

Senate Finance

Note: The Article I Work Group has oversight over the State Library’s budget

Note: The Article III Work Group has oversight over the Texas Education Agency’s budget

Sen. Steve Ogden -- Chair
Sen. Judith Zaffirini – Vice Chair
Sen. Kip Averitt – Chair of Article I Working Group
Sen. Bob Deuell
Sen. Robert Duncan
Sen. Kevin Eltife -- Article I Working Group
Sen. Troy Fraser
Sen. Juan Hinojosa -- Article I Working Group
Sen. Kyle Janek -- Article III Working Group
Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Sen. Jane Nelson
Sen. Florence Shapiro  -- Chair of Article III Working Group
Sen. Royce West – Article III
Sen. John Whitmire
Sen. Tommy Williams 

II. Update on Bills
HB 239 (Alonzo) – This bill, as substituted, specifies that the Texas State Library and Archives Commission can require municipal libraries serving populations of 50,000 or more to provide high speed Internet access.  The bill, as substituted, removed initial language about charging fees for Internet access. The bill has been sent to the House Local/Consent Calendar Committee.

HB 605 (Howard) – The bill relates to the creation of library districts under Chapter 326 of the Local Government Code and defines a library as one meeting minimum state accreditation standards. The bill also allows library districts to include multi-county, contiguous areas. The bill has been sent to the House Local/Consent Calendar Committee. The Senate companion is SB 241(Fraser).

HB 735 (Straus III), HB 1255 (Isett), HB 1348 (Thompson) – These three identical bills call for the elimination of the telephone assessment collected under the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) statutes. Library supporters will recall that all TIF monies were redirected in 2003, and no library has received grant money since 2002. The state later moved the dedicated funding into the General Revenue fund and all the funds collected are now being used for state budgeting purposes.  None of these bills called for the redirection of funds to schools, libraries, and hospitals. The bills essentially eliminate the assessment as it is no longer used for its original purpose. The Committee on Regulated Industries passed the HB 735. None of these bills relate to the telecommunications discounts for libraries, higher education, and schools. Those discounts are unaffected. The Senate companion is SB 294 (Williams).

SB 550 (Patrick) – This legislation would direct that 65% of available general fund revenue allocated by school districts be designated for direct instructional activities, as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics.  This legislation would essentially codify the Governor’s "65% rule" executive order issued to the Texas Education Agency two years ago.