I. School Library Database Funding

II. School Library Bills—Update

I. School Library Database Funding

Rep. Dan Branch and Sen. Judith Zaffirini are sponsoring riders (proposed additions to state agency budgets) to try and secure $2.5 million a year for K-12 database access. Since 2003, when the Texas Library Connection was eliminated at the Texas Education Agency, there has been so statewide funding for school library databases.

The House Appropriations Committee and the State Finance Committee will soon consider these riders. As put forward, the riders give state legislators an option for how to fund K-12 database access—either through the Texas Education Agency or the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Either agency can support such a program—we just need the funding to be approved!

CALL TO ACTION: Contact your elected officials this week!

Contact your state representative urge and him/her to support Rep. Branch’s riders for K-12 school library databases in both the TEA budget and the State Library and Archives Commission budget. Contact your state senator and urge support of Sen. Zaffirini’s riders for K-12 databases in both the TEA budget and the State Library budget. If your representative serves on the House Appropriations Committee or you senator serves on the Senate Finance Committee, it is critically important that you contact their office and let them know about the need for state funding of K-12 online resources.

Explain the importance of online databases for students and the positive impact those resources have on learning and student achievement. For additional information and talking points, go to http://www.txla.org/html/govt_aff.html and see 80th Legislative Issues or click on http://www.txla.org/html/legis/80/database_access.pdf.

Please note that the riders being proposed for the State Library and Archives Commission request an additional $500,000 per year for TexShare, which now serves public and academic libraries. TLA’s overall message to the legislators is that all libraries need equalized and improved access to digital resources.

Members of the Legislative Budget Committees

To contact members, click on the URL for an online email form or for phone and fax numbers.

House Appropriations Members:

Rep. Warren Chisum  -- Chairman (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist88/chisum.htm)

Rep. Ryan Guillen – Vice Chairman (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist31/guillen.htm)

Rep. Alma Allen  (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist131/allen.htm)

Rep. Dan Branch –(http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist108/branch.htm)

Rep. Betty Brown –  (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist4/brown.htm)

Rep. Fred Brown – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist14/brown.htm)

Rep. Norma Chavez –(http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist76/chavez.htm)

Rep. Myra Crownover – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist64/crownover.htm)

Rep. Drew Darby – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist72/darby.htm)

Rep. John Davis – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist129/davis.htm)

Rep. Dawnna Dukes – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist46/dukes.htm)

Rep. Kirk England – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist106/england.htm)

Rep. Dan Gattis – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist20/gattis.htm)

Rep. Linda Harper-Brown – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist105/harper-brown.htm)

Rep. Chuck Hopson – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist11/hopson.htm)

Rep. Carl Isett – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist84/isett.htm)

Rep. Jim Jackson – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist115/jackson.htm)

Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist13/kolkhorst.htm)

Rep. Eddie Lucio III –( http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist38/lucio.htm)

Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist120/mcclendon.htm)

Rep. Jim McReynolds – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist12/mcreynolds.htm)

Rep. Jose Menendez –( http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist124/menendez.htm)

Rep. Rick Noriega –( http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist145/noriega.htm)

Rep. John Otto – - (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist18/otto.htm)

Rep. Debbie Riddle - (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist150/riddle.htm)

Rep. Larry Taylor – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist24/taylor.htm)

Rep. Sylvester Turner –( http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist139/turner.htm)

Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist130/arsdale.htm)

Rep. John Zerwas – (http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist28/zerwas.htm)

Senate Finance

Sen. Steve Ogden – Chair (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist5/dist5.htm)

Sen. Judith Zaffirini – Vice Chair (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist21/dist21.htm)

Sen. Kip Averitt – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist22/dist22.htm)

Sen. Bob Deuell – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist2/dist2.htm)

Sen. Robert Duncan – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist28/dist28.htm)

Sen. Kevin Eltife – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist1/dist1.htm)

Sen. Troy Fraser – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist24/dist24.htm)

Sen. Juan Hinojosa – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist20/dist20.htm)

Sen. Kyle Janek – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist17/dist17.htm)

Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist27/dist27.htm)

Sen. Jane Nelson – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist12/dist12.htm)

Sen. Florence Shapiro  -- (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist8/dist8.htm)   

Sen. Royce West – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist23/dist23.htm)

Sen. John Whitmire – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist15/dist15.htm)

Sen. Tommy Williams – (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist4/dist4.htm)

To find out who represents you, go to: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/.

II. School Library Bills--Update

Two bills have been introduced that affect school library programs directly, as reported in previous Texlines.

HB 791 (Dutton) would add criteria in the rules for rating a school district under the public accountability system that includes consideration of the effectiveness of the district’s delivery of resources from school libraries. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Public Education.

If your representative serves on the House Committee on Public Education, you are encouraged to contact his or her office and ask that the bill (HB 791) be set for a hearing.

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. The bill has been referred to the Senate Education Committee.

Once this bill is set for hearing, all library supporters should contact their senators and ask that, if any such bill moves forward, library programs and librarians must be included as "instructional." At this time, the bill has not yet been set for a hearing.