The Senate and Assembly have now released their one-house budget resolutions. These documents serve to stake out each house’s position in their budget negotiations with the Governor. The Governor submitted his Executive Budget in late January, and it called for $86.6M in library funding, or flat funding from last year. Thanks to your dedicated advocacy, both the Senate and Assembly have proposed increased funding for library aid.
The Senate’s one-house budget resolution includes an additional $5M in library aid, as well as $14M in capital funding, a $1.3M MTA tax reimbursement, and a permanent MTA tax exemption. The proposed $5M increase in library funding is reflective of the Governor’s top-level proposed education aid increase of 4.8%. The Assembly’s one-house budget resolution includes an additional $2M in library aid, as well as $14M in capital funding, a $1.3M MTA tax reimbursement, and a permanent MTA tax exemption.
Though this is good news there is a long way to go between now and a final budget. We need your continued efforts to make sure that we not only get the $5M the Senate has proposed, but that the enacted state budget includes an increase in library aid that reflects the increase in education aid.
Take 30 seconds and click here to action NOW – contact your elected officials and let them know our local libraries need their support!
Thank you for all the excellent advocacy work you’ve done so far this year. Now let’s make sure we get the funding increase our libraries deserve.