Advocacy Updates from Indiana Library Federation
January 11, 2019
In this issue of your ILF Advocacy Update
  • Updates from the Statehouse
  • Quick Links
  • Spotlight on the Indiana State Budget
What YOU can do
What you missed in prior issues - Catch up here
Updates from the Indiana Statehouse
Here are the highlights from the past week in the Statehouse:

Your Indiana Library Federation focused on meetings with legislators for whom this is their first legislative session and with legislative leaders, getting to know them and sharing ILF's 2019 Policy Priorities .
Quick Links from Indiana Library Federation
SPOTLIGHT on the State Budget Process
The primary responsibility of the Indiana General Assembly during the 2019 session is to write the two-year budget. The Governor proposes a budget , which is filed as the first version of HB1001 . Through the House Ways and Means Committee , HB1001 is debated and amended before moving to the floor of the House of Representatives. After the full House of Representatives debates, amends and passes it, HB1001 moves to the Senate for a similar process involving the Senate Appropriations Committee and the full Senate. Unless the Senate passes the identical budget, the budget bill, HB1001, is assigned to a conference committee in the last weeks of the session. The conference committee process usually is worked until the wee hours of the last day of the session, where language from other bills are inserted into the budget.

What about other bills? Hundreds of bills are filed that include some fiscal impact on the State, which are also assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee. Any bills that affect how taxes are authorized, calculated, distributed and monitored are subject to review by these committees as well as the Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee . The three fiscal committees, with support of expert staff from Legislative Services Agency, aim to ensure that financial obligations are within the expected revenue forecasts.

What YOU can do:
  • If you have a relationship with a member of one of the three fiscal committees, please let us know.
  • Stay informed.
  • Communicate with all legislators the value of the tax structure that supports libraries and the State budget appropriations for INSPIRE and Internet Connectivity.
What is in the 2019-2021 State Budget
The proposed State Budget includes $34 billion dollars for the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2021. The State Budget generally supports most state agencies and state responsibilities at the level recommended by their agency leader or by the Governor's office. The graphs below illustrate the breakdown of anticipated revenues and expenses. Sales, use and individual income taxes comprise 86.7% of general revenues. Support for K-12 education, teacher retirement and other education comprises 50.1% of the state budget expenditures, followed by Medicaid at 15.2% and Higher Education at 11.8%. Review the budget proposal presentation from the Governor's office or the full budget bill, HB1001 .

What YOU can do: Tell members of the Ways and Means Committee that we appreciate that HB1001 includes funding for INSPIRE, Internet Connectivity for Libraries and Schools and for Indiana State Library . Thank them and ask them to be sure these important services remain in the budget throughout the process.
Want to learn more?
Do you have questions about advocacy for INSPIRE, underlying tax supports, teacher librarians or other bills you have seen in the news? As a member-only benefit, ILF offers bi-weekly Advocacy Virtual Updates during the legislative session. Learn the inside scoop from our Advocacy Committee co-chairs and staff. Share what you are hearing about issues in your local community. Ask questions. Learn more about the issues.

RSVP for the first Advocacy Update at 10am ET on January 14 to receive the link to join the meeting or conference call. Note that sessions are scheduled bi-weekly: 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/11, 3/25 and 4/8.
What Legislators are asking us about INSPIRE
As ILF meets with legislators, here are a few of the most common questions we receive about INSPIRE , Indiana's virtual library.
  1. How do people know about INSPIRE? How do libraries promote it?
  2. Do people have to go to a library or school to access it?
  3. How do K-12 schools use it?
Consider these questions and help us tell the story!

What YOU can do: Please email us if you have a creative way to promote INSPIRE to your patrons, to curate and display the databases most frequently used by your patrons or students or how you integrate it into your webpage.
What YOU can do: Attend a Third House or Meet Your Legislator event
Legislators meet with constituents through "Meet your Legislator," "Third House" or "Cracker Barrel" events from December through May. Sessions are often hosted by a local library, chamber of commerce or League of Women Voters. See our calendar for upcoming Third House events in your area.

WATCH THIS 11-SECOND VIDEO for an example of what happens at one of the Third House sessions from Hamilton County, 1/11/19. Thanks to ILF Advocacy Committee member and Carmel Clay Public Library Trustee Jane Herndon for the photos.
Prepping to Meet Your Legislator
  1. Find your legislators where you live and where you work.
  2. Review the list of newly elected legislators in the report from Bose Public Affairs. Or download our quick overview with photos and committee assignments. Additionally several longer-serving legislators have new leadership positions. See committee lists for House and Senate.
  3. Download the 2019 Policy Priorities, ask us for specific information and let us know what you learn.
  4. Libraries that host events might consider placing a small table tent with facts about the library on the sign-in table (i.e. Did you know this library helped 46 residents find jobs last year? Did you know this library loans mobile hotspots and garden tools?). At top right is a sample from Anderson Public Library.
What YOU can do: Complete this survey
As we meet with legislators, it is helpful to have compelling examples related to our policy priorities. Please complete the survey appropriate for your library type:
We also use data that libraries submit to Indiana State Library. Thank you in advance for your examples and photos. Do you offer an outstanding program that benefits Hoosiers? Email us the story, report and photos.
Register for Library Day at the Statehouse - March 12
The Indiana Library Day at the Statehouse will be held Tuesday, March 12 . Plan to attend and bring a board member or community library champion. Register today.

Photos: at right, Rep. Bob Cherry with Pendleton Community Public Library director Lynn Hobbs; below Rep. Sharon Negele (third from left) with library directors and librarians from her district.