Part-Time Policy Wonk

From Library Journal:
Trying to close a $3.2 billion gap by June 30, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today proposed “resiz[ing] state government in line with the shrinking economy,” prioritizing “extremely limited resources toward critical health and safety service,” and—though not saying so in his speech—severely cutting library aid.
Libraries in Ohio uniquely rely on state aid, rather [...]

From the Detroit Free Press:
The City of Detroit has been spending property tax money intended for Detroit Public Library employees’ benefits on city operations instead, a library official said Friday. . .
. . . The library is a separate municipal corporation from the city with a dedicated millage that provides most of its $48-million annual [...]

From Library Journal:
Both houses of the New York State Legislature June 7 passed a bill, opposed by library advocates, that will make it easier for local governments to reduce property taxes and thus dissolve library districts. Gov. David Paterson has until June 17 to sign the legislation into law, which he will do, New York [...]

From Library Journal:
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCHC) will seek to supplement its state funding (86 percent of the library’s total budget) by placing a five-year, one-mill levy on the ballot this coming November.
“Without the additional funds a levy would provide, we will be forced to severely reduce our services, including closure [...]

From the Litchfield County Times:
E-mails were buzzing through cyberspace this week as area libraries sought to forestall a budget cut in Hartford that would have dire consequences for information services throughout the state.
The action came in the wake of last Thursday’s proposal for budgetary cuts presented by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, which would suspend funding [...]

From School Library Journal:
President Obama may talk about the importance of libraries, but now that his budget is out, librarians are wondering, where’s the love?
The president is proposing a slight funding hike for public libraries through the Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA)—but he’s keeping monies for the Improving Literacy Through School libraries program at [...]

Institute of Museum and Library Services Press Release:
President Obama has requested $265,556,000 for fiscal year 2010 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The request, which was transmitted to Congress today, represents an increase of $1,453,000 over the FY 2009 enacted level for the Institute’s programs and administration. The proposed budget will support [...]

From the SLA Public Policy blog:
On 5 May 2009, and on behalf of American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), Medical Library Association (MLA) and Special Libraries Association (SLA), Mary Alice Baish, AALL’s Director of Government Relations Office, appeared before the Legislative Branch Subcommittee at the Public Witness Hearing on the FY 2010 budget requests for [...]

From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
On 9 April 2009, SLA sent a letter to North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue expressing strong concern over the proposed budget elimination of the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education (OEE).

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Gold Dome Live blog:
When Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue recommended which communities would get money for new libraries, there was little political distinction in his choices.
He reviewed a list recommended by state library officials. Money went to communities represented by Republicans at the statehouse, and money went to cities represented by Democrats.
General [...]