ESSB 6380 OUT OF ED. COMM.

ESSB 6380 passed out of the House Education Committee on a unanimous vote on Tuesday. However, the House budget proposal does not include an allocation for school libraries. The Senate budget proposal does include $11.7 million for school libraries, enough to fund ESSB 6380. We have Senators Lisa Brown, Tracey Eide, and Rosemary McAuliffe to thank for this ... please take a moment to thank them for their support and for including funding for ESSB 6380 in the Senate budget.

Grassroots engagement and constituent calls & letters are what led to the unanimous vote in the Senate. Please, help us get this bill through the House.

1. Sign the online petition (and encourage others to do the same!) gopetition.com

2. Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. It just takes 2 minutes! Your opinion goes to your 2 Representatives, 1 Senator and the Governor. Thank your Please let them know you believe in full-time library programs for all children in WA, and that you want them to support Senate Bill 6380.

* SB will provide crucial funding ($12 per student) 'to maintain and improve library materials, collections, and services.' This is new money that will arrive in September 2008.

* This bill represents 'bridge funding'; it aims to stop the erosion of WA school libraries, and also calls upon the Basic Education Joint Task Force to consider school library programs as it revises basic education funding formulas.

* This is a top priority for you and you want it to be for them too.


3. Email both of your Representatives and personally ask them to support ESSB 6380. Let them know it is a top priority for you, and tell them why. Find your Representatives here after plugging in your address: apps.leg.wa.gov

4. Email the House Appropriations Committee.
You can draft one email, but please send it individually. Please remember to say 'NO REPLY NECESSARY' - the legislators are working around the clock during this short session. We need them to understand the following:

* urgency - Do the kids have full-time access to school libraries in your community? Are there cuts on the horizon for your district? Have libraries been cut in recent years? Are certified teacher-librarians on the endangered list in your community, or already extinct? What about the school library budget? What is the average age of the collection in your community?

* it can make a difference right now.

Find the Appropriations Committee members here:

www.leg.wa.gov

- click on their name and then click on the email link
- the system will identify if you are a constituent or not (it's ok to not be; as Appropriations Committee members, they represent the entire state for fiscal decisions).
- type in 6380/ click on "FOR"
- make your case

5. Contact the Governor
Governor Gregoire will decide, along with Representative Chopp and Senator Brown, which bills make the final budget. The budget is very tight this year - let her know that this is a wise investment in the education of Washington's children. Here is how to communicate with the Governor: www.governor.wa.gov

6. Pass the word!
Please forward to your friends and family. This is entirely a grassroots effort, and we depend on supporters helping to get the word out.

Thank you so much!