By Roger Carswell, Chair, KLA Governmental Affairs Committee
At a recent Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) meeting, it was decided not to hold a traditional Legislative Day this year. This is due partly to logistical problems with the Statehouse renovation, the banning of receptions and similar events in the Statehouse this year, and the relocation of the State Library outside the Statehouse proper for the next 2-3 years.
This does not mean that there will be no advocacy efforts. We are encouraging you to invite your local legislators in to a library in their home districts during the week of November 16, and talk to them there about library issues. (Of course, if the suggested week will not work, feel free to schedule the event at a better time). We will be supplying libraries with materials to help plan such an event, and, in many cases, the regional library systems can help coordinate these events.
We will also be sending out an alert when dates of budget hearings affecting libraries are held (usually we only have a few days’ notice), and encourage those who can attend to do so.
There will also be a “Virtual Legislative Day,” on which library supporters will be asked to send an e-mail message to their legislators.