NMLA 2024 Legislative Bulletin #2								November 15, 2023


Several members of the library community attended the Legislative Finance Committee session on Tuesday, November 14th to show support for a 2024 Library General Obligation Bond Issue and for the New Mexico State Library budget.  Our delegation included Ruben Aragon and April Kent, N.M. Highlands University; Cynthia Shetter, Los Lunas Public Library, Shel Neymark, Rural Library Initiative and Joe Sabatini. Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego highlighted several library priorities within the Department's FY 25 budget request, including the restoration of a Continuing Education Coordinator in the State Library Development Bureau and the Administration's request for a $15 million appropriation to the Rural Library Endowment Fund. 

April Kent represented the NMLA Legislation Committee in a brief presentation in support of robust funding for the 2024 Library General Obligation Bond Issue.  NMLA is requesting that the G.O.Bond be funded again at the $19 million level used in 2022, which New Mexico voters supported with a 62.7% positive margin. 

Correcting a mistake in Legislative Bulletin #1
"NMLA is also supporting a one-time appropriation for the Rural Library Endowment. Appropriations over the past three years have brought the fund to $28 million. Proceeds from the endowment are granted to public and tribal libraries serving populations below 3,000. The goal is to raise the endowment to over $50 million, which would be around one million dollars for each of the more than fifty current and developing eligible libraries.
The Governor's budget request includes an appropriation of $15 million for the endowment, which would bring the fund to $43 million." Rural library supporters are asking their local legislators to support a larger appropriation than the $15 million in the Administration's budget request, using picture postcards showing their own library buildings. 

You can view the library segments of the DCA budget hearing on the Legislature's Webcast Site: 

https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20231115/-1/74104

At 2:32:40, Secretary Garcia y Griego features a traveling exhibit of banners done in conjunction with the New Mexico Women's Forum on 100 Women in New Mexico History, which the State Library is loaning to libraries and other institutions. 

At 2:42:05, she discusses the request for a State Library Continuing Education Coordinator.

At 2:44:25, she discusses the Rural Library Endowment appropriation request.
At 2:45:50, Senator Muñoz mentions the Rural Library Endowment and the GO Bond.

At 3:00:55, April Kent does the NMLA presentation about the GO Bond.

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Now is the time to be contacting your local legislators to request local capital outlay requests. 

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NMLA Legislative Day will be Friday, January 26th. Please ask library supporters, including your local board members and friends groups to save the date and plan to be there.  

Joe Sabatini, Co-Chair
NMLA Legislation Committee