California Library Association: Legislation

Advocacy & Legislation

Materials

Helpful Links

As California's Leading Library Advocate, the California Library Association actively promotes and protects library interests by advocating for policies and funding that support libraries and their stakeholders.

Annually, our Association develops a Legislative Agenda, monitors legislation, takes positions on issues and keep members informed on the status of bills of interest and concern to the Association and its members.

Current Initiatives

Collaborate on efforts to lower the current requirement for the passage of bond measures from the existing 2/3rds vote to 55%
Prevent budget cuts to the Public Library Foundation (PLF), Transaction-Based Reimbursement (TBR), and Literacy Funding
Protect property tax-dependent libraries from any tax shifts or take-aways
Lead the initiative to defeat onerous legislation affecting First Amendment issues involving public libraries
Working to increase broadband connectivity and speed for all California libraries

Recent Accomplishments

In the last two State Budget cycles (2009 and 2008), CLA prevented reductions in both PLF and TBR
In 2008, CLA defeated a proposal to eliminate all literacy funding from the state program

History of Success

CLA obtained passage of two statewide bond measures totaling $425 million in state Bond funds, enabling numerous libraries to build new facilities or remodel or renovate existing libraries
In 2004, property tax-dependent libraries were saved millions of dollars thanks to CLA’s efforts to exempt these institutions from the property tax “take away”
In 1997, CLA was successful in enacting legislation, SB 154 (M. Thompson), which authorizes a county board of supervisors to adopt an 1/8¢ sales tax for library funding purposes, subject to voter approval
In 1982, CLA was instrumental in enacting the Public Library Foundation (PLF). Since that time, more than $500 million in state General Funds has been provided to city, county and special district libraries

Advocacy & Legislation Communications

Legislative Alerts are distributed on the CLA listserv (CALIX), Facebook, and Twitter as well as being posted to this website via CAPWIZ and the CLA Blog. CLA's lobbyists prepare a report on the Status of Current Legislation periodically throughout the session. If you have library legislative questions, you may reach CLA's lobbyists, Christina DiCaro and Michael Dillon, at 916-448-2196 or CLA Advocacy & Legislation Committee Chair, Deborah Doyle, at 415-626-7500 ext. 113.

Advocacy Events

You are invited to join CLA as we host three Advocacy events in 2010:

Day in the District, April 16th
Library Snapshot Day, October 4th
Library Advocacy Day, November 12

As we focus our advocacy efforts in 2010 at the local level, our Association plans to host a Library Legislative Day event in 2011. Stay tuned for more information!

Updated 07/19/2010