The TLA Executive Board and the Advisory Council met this morning to discuss yesterday's hearing and what actions we would like to take next. Below are the three actions we decided upon:

1. Contact individual library board members across the state (we will be provided contact information) to ensure they know and understand the bill and its potential to undermine their existing authority over matters of policy. We will compose an engagement letter for them to use if they so choose (or they can write their own or make phone calls). Undermining the board's existing functions and authority is the one aspect that legislators seemed particularly opposed to. So, we want to keep reiterating that message.

2. Revise the TLA statement issued before to better capture where the bill is at the moment. Sadly, I have had a very busy day at work and have not yet had a quiet moment to focus. I promise, it will get done and sent to the board for approval as soon as I possibly can.

3. Put out a call to the Listserv asking anyone who can to be at Cordell Hull next Wednesday to show support in both the House and Senate: Senate committee hearing is at 8:30 AM and the House is at 3:30 PM. If you can be there for any part of that, please sign up when you see the form come across the Listserv.

Sharon, our Legislative Monitor, has set the phone lines ablaze today. She has contacted all the members of the House subcommittee and discussed the issue. It really sounds like we have the support we need, but you can never take these things for granted! Sharon has also made an appointment with several of those members for Wednesday--one of which is at 8:30 AM (same time as the Senate hearing) so we need bodies. We will send out the full schedule of meetings as soon as her spreadsheet is complete--still working on the Senate side. 

The previous engagement letter has been re-opened to the subcommittee members. If you have not utilized this tool, please feel free to do so before Wednesday. And share it with supporters in your community. We will have something similar going for the Senate side as well, as soon as we can. We are hoping to have those meetings set for Tuesday (as the Senate hearing is early Wednesday morning).  

Let's keep at it, everyone! At last check, the engagement letter to the House Subcommittee has been sent by 534 individual people! We need the same momentum for the Senate bill! Stay tuned....

Sincerely,

Jill Rael

TLA President