06/04/07 Senate Finance Committee Hears Library Funding Testimony
The Ohio Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on Friday, June 1 from Deborah O'Connor, Director, Geauga County Public Library, on behalf of Ohio 's public libraries. In her testimony, O'Connor commented that Ohio 's public libraries support the change in state funding that has been proposed by the Governor but urged the Senate to consider providing an additional $36 million so that libraries and local governments could get a 3% increase beginning July 1, 2007.
The proposed budget, unanimously approved last month by the Ohio House of Representatives, includes changing the source of public library funding to 2.22% of the state's general revenue fund and changes the name to the Local Libraries Fund. The proposed changes are slated to take place in January 2008 rather than at the start of the state's fiscal year in July 2007. For the remainder of 2007, library funding would remain frozen as it has since 2002 under the current Local Government and Library Support Fund (LLGSF).
The OLC has lined up sponsors of an amendment to increase library and local government funding as well as to start the new funding in July 2007.
The Senate plans to vote on the budget bill later this week and send it to conference committee to resolve differences between its version and that approved by the Ohio House. The budget must be presented to the Governor by the end of June for his signature.
