[Nmtriblibs] FW: NMLA Legislation Committee Update and Schedule

[Janice Kowemy]

FYI – Update on Legislation Committee

From: Joe Sabatini <jsabatini423 at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 2, 2019 3:34 PM
To: Cynthia Shetter <shetterc at loslunasnm.gov>; David Giltrow <dgiltrow at cybermesa.com>; Dr. Elizabeth Titus <etitus at nmsu.edu>; Janice Kowemy <jkowemy at pol-nsn.gov>; Joe Sabatini <jsabatini423 at gmail.com>; John Sandstrom <jsand713 at nmsu.edu>; Larry Horan <lhoran34 at gmail.com>; Lynette Schurdevin <lynetters618 at gmail.com>; Mary Chappell <chappell_m at aps.edu>; Omar Durant <omardurant at yahoo.com>; Rachel Altobelli <rkaltobelli at gmail.com>; Ruben Aragon <rubenaragon at nmhu.edu>; Cox, David <david.cox at nmt.edu>; Shel Neymark <shelneymark at windstream.net>
Cc: Cynthia Aguilar <kewalib at yahoo.com>; Teresa Naranjo <sclib at santaclarapueblo.org>; Mildred R. Walters <mwalters at sandiapueblo.nsn.us>; Buchanan, Holly <hbuchanan at salud.unm.edu>; Johnson Renvall, Poppy <pjohnsonrenval at cnm.edu>; Savage, Dale, DCA <Dale.Savage at state.nm.us>; Alana McGrattan <alanamcgrattan at gmail.com>; Hoover, Carol L <hoover at lanl.gov>; Dean P. Smith <dpsmith at cabq.gov>; Eli Guinnee <Eli.Guinnee at state.nm.us>; Anita Tafoya <atafoya at nmml.org>
Subject: NMLA Legislation Committee Update and Schedule

Hello Members and Advisory Members of the Committee:

Since we had our meeting in Bernalillo on June 7th, there have been several developments.

I was tasked with setting up a meeting with the Governor for a delegation of librarians to present the needs we identified at our meeting. I reviewed these needs with our Legislative Advocate Larry Horan. Larry concluded that we should only have one meeting with the Governor so that the library community comes in with one message. Larry got in touch with Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, sponsor of the Rural Library Initiative, to set up a meeting to discuss the best strategy to get the rural endowment and our other priorities addressed. Larry, Shel Neymark and I met with Senator Ortiz y Pino on June 26th. We concluded that Senator Ortiz y Pino would ask for a $50 million endowment fund, rather than an expendable trust. He will not seek a Constitutional Amendment. It was noted that the Rural Library Initiative endowment would not have been fundable in the past, and is achievable now only because of the state's extraordinary financial health.

On June 17, I sent a request to Daniel Schlegel, the Senior Administrative Coordinator who maintains the Governor's schedule, asking that our delegation meet with the Governor.

On June 20, Mr. Schlegel replied:

"Hello Mr. Sabatini,

Thank you again for your request to meet on behalf of the NM Library Association. I’d like to introduce you to a few colleagues cc’d here:

Victor Reyes, Dir. of Legislative Affairs
Stephanie Kean, Senior Policy Advisor for Education
Poqueen Rivera, Legislative Liaison

They are available to meet with you and the proposed attendees below. Please coordinate with them to find a mutually agreeable time.

Best, Dan"

After consulting with Larry Horan, I replied:

"We thank you for the opportunity to meet with the Governor’s education and legislative team.  I would envision that such a meeting could be organized for sometime between mid July and early August. I should note that our group will also include Mr. Shel Neymark, who has already spoken with Stephanie Kean."

Yesterday, I had a call from Ms. Poqueen Rivera. We discussed setting up a meeting with our delegation. I will query our potential attendees about available dates, so we can propose several possibilities to the Governor's legislative team. These dates will be weekdays between July 15 and August 9. I will also ask each spokesperson to identify an alternate so each unit will be covered if someone cannot make it.  Larry noted that the Governor will be involved in consideration of our agenda even though we will not be meeting with her directly at this time.

As I noted on June 17th, our delegation is:
Cynthia Shetter for Public Libraries
Ruben Aragon for Academic Libraries
Mary Chappell for School Libraries
Millie Walters for Tribal Libraries
Shel Neymark for the Rural Library Initiative
Joe Sabatini for the NMLA Legislation Committee

I am also asking Larry Horan to attend.

I am reaching out to NALSIG and hoping to communicate with Regis Pecos about a more realistic capital outlay request package for tribal library construction funding.

A letter to Legislative Finance Committee Chairman Patty Lundstrom requesting LFC agenda time to present our proposals is in the works.

Joe Sabatini, Co-Chair
Legislation Committee
New Mexico Library Association

"Tell me not,  in mournful numbers...."    H.W. Longfellow
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