YOU CAN make a difference for the Public Hearing on the Common School Fund Bill being held this Wednesday. Read how you can help here by attending the hearing or sending written comments to the Senate Committee Members. Read more on our blog at https://wemtalegislative.blogspot.com/2018/01/wemta-alert-public-hearing-this.html
Monday, January 29, 2018
Thursday, January 25, 2018
#WEMTA18 Session Schedule is Posted!
Be sure to check out the sessions schedule for #WEMTA18. We are looking forward to seeing you all March 25-27. https://wemta18.sched.com/
Monday, January 22, 2018
Pre-order the AASL National School Libraries Standards book
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is pleased to offer WEMTA conference attendees the opportunity to pre-order the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries at the AASL member price of $99. If you are interested, please complete this order form by February 1, 2018. Your order request will not be placed until payment has been received by the WEMTA office.
The AASL state affiliate (Christine O'Regan aasl@wemta.org) is coordinating orders. You can pick up your order at the WEMTA conference registration desk March 25-27, 2018.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Contact your legislators & help save the Common School Fund! Get talking points here
ALERT: Ask your legislator to oppose Senate Bill 713/Assembly Bill 857!
Senator Stroebel (R-Saukville) and Representative Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) formally introduced Senate Bill 713/Assembly Bill 857 today, which would end the Common School Fund as we know it and end the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) loan program that benefits schools, towns, villages, technical colleges, CESAs and public library systems.
The following legislators signed on in support of this bill: Senators Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) and David Craig (R-Big Bend) and Representatives Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), Rob Brooks (R-Saukville), Terry Katsma (R-Oostburg), John Macco (R-De Pere), Cody Horlacher (R-Mukwonago), and Ron Tusler (R- Harrison).
It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection and the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.
Senate Bill 713/Assembly Bill 857:
Eliminates the requirement that schools spend Common School Fund disbursements on instructional materials, library books or school library computers/software. Schools would be able to spend CSF funds on any items they would like and those items would not need to be housed in the school library
Eliminates BCPL's authority to make loans. The interest on these loans currently goes into the Common School Fund.
Under current law, the BCPL can delegate some investment authority to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), but SWIB can only invest in fixed income accounts. The bill would remove this restriction and allow SWIB to invest state trust fund dollars using their typical investment strategy.
Contact your state representative and state senator TODAY and ask them to oppose Senate Bill 713/Assembly Bill 857!
Here are some things you can say:
Common School Fund stakeholders were not consulted in the development of this legislation, and we do not support these changes. We want to maintain the current structure that has been working well since the founding of our State in 1848..
Over the past 10 years, the BCPL State Trust Fund Loan program has invested over $1 billion in communities throughout Wisconsin. Earnings from these loans are deposited into the Common School Fund. Ending the BCPL loan program would eliminate this important economic development funding from our communities and eliminate a major source of revenue for the Common School Fund.
With school districts across the state facing increased budget constraints, distributions from the Common School Fund are often the only dollars available for school libraries to purchase informational materials including books, newspapers and periodicals, web-based resources, and computer hardware and software. This bill would remove the requirement that the Common School Fund be used for libraries, putting school library funding in jeopardy.
The bill also gives the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) more authority to invest BCPL trust fund dollars. According to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, if SWIB had been managing the Common School Fund dollars during the financial crash of 2008, it would have suffered a devastating loss of between $195 million and $290 million. No funding would have been available for school libraries for several years following a loss of that magnitude.
How to Contact Your Legislators:
The first step in contacting your legislator is knowing who your legislator is. The easiest way to do this is the tool found on the Legislature's home page, at http://legis.wisconsin.gov. In the right-hand side of that page is a link that says Find My Legislators! Type your address in the box below that link to get the names of your state representative and senator.
Phone. You may leave a message for your legislator's Capitol office or indicate your position on legislation through the toll free Legislative Hotline, at 1-800-362-9472.
Email. The email addresses of members of the Wisconsin Legislature all have the same format. For members of the Assembly, the form is Rep.Jones@legis.wisconsin.gov; for members of the Senate, the form is Sen.Adams@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Last Chance!
Monday, January 15th is the deadline for nominating someone you know for an award through WEMTA. Please consider recognizing a professional who has an outstanding library, media and technology program, or nominate a supportive administrator, or even a recent retiree who has dedicated much to our organization. Additional information and applications are available at: http://www.wemta.org/awards/
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Nominate someone today!
You still have 5 days to nominate someone for an award from WEMTA. Do you know someone who has an exemplary library media program? Consider nominating them by January 15th. For details on how to nominate someone for this award or one of our other awards go to our WEMTA Awards page http://www.wemta.org/awards/index.cfm
BCPL Draft Legislation
Thanks to everyone who contacted their representatives about the draft legislation of LRB-4425 : Board of Commissioners of Public Lands Reform. Legislators have heard from many of you! It has not been made public if there were any co-sponsors yet. The authors send it to the legislative reference bureau to be formally introduced—at that point the co-sponsors will become public. We are expecting to learn something soon and will post it as soon as we do!
If you haven't contacted your representatives, it's not too late to do so. Contact your state representative and state senator TODAY and ask them to oppose LRB-4425 it if it is introduced.
How to Contact Your Legislators:
The first step in contacting your legislator is knowing who your legislator is. The easiest way to do this is the tool found on the Legislature's home page, at http://legis.wisconsin.gov. In the right-hand side of that page is a link that says Find My Legislators! Type your address in the box below that link to get the names of your state representative and senator.
You may also call and leave a message for your legislator's Capitol office or indicate your position on legislation through the toll free Legislative Hotline, at 1-800-362-9472.
The e-mail addresses of members of the Wisconsin Legislature all have the same format. For members of the Assembly, the form is Rep.Jones@legis.wisconsin.g
WEMTA Legislative Advocacy
Sunday, January 7, 2018
There is still time!
Take a few minutes to recognize someone you know for an award this year. Do you know someone who recently retired and is deserving of the Lifetime Achievement Award for their significant commitment and contribution to our Association? Nominations are due January 15, 2018.
Nominate today!
Warning! Nominations are closing January 15, 2018! There is still time! Nominate a deserving individuals who supports school library programs or whom is outstanding in what they do! Recognize them! See http://www.wemta.org/awards/ for more details!
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