Close up of Education Muse painted on the interior of the Capitol dome in Lansing, Mi

MLA Advocacy News

House Budget Proposes Flat State Aid to Libraries, Anticipates IMLS Funding Cuts

Yesterday, Michigan’s House of Representatives moved its education budget through subcommittee, appropriations and approved the plan on the House floor. Because funding for the Library of Michigan falls under the Department of Education, the House Republicans’ budget gives us our first glimpse at their plan for public library funding in the next fiscal year.

Approved in a party-line vote, the House budget bill, HB 4576, preserves state aid to libraries, providing the same $16.5 million allocation as was approved for the current fiscal year. This is in line with the Governor’s original budget proposal for next year as well. Both budgets propose flat state aid to libraries in the amount of $16.5 million.

Michigan Library Advocates Shine at the Capitol!

On Wednesday, April 30, more than 150 passionate library supporters from across Michigan gathered at the Capitol in Lansing to advocate for Michigan libraries. Together, we met with an impressive 105 of Michigan’s 148 state legislators—including Senators and Representatives—to share stories of libraries’ transformative impact and advocate for critical funding to sustain and grow essential services statewide. We also welcomed Bookmobiles from libraries across Michigan to line Capitol Ave, inviting exploration and showcasing mobile library services.

IMLS Update: Current Status and Next Steps

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has seen partial restoration of operations following a federal court ruling in Rhode Island v. Trump. On May 13, Judge John J. McConnell Jr. issued a preliminary injunction halting the administration’s efforts to dismantle IMLS under Executive Order 14238, which had terminated staff and grants in March. The court mandated the reinstatement of employees and grant programs, prompting the administration to report progress by May 20, including the return of staff members and the restoration of competitive grants in the 21 plaintiff states.

Updates on the Next Chapter of MLA's MI Right to Read Initiative

We have been getting to work putting our Mellon Foundation grant to good use and expanding Mi Right to Read already! MLA recently contracted with EPIC-MRA in Lansing to conduct a new statistically significant poll of Michigander’s opinions on their libraries and the right to read. Once those results are analyzed in the next month, our work on a 6-month statewide marketing campaign will begin in partnership with Bellwether Public Relations.

Michigan Budget Process Advances Amid Fiscal Uncertainty

State officials finalized key revenue projections last Friday during Michigan’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC), a critical step in shaping the next fiscal year’s budget. CREC typically sets the foundation for the governor’s budget proposal in January and updates figures in May ahead of final legislative negotiations. A bipartisan panel, led by top legislative fiscal advisors and the State Budget Director, revised January’s economic forecasts, projecting that revenue will be down by $320 million for the upcoming fiscal year amid warnings of uncertainty tied to potential federal tariff disputes and spending debates. While overall state revenues are expected to dip, the School Aid Fund will likely see a modest boost.

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