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

MLA Advocacy News

Contact your Senator TODAY to Save Library Penal Fines

House Bill 5090 must be stopped. House Bill 5090 changes how fines from weigh stations are distributed. Under the proposed legislation, failure to stop at a weigh station would be changed from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction and exempt certain vehicles. This means a reduction in penal fines to libraries since civil infraction penalties are lower than misdemeanor penalties.

This bill moved through the House without recognition of an analysis that found that it will reduce library funding.

MLA Advocacy - April 26, 2018

Interior image of the Michigan State Capitol Dome On Tuesday, the Senate Health Policy Committee took testimony on SB 828 and 829, which would provide liability protection for libraries when providing the life-saving opioid antidote naloxone, common brand name Narcan, to an overdosing patron.

Kristin Shelley, MLA Legislative Committee Chair and MLA President-elect gave an excellent overview of why the bills are needed. She also provided a heart wrenching story of a death that occurred at a library where she worked years ago. The committee heard first hand how a life might have been saved if naloxone had been available then.

MLA Advocacy - March 22, 2018

Interior image of the Michigan State Capitol Dome

Michigan voters in November will elect a new governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Michigan supreme court justices, and both state and federal senators and representatives. This means that elected officials as well as candidates will spend considerable time campaigning throughout the next eight months. When the final weeks of lame duck session roll around we will be watching closely for any legislation impacting our libraries.

A number of ballot proposals will be decided in November as well. Here is a detailed outline of the proposal process and the questions we should expect to see this fall. This document is provided by MLA lobby firm GCSI.

MLA Advocacy - February 22, 2018

The Budget Process Begins

Governor Rick Snyder proposed his 2019 budget. Library funding remains pretty much unchanged from 2018. This is step one in the budget process. Both the House and Senate will make their own recommendations. Any differences between the chambers are decided in conference committee. The proposed budget then heads back to the governor for his signature.

Library Protection for Narcan Use

Senate Bills 828 and 829 were introduced today by Senator Rick Jones and Senator Margaret O’Brien. MLA worked with the Library of Michigan and Michigan Department of Education to help craft this legislation providing libraries with protection from civil and criminal liability when administering life-saving Narcan in the result of an opioid drug overdose at the library. Currently Good Samaritan laws protect individuals from prosecution but as governmental entities libraries could technically be held liable if something went wrong. Our goal is to have libraries treated much like school districts. We appreciate the Senators’ support of this important life-saving legislation.

More Articles...