Illinois Library Association
Vol. 6, Issue:  7| February 9, 2013
ILA Executive Board Determines Positions on Key Bills Yesterday

At its February 8 meeting, the ILA Executive Board reviewed more than 50 library bills and determined the association's position on key bills.  Legislators have several more weeks to file new bills, and many other bills relevant to the Illinois library community are likely to be introduced.

Both the ILA Public Policy Committee (PPC) and ILA Executive Board met this week with their next meetings about a month away.  In the interim, the ILA Quick Response Team will address any new bills requiring immediate attention.  We will keep you informed through the ILA E-Newsletter.


Please click here to see the complete list. 

(Click on See All Current Legislation at the bottom in the very small type for the full listing including ILA's positions.)  The ILA website also includes a link to the full text of every bill, the bill's status, and information about the bill's sponsor(s).  The website will be continually updated as additional bills are filed, amended, and reviewed. 

   

State Pension Reform (House Bill 96, House Bill 98, House Bill 1271, Senate Bill 1, and Senate Bill 35).  The Illinois General Assembly and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn are considering legislation to reduce the cost of state pensions and decrease the state's unfunded pension liability.  The five state pension systems are:  K-12 Teachers outside the City of Chicago, State Employees, State University Employees, Legislators, and Judges.  So far, these negotiations have not included proposals to change local pension systems such as Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).  The House effort has focused on mandating lower pension cost of living (COLA) increases and requiring employees to contribute more.  The Senate has suggested that changes in benefits must include an employee choice.  Employees could keep their current benefits but have to give up health care coverage in retirement, or keep health care retirement coverage but accept lower benefits such as a reduced COLA.  The ILA Executive Board reaffirmed its position that any changes to pension systems should:  (1) not reduce an earned employee benefit; (2) include real employee choice; and (3) strive for greater uniformity in the pension systems.  ILA will continue to closely monitor all pension legislation and OPPOSE any bill that reduces an earned employee benefit.

 
Firearm Concealed Carry (House Bill 154, House Bill 997, and Senate Bill 1284).  There are several bills that would allow and regulate the carrying of firearms in public.  Following a Federal Appellate court decision invalidating the current Illinois prohibition on carrying firearms in public, it is now likely that some form of open or concealed carry will be legal in Illinois.  The three bills filed thus far all contain exemptions, which allow continued prohibition of firearms in many locations.  Among the exemptions to carrying firearms are public libraries, schools, community colleges, and universities.  With these exemptions included, public libraries, school libraries, and higher education libraries could decide locally whether to prohibit firearms.  The ILA Executive Board voted to OPPOSE any legislation that does not include these four exemptions.  
 
Reduction in Local Property Tax Revenues (House Bill 89, House Bill 95, House Bill 983, House Bill 1310, House Bill 1496, House Bill 1499, House Bill 1521, Senate Bill 1308, and Senate Bill 1403).  The ILA Executive Board reviewed many bills which if approved would reduce property tax revenues to local taxing bodies.  The bills include extension or tightening of Tax Caps, changes to the property tax assessment and collection systems, or otherwise restrict local government property tax levies.  Recognizing that the state has already cut library funding, and that local libraries have already made painful spending reductions, the board voted to OPPOSE all bills which would further restrict existing revenues available to local public libraries.

 

ILA will continue to monitor and inform the Illinois library community of any developments in the Illinois General Assembly impacting libraries and our key concerns.  Most importantly, we will call upon you to take action at the appropriate time.  Thank you for interest and support!  

Let Us Know What's Going On!

School/Public Library Partnership Survey

If you are a school or public librarian, in any capacity, please take a few moments to complete a brief survey to be found at:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JW7YLVC.  Free free to post the survey link on any other lists or other communication vehicles that you think would find it of interest.

Lauren Collen, library media specialist at Greenwood Elementary School in Woodstock, is developing content for an upcoming issue of the ILA Reporter focusing on the critical partnership between school and public libraries in Illinois.  Specific libraries, librarians, or programs will only be mentioned in the article with express permission of the individuals and/or institutions.  Deadline for survey responses is March 1, 2013.

In the News 
Library-related stories appearing in local news media are reflected in this section of the ILA E-Newsletter.  The intent is to alert and inform the Illinois library community about issues and events that are considered significant by the general media. 

Chicago Public Library Signs Deal With BiblioCommons
To read this story, please click here
 
Moffat Remains on Geneva Library Ballot

To read this story, please click here.
 

Oliver:  Libraries Come Out of Their Shelves
To read this story, please
click here.     

 

Libraries Adapt to New Media Environment 

To read this story, please click here.

Coming Together in Skokie Festival Features Authors
To read this story, please click here.   

Interrogating the American Library Association's "Core Values" Statement
To read this story, please click here.

Lake County Candidate Knocked Off Three Ballots
To read this story, please click here.

Coffee Shop, Reading Room Planned for Lincoln Library
To read this story, please click here.

Palatine Library About to Go Undergo Major Renovation
To read this story, please click here.

Aurora University's Online Book Club Gains Readers
To read this story, please click here.

If your library has a newspaper story with link, send it to us at doyle@ila.org for possible inclusion in the next ILA E-Newsletter.  Thanks.
Sincerely,
 

Robert P. Doyle
Illinois Library Association
If you use spam filters to protect your in-box, please take a moment right now to add doyle@ila.org and Illinois Library Association to your e-mail address book, spam software whitelist, or mail system whitelist.  Adding the address will help ensure that you receive the ILA E-Newsletter and that your e-mail software displays HTML and images properly.   Disclaimer: Links to non-ILA sites have been provided because these sites may have information of interest. The Illinois Library Association does not necessarily endorse the views expressed or the facts presented on these sites; and furthermore, ILA does not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised or available on these sites.  

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