[Libs-Or] Take action and support OLA's legislative bills

[OLA Past President]

Take Action!

The Full Joint Ways and Means Committee is hitting the road to visit four
Oregon cities, one each week for the next month. We are looking for
individuals to testify in support of OLA's bills SB 885
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB885> and SB
1075
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB1075> at
the meetings listed below in Portland, Newport, Roseburg and Ontario.

Here are instructions and a draft script outline
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/149Ldy897I1eSAikkEaAPfsoNGdcG9mBK/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116343650884300451758&rtpof=true&sd=true>
for you to use. Keep in mind Legislators appreciate hearing personalized
stories. Please feel free to add in anecdotal evidence to help make our
case for needed funding for broadband and to support school libraries.

If you can attend please register and let Tess know at
tess at miliocaptiolconsulting.com.

Times and locations

Portland

Saturday, April 8, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: Portland Community College - PAC Auditorium, Sylvania Campus

12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97219

Register to testify
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/JWM/2023-04-08-10-00/Agenda>

Newport

Friday, April 14, 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Location: Newport Performing Arts Center

777 W Olive St, Newport, OR 97365

Register to testify
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/JWM/2023-04-14-17-00/Agenda>

Roseburg

Friday, April 21 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Location: Umpqua Community College

1140 Umpqua College Rd, Roseburg, OR 9747

Register to testify
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/JWM/2023-04-21-17-00/Agenda>

Ontario

Friday, April 28 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Location: Four Rivers Cultural Center

676 SW 5th Ave, Ontario, OR 97914

Note: Ontario, Oregon is in the Mountain Time Zone

Register to testify
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/JWM/2023-04-28-17-00/Agenda>

Not available for any of the above? Testify online

Wednesday, May 3 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Register to testify
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Committees/JWM/2023-05-03-17-00/Agenda>


More about OLA’s bill


E-Rate Consultant and the Connecting Oregon Libraries Fund

Currently, 10% of Oregon’s public libraries have internet speeds lower than
the FCC’s current (and outdated) definition for broadband: 25 Mbps for
downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. With the FCC considering updating the
definition of broadband to speeds of 100 Mbps download and 100 upload, we
risk up to 40% of Oregon public libraries not meeting this baseline for
service. To tackle this, OLA is asking for:

   1.

   A part-time consultant to contract with the State Library to act as a
   E-Rate consultant for all of Oregon’s public libraries; and
   2.

   $750,000 to be directed to the newly created Connecting Oregon
   Libraries Fund, established by HB 4092 in 2022

Update: SB 885
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB885>,
which funds the E-Rate consultant, was introduced in the 2023 Regular
Session. The bill passed out of Senate Education to the Ways and Means
Committee. See Topic handout
<https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Legislative/OLA%20Broadband%202023%20Handout_SB%20885_2022.pdf>
by OLA Lobbyist Tess Milio for more information.



Stronger Media Standards and More Teacher Librarians in K-12 Schools

Research explicitly links a strong school library program with increased
student achievement and graduation rates, which is why OLA is requesting
the Legislature implement recommendations from the Budget Note for Media
<https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/library/Documents/Budget%20Note%20for%20Media%20Program%20Standards%20Study%20Report%20-%20Dec%202021%20accessible.pdf>
 Program Standards Study Report
<https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/library/Documents/Budget%20Note%20for%20Media%20Program%20Standards%20Study%20Report%20-%20Dec%202021%20accessible.pdf>


Update: SB 1075
<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB1075> was
introduced to require ODE to do specific work that will require they hire a
new dedicated full-time staff position. The bill passed out of Senate
Education to the Ways and Means Committee. See Topic handout
<https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Legislative/School%20Librarian%20Handout_SB%201075_March%2015_2022.pdf>
by OLA Lobbyist Tess Milio for more information.



Questions? Reach out to Tess Milio at tess at miliocapitolconsulting.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20230407/c0b89883/attachment.html>