The 414 Petition Signature Bill (S3594 / A5266) would reduce the number of signatures from 10% of the number of voters that voted in the last gubernatorial election (which can be hundreds of signatures for some libraries – anywhere between 200-800 in our system) to 25.
This bill would be a game changer for the association and municipal public libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System that rely on the 414 vote option to acquire voter-directed funding for their operating budget.
We have a short window to move this bill before the end of the 2023 legislative session in early June. The Senate and Assembly’s library committees will meet soon. We need this bill at the top of their legislative agenda.
Please reach out to the chairs of these committees to express your support for these bills and urge them to act fast. Contact info and talking points are below.
Please contact both:
Senate Committee on Libraries Chair: Senator Iwen Chu
Please note Senator Chu is from Brooklyn, where 414 votes are not a thing, please help her understand what a big deal this is for upstate libraries.
Phone: 518-455-3401 | Email: iwenchu@nysenate.gov
*If you are in Senator Harckham’s district please copy him on your message given that he is the sponsor of this bill: harckham@nysenate.gov
Assembly Committee on Libraries & Education Technology Chair: Carrie Woerner
Please note Assemblymember Woerner is from the Saratoga Springs area where there are 414 libraries so this is an issue that she is familiar with.
Phone: 518-455-3727 | Email: woernerc@nyassembly.gov
*If you are in Assemblymember Dana Levenberg’s district please copy her on your message given that she is the majority sponsor of this bill: levenbergd@nyassembly.gov
*If you are in Assemblymember Matt Slater’s district please copy him on your message given that he is the minority sponsor of this bill: slaterm@nyassembly.gov
Talking Points:
- Cite the bill numbers: (S3594 / A5266)
- 414 libraries are asked to get hundreds of signatures, just to get their budget initiatives onto the ballot on Election Day. They are held to a far higher test than any other type of library or public entity in the state creating a barrier to access the adequate funding necessary to meet the needs of their communities.
- There should be parity in the process, particularly given that municipalities are usually much smaller units than school districts. There should be equity in process, regardless of library type and service area. Voters still have their say on Election Day. Whether 25 folks sign a petition or 500, all voters have a say on the final outcome.
- This bill would amend Education Law to standardize the number of petition signatures required across all types of libraries and all sized communities to ensure all New Yorkers have the opportunity to fund their libraries at the levels appropriate for the needs of that community.
- If you are representing a library that benefits from 414 votes, be sure to talk specifically about your challenges, your number of signatures, and what the passage of this bill would mean to the long-term financial stability of your library.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR TRUSTEES TO HELP WITH THIS EFFORT!
