Legislative Update -- February 14, 2019

February 14, 2019

Minimum Wage 

Senate Bill 1, the "Lifting Up Illinois Working Families Act," passed in the Illinois Senate on February 7, and in the House on February 14. The Governor is expected to sign it into law prior to his February 20 budget address. As previously announced, the law includes a phase-in period and exemptions for part-time teen workers. Hear from ILA's legislative consultant Derek Blaida about the new law and what you might expect to hear during the budget address, and what this law means for libraries, in an online Q&A session scheduled for TUESDAY, 2/19/19 from 10:00-10:30 a.m. The session is free, but registration is required. Register for the session HERE (after registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting).

Please visit the "Advocacy" page on the ILA web site for information about federal and state legislation ILA's Public Policy Committee is following.

Census 2020 Opportunities for Libraries and Librarians

The Decennial Census is rapidly approaching! Illinois libraries are going to be crucial players in helping to ensure a complete count, which is essential if the state is to maintain Congressional representation, seats in the Electoral College, federal funding, and more. Here are a few excellent opportunities to learn more and get involved:

  • Illinois Count Me In 2020 Grant 
    Forefront’s IL Count Me In 2020 Funders' Collaborative, a collaborative of Illinois foundations created to support census efforts in hard-to-count communities across the state, is offering a new grant to help Illinois community-based organizations fund their Census 2020 outreach efforts. Applications will be accepted at 11:59 p.m. on February 1 through February 28. 
  • Chapter Advocacy Exchange Webinar 
    ALA's Chapter Advocacy Exchange will host Libraries and the 2020 Census on February 27, 2019. Participants will hear from librarians who have been involved with Complete Count efforts and learn about new advocacy resources from ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy team. Our Executive Director, Diane Foote, is a featured speaker on this webinar. Registration is required.
  • Volunteer to serve on a Complete Count Commission subcommittee, or a local Complete Count Committee! The Illinois Complete Count Commission welcomes librarian participation on one of its subcommittees (Business Community, Community & Faith-Based Organizations/Social Services, Hard-to-Count Populations, Media/Social Media, Schools/Higher Education Institutions, State/Local Government). If you wish to volunteer, please email Diane Foote at dfoote@ila.org. Or, check to see if there is a local Complete Count Committee already in your area. Descriptions of subcommittee activities, and a list of local committees, and a great deal of other information is available in the Complete Count Commission's interim report.
iREAD Summer Reading Programs

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