Tell the Ohio House: Don’t Cut Ohio Libraries!

This message is a departure from our usual communications to you, our valued customers and supporters. Ohio’s libraries are facing an unprecedented challenge in the Ohio House of Representatives, and we need your help.  Email Erie County Representative D.J. Swearingen and House Speaker Matt Huffman TODAY urging them to restore the Public Library Fund to the amount designated in the Governor’s proposed budget.

How will the House’s version of the budget impact Ohio?

The Ohio House of Representatives’ biennium budget proposal eliminates the Public Library Fund, a mechanism that has funded 251 public library systems for four decades.
Ohio House Members plan to replace the Public Library Fund with a lump dollar amount for all Ohio libraries, which will result in cuts to libraries across the state.
The Public Library Fund has remained flat for 25 years and House Members have put forward a dollar amount that does not account for a quarter of a century of inflation.

At Huron Public Library, the Public Library Fund makes 40% of HPL operations possible (the remaining 60% is from local property taxes passed by voters like you). If you want your tax dollars to come back from Columbus to support public libraries across the Buckeye State, email a message or leave a voicemail for Erie County Representative D.J. Swearingen, as well as House Speaker Matt Huffman.

Representative D.J. Swearingen
rep89@ohiohouse.gov
(614) 644-6011

Speaker Matt Huffman
rep78@ohiohouse.gov
(614) 466-6344

Let them know why you love your library.
Is there a specific service, program, or staff member that has impacted you?
Let Representative Swearingen and Speaker Huffman know your personal library story.

Ask them to restore the PLF to 1.75%.

We ask that you do this by Wednesday, April 9.

Thank you for your support.