News - Advocacy

Close up of Education Muse painted on the interior of the Capitol dome in Lansing, Mi

MLA Advocacy News

News - Advocacy
Thursday, August 28, 2025 11:10 AM
House Budget Advances Without IMLS Line Item On Tuesday, August 26, the Michigan House of Representatives approved a budget spending bill for fiscal year 2026. Despite MLA’s advocacy to House Appropriation Chairs over the summer, the chamber’s spending plan does not include a line item for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). If a final version of the state budget does not include an IMLS line item, it will preclude the Library of Michigan from spending federal funds already awarded and earmarked for funding popular statewide programs like the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) and the Michigan eLibrary Catalog (MeLCat).
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News - Advocacy

Thursday, August 28, 2025 12:00 AM

Michigan Library Millages August Election Results

Check out the roundup of the August 6, 2025, election results for millage issues on ballots around the state. We are pleased to share that every library millage on the ballots in Michigan this August passed! We are proud of the library boards, staff, and supporters for their work on these campaigns and their dedication to supporting their libraries. The Library of Michigan provides the listing of Public Library Millage Election Results from 2010 to the present, including the library millage type, if the millage is new, a renewal, or a renewal with an increase, the number of yes and no votes, the term, and the year it takes effect. View the results (pdf).

News - Advocacy
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 12:00 AM
Michigan Library Advocates Shine at the Capitol! On Wednesday, April 30, more than 150 passionate library supporters from across Michigan gathered at the Capitol in Lansing to advocate for Michigan libraries. Together, we met with an impressive 105 of Michigan’s 148 state legislators—including Senators and Representatives—to share stories of libraries’ transformative impact and advocate for critical funding to sustain and grow essential services statewide. We also welcomed Bookmobiles from libraries across Michigan to line Capitol Ave, inviting exploration and showcasing mobile library services.
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News - Advocacy
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 12:00 AM
Updates on the Next Chapter of MLA's MI Right to Read Initiative We have been getting to work putting our Mellon Foundation grant to good use and expanding Mi Right to Read already! MLA recently contracted with EPIC-MRA in Lansing to conduct a new statistically significant poll of Michigander’s opinions on their libraries and the right to read. Once those results are analyzed in the next month, our work on a 6-month statewide marketing campaign will begin in partnership with Bellwether Public Relations.
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News - Advocacy
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 12:00 AM
Michigan Budget Process Advances Amid Fiscal Uncertainty State officials finalized key revenue projections last Friday during Michigan’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC), a critical step in shaping the next fiscal year’s budget. CREC typically sets the foundation for the governor’s budget proposal in January and updates figures in May ahead of final legislative negotiations. A bipartisan panel, led by top legislative fiscal advisors and the State Budget Director, revised January’s economic forecasts, projecting that revenue will be down by $320 million for the upcoming fiscal year amid warnings of uncertainty tied to potential federal tariff disputes and spending debates. While overall state revenues are expected to dip, the School Aid Fund will likely see a modest boost.
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