[CASL-L] This Week in CT Libraries: 4.7.25

[Ellen Paul]

Good Morning CT Libraries, here is what is going on this week.

CLC HAPPENINGS

As you may have seen last week, I'm trying something new.  There are two versions of my This Week in CT Libraries.  The one that is coming out on the listservs and the one that is coming directly to you from a CLC email.  They're slightly different with the one coming from the CLC email having more content for you.  Drop me a line and let me know what you think:  epaul at ctlibrarians.org<mailto:epaul at ctlibrarians.org>.

Academic Tech Services Roundtable<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1920801> talking about CT's Digital Archive on Thursday.

Preview for next week:  Coffee Chat with the Employer's Association of the Northeast about Understanding CT's new paid sick leave law<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1922985>.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

As we turn the calendar to April, we also enter a new phase in the CT General Assembly session.  It's what I like to call: the waiting game.  We're still tracking four bills.  Two ebook bills: HB 6958<https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB-6958>  or S.B. 1234<https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2025&bill_num=1234> and two Freedom to Read bills: SB 1271<https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB-1271> and HB 7014<https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB07014&which_year=2025>.  Everything has been voted out of committee and is ready for prime time.  The question is, will any of them have their moment in the sun?

Before I go further, it's important that I stop to note the unique way the Connecticut General Assembly works.  Both chambers, House and Senate, allow unlimited debate on the floor.  This gives Republicans an enormous amount of power at the end of a session to axe bills they don't like.  They don't have to vote against them, they just have to talk for so long that the Democratic leadership throws up their hands and says 'we don't have time for this, we have to move on to another bill that we can get passed.'

Remember last year's ebook bill and the three and half hours of debate?  Yeah, that was essentially a bill getting talked to death.  So, even though there are impenetrable Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, essentially all bills need some sort of bipartisan support to get passed.

Okay, back to our regularly schedule programming.  We're watching four bills.  The first step is for the bills to get called to the floor in the chamber they were introduced in.  So, HB 6958 and HB 7014 would need to be called in the House and SB 1234 and SB 1271 need to be called in the Senate.  Both the House and the Senate are meeting this week.   As we get deeper into April, they'll start meeting more and more.

Democratic leadership knows that if they have a controversial bill, they need to call it earlier in the session (like now) because they have more time to let opposition talk.  When we get to late May and June, the clock is running so any bill that that might be a talker get's passed over unless Democratic Leadership really really really wants it.

So, what's going to happen with our bills?  Here's my guess.

On the freedom to read bills, I think that HB 7014 is essentially dead.  This is the School Library bill that came out of the Education committee.  I think leadership favors SB 1271 and that's the one to watch.  Over the weekend, a number of House Democratic members posted messages on social media supporting this bill.  That tells me it's a priority bill.  I know, though, that it will be a talker so I expect it to be called soon.

For ebooks, I have less of a clue. But considering I don't think it will come up for a floor vote this week, I'll save my armchair analysis for next week.


NEWS OF NOTE

Despite Mayor's promise three years ago, New Haven Public libraries remain closed on Sundays due to budget and staffing constraints.<https://patch.com/connecticut/newhaven/vacancies-underfunding-keep-libraries-closed-sundays>

WFSB had a piece before IMLS canceled the CT LSTA Grant on potential impacts of losing funding.<https://www.wfsb.com/2025/03/31/heres-how-funding-cuts-could-impact-local-libraries/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3LQ2PrFdyTDsDd6NQy8rnJTs_LLaz5hzg5-0Vn3UL9ZqBGwVaAShAxG0g_aem_ZUgXKqmOV6vLv0fO3aB2Rg>

WSHU reported after the cut:  Trump Administration Cuts CT Library Funding<https://www.wshu.org/connecticut-news/2025-04-04/trump-cuts-ct-library-funding>.  NBC CT reported on the IMLS cut to CT:  CT libraries and museums are the latest to face federal cuts.<https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/libraries-museums-latest-to-face-federal-cuts/3536040/>  News 12 reports:  Federal Grant Awarded to CT State Library Terminated.<https://connecticut.news12.com/federal-grant-awarded-to-the-connecticut-state-library-terminated>

A few national articles with mentions of Connecticut.  Libraries under siege:  How Trump's cuts put community hubs in peril<https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/03/libraries-trump-federal-funding-cuts/82598580007/>.    And, Senator Murphy quoted in this one<https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/doge-teams-cut-critical-funding-from-america-s-libraries-officials-say/ar-AA1Ck2Ha>.

>From the CT Mirror:  Attorneys General, including Tong, sue Trump over IMLS closure.<https://ctmirror.org/2025/04/04/ct-william-tong-sues-trump-library-museum-services/>  And here on Fox 61<https://www.fox61.com/article/news/national/ct-ag-tong-joins-multi-state-coalition-to-stop-trump-from-defunding-libraries-museums/520-90430ab3-47a8-42dd-8e93-e48b7ee35354>.

Hands Off protest held on the steps of the Danbury Public Library.<https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/danbury-hands-off-protest-trump-musk-20255276.php>

Hateful flyers posted around Deep River in response to a library program<https://www.courant.com/2025/04/03/officials-condemn-flyers-with-messages-of-hate-and-intolerance-in-ct/>.   And here<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/police-investigate-flyers-targeting-transgender-woman-and-lgbtq-community-in-deep-river/ar-AA1CfzPQ>.  And here<https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/deep-river-ct-transphobic-homophobic-flyers-20257982.php>.

Hartford Public Library awarded $30K grant to launch youth violence initiative<https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/hartford-county/hartford/30k-grant-awarded-to-hartford-public-library-to-launch-youth-violence-initiative/520-ba61d896-1f1e-4669-a724-91a3fabeab75>.

Patti Smith's VersoFest appearance at Westport Library triggers antisemitism allegations<https://westportjournal.com/community/patti-smiths-versofest-appearance-triggers-antisemitism-allegations/>.  And a protest outside the event<https://westportjournal.com/community/patti-smith-celebrated-at-westport-library-denounced-outside/>.

Drop me a line if you or your library is in the news and I've missed it!

Have a good week,
Ellen



---
Ellen Paul | Executive Director
Connecticut Library Consortium

860-344-8777 | www.ctlibrarians.org<http://www.ctlibrarians.org/>

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