Voters Approve Statewide Referenda
in California and New Mexico
Although the nation’s economic downturn has had a detrimental effect on library funding, it doesn’t appear to have had an overwhelming impact on the library measures before the voters in the November 5 election. The results were the usual mixture of approvals and rejections, with voters passing two statewide measures that promise major infusions of funding.
California’s Proposition 47, a $13.05-billion statewide school bond, won easily with 58.9% of the vote. In addition to providing funds to renovate and construct facilities, including libraries, at both the K–12 and higher-education levels, it also includes $10.5 million for the California State Library.
In New Mexico, voters approved the statewide Bond Issue C, the Library Books Bond Issue 2002, by 59.6–40.4%. The bond will provide $7.7 million to some 770 public school libraries in 89 school districts, $4.9 million to about 100 public libraries in 33 counties, and $3.4 million to 25 college and university libraries.
For information on these and other measures, see the full referenda roundup in the special reports section of American Libraries Online and in the January 2003 American Libraries. The online report will be updated as new results are received.
Posted November 18, 2002.
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