Fund Our Future Washington SB#6380 passes full Senate floor vote!! 49-0

This is an email we received from the Spokane Moms! This is an excellent example of how advocacy works! We need to continue advocating for ourselves but the power of others advocating for us is the best way to get results!!

"Well folks, unbelievably good news! Olympia continues to mystify and thrill us. After passing out of Ways and Means yesterday, we expected to wait to be scheduled in the Senate Rules Committee. But .... SB#6380 was heard by and passed through the Rules committee this morning, and then went for a full Senate floor vote this afternoon. Senators McAuliffe, Eide, Marr, Brown, Honeyford, Hargrove, and Parlette spoke in support of the bill, and it in was UNANIMOUSLY PASSED just after 4pm this afternoon. Lisa was there to experience it, and was mentioned by name in Senator Eide's speech. Our grassroots effort was also publicly recognized in the speeches given by Senators Brown, McAuliffe and Parlette.THANK YOU EVERYONE for all you've done to get us here! This is an AMAZING accomplishment, a testament to all of us! The bill will go over to the house next. We'll keep you posted.There will be more info. posted at the blog later http://librariesfordemocracy.org/fundfuture/But we wanted you to know the great news.YEE-HA!!!"

Fund Our Future Washington

WOW!! Talk about being where the action is!! Imagine being in a room with Mike Eisenburg, Gary Hartzell, Jamie McKenzie, ALA President, Loriene Roy; AASL Prsident, Sara Kelly Johns; AASL Executive Director, Julie Walker; the President of Antioch University, Washington State Librarian, Jan Walsh; Director of the Seattle Public Library; President of WLMA (Washington Library Media Association), Linda Collins; many Washington and Oregon teacher-librarians - and the main attraction - the Spokane Moms! Lisa Layera Brunkar, Susan McBuney, and Denette Hill. And I'm not talking about a huge auditorium room with these people on stage where you could hardly distinguish them -- but a room where to speak, a microphone was not needed and with the ability during a break and throughout the day to personally talk with all of these people and interact with them -- even sit and eat lunch with them. What an unbelieveable energizing day! This model in Washington state could be replicated around the country. In fact Oregon has formed Fund Our Future Oregon -- it can and hopefully will spread to all the other states. Arizona should be next! I wish every school library media specialists could have been there -- I wish every parent could have been there to be inspired to fight for their child's education as these Moms are. I really wish it had been recorded so everyone could have heard the podcast. There is no way to fully report the events of the day -- but I will post in the next couple of days particular highlights and messages. (I left my notes and camera in Olympia and they are being shipped to me - so I just want to verify my writings before posting!)

In the mean time check out their website and blog:
http://fundourfuturewashington.org/
blog:http://librariesfordemocracy.org/fundfuture/