<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version 6.5.7654.12">
<TITLE>Urgent: Senate may end funding for Local History and Education</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<!-- Converted from text/rtf format -->
<P><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">URGENT: SENATE MAY END FUNDING FOR OHS LOCAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Senate action removes funding for local history, other educational activities</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">On Friday, May 29 the Ohio Senate made big budget cuts that once again targeted the Ohio Historical Society. More than $700,000 was eliminated from the Society's budget that serves teachers, students, local history organizations and Ohio communities. The Senate changes reduced the Society's Outreach and Partnerships line item (Line 509 in the Society's state budget) from $703,638 to $0.</FONT></P>
<UL>
<UL>
<LI><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Teacher training and educational programs that leverage federal funding - Zeroed out! </FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">National History Day in Ohio (national program that originated in Ohio) - Zeroed out! </FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">The Local History Office that serves 400 local history organizations - Zeroed out! </FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Coordination of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015) initiative - Zeroed out! </FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Local historical markers program - Zeroed out!</FONT></LI>
</UL></UL>
<P><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Here is a link to the OHS Legislative Update website that will provide you with all the information you need to communicate with your Senator (as well as the Governor and your state representative): </FONT><A HREF="http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">http://capwiz.com/ohiohistory/home/</FONT></U></A><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> (After landing on this page, click on the Take Action button or scroll down for information on how to contact your legislator.)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR TODAY!</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">At a minimum, please email and phone your State Senator immediately. If you have time, consider visiting your state senator’s local district office as this would have the biggest impact. The offices count the number of email and phone communications they receive on an issue. If we act together, we can make sure that funding for these important activities is restored. Please forward this email on to friends, colleagues or anyone else that would be willing to help us to protect community-based history programs in Ohio.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">OHS will be working hard to communicate directly with the members of the Senate Finance Committee and others to change this action, but they also need to hear loud and clear from their constituents. If you’d like more information on this, please feel free to contact Todd Kleismit, OHS Government Relations Director at (614) 297-2355; </FONT><A HREF="mailto:tkleismit@ohiohistory.org"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">tkleismit@ohiohistory.org</FONT></U></A><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">.</FONT></P>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Judith Cobb</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Product Manager</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">OCLC Digital Collection Services</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">(614 )764 6233</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">judith_cobb@oclc.org</FONT>
</P>
<BR>
</BODY>
</HTML>