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Committee debates reserving 5% of cannabis sales-tax revenue for library afterschool programs
Summary
A proposed amendment would allocate 95% of cannabis sales-tax revenue in the afterschool and summer fund to the Agency of Education and reserve 5% for library programming; JFO estimated the library share at about $500,000 per year under current forecasts, but staff said grant volume and administration remain unclear.
The committee considered an amendment to a public‑libraries bill that would split the universal afterschool and summer special fund created from cannabis sales‑tax revenue so that 95% would be administered by the Agency of Education and 5% would be available to the Department of Libraries for after‑school and summer programming.
Tucker Anderson of Legislative Council explained the amendment: "95% of the cannabis sales tax revenue deposited in this fund is to be used by the agency of education... 5% of that revenue... will be used by the department of libraries to support after school and summer program at libraries." He also said the state librarian would be added to the advisory committee that recommends awards.
The committee discussed tradeoffs. Supporters argued small libraries have struggled with the current, lengthy grant application process and have rarely received funding; sponsors said they are drafting compromise language that would streamline applications for small organizations while preserving program integrity. Administration officials raised concerns that a statutorily guaranteed percentage could set a precedent for other claimants on the fund.
A Joint Fiscal Office analyst (Ted) provided estimates: applying the forecasted sales‑tax revenue for FY27, the 5% share would yield roughly $500,000 per year to libraries for programming. JFO and staff cautioned that the grants in statute are voluntary and that the Agency of Education’s current cohort model and administrative set‑asides make the program’s actual distribution volume unclear. Committee members asked the Agency of Education to provide detail on current awards and administrative uses before the committee finalizes amendments or votes.
The committee did not vote; members agreed to invite AOE and program managers to explain grant administration and unmet demand and to check the bill’s likely referral before making further changes.
