LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A conference committee in the Michigan Legislature has voted to cut state aid to local libraries by 40%.
The vote Sunday afternoon sets the stage for votes in the House and Senate when they return to work Tuesday.
Lawmakers have until the end of the day Wednesday to erase a $2.8 billion shortfall or there may be a partial shutdown of state government.
Aid to local libraries would drop from $10 million to $6 million under a budget approved 5-1. The panel's Democratic chairman opposed the bill because of the library cut.
The proposal comes as more unemployed Michiganians are using their local libraries to look for work and apply for unemployment benefits.
Dan Higgins of Grant is one of those people. He was looking for work Monday at the Grant Public Library. He comes there three days a week, to take advantage of the free, high-speed internet there. He only has dial-up at his rural home.
Also threatened - the regional cooperatives built up over the past decades to help library share resources.
"The thing is with libraries we serve all ages - everybody - and when we get a cut, it's devastating because in economic times like we're in, were much busier" said Sandra Wilson, director of the Lakeland Library Cooperative that serves 88 libraries in eight west Michigan counties.
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