State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, pre-filed a bill last week that would change how directors for local libraries and the Alabama Department of Archives and History are appointed.
Senate Bill 6 provides that local library board members serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority, such as a city council or county commission, and can be removed by a two-thirds vote.
Senate Bill 5 would change how director vacancies on the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s board of directors are handled: Instead of being filled by the board, as is current practice, vacancies on the board would be filled in rotation by legislative leaders in the House and Senate, the lieutenant governor, and the governor.
“The archives bill and the library bill are very similar. It just says, ‘You have the power of appointment. It’s not you. You’re not appointed for life and you can’t be reappointed.’ The library commission bill is the same. If you’re appointed by the commission, the commission can remove you. If you’re appointed by the city council, the city council can remove you. To me, that seems like a very good solution to a lot of the conversations we’re having,” Elliott told 1819 News on Monday. “At the end of the day, we want Orange Beach to decide what’s good for Orange Beach and we want Bessemer to decide what’s good for Bessemer. Let them think about it. If you see a city council member at Piggly Wiggly, they’re going to be a lot more accountable to you than a council member from Montgomery saying, ‘No, that’s not obscene.'”
Both bills passed the Senate in February during the last congressional session but died in the House without a vote.
“We’ve obviously been bogged down in the gambling debate. This year we might not have to deal with gambling issues and we might actually be able to pass some legislation,” Elliott said.
To contact or comment on this article’s author, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com
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