Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, D-Montgomery, said Wednesday he couldn't remember a time when he sat in a hearing where everyone opposed the bill.

But the House Boards, Agencies, and Commissions Committee heard about a dozen people oppose a bill by Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) that would change how commissioners of the Alabama Department of Archives and History are appointed. That was true when it happened.

Committee members Lawrence Bracey and Napoleon Bracey (D-Pritchard) pressed Mr. Elliott on the bill's momentum, but Mr. Elliott said the situation over the summer meant the board was not accountable and “self-serving.” It was adamant that it was found to be “permanent.” When asked to further explain the situation, Elliott wondered aloud if it had anything to do with the bill.

Although lawmakers eventually got some background answers from the lawmakers who spoke at the hearing, they decided last June that Elliott would not host an hour-long program by the “Invisible Histories” project to discuss LGBTQ history. He touched on the skirmish between Elliott and the Archives when he asked for help. Director Steve Murray turned a blind eye to lawmakers' suggestions to cancel the program, which sparked the ire of Elliott, who initially tried to punish the department during a special session. He proposed a bill to restore $5 million in funding to the department.

“It became clear to me that SB77, as written, was a retaliatory response by Senator Elliott to the Lunch and Learn program on LGBTQ history at the Alabama Department of Archives and History,” Huntsville Librarian Alix・Kim Young said. “He personally said in a Senate floor debate that this event was not history, and he denied the professional experience and work of Dr. Megan Sullivan, an award-winning archivist and director of the Invisible History project. did.”

Although several speakers directly opposed the bill, some speakers directly or indirectly involved with the Department of Archives argued that the bill's language could be used to better protect the integrity of the board. Some people suggested fixing the .

Murray proposed that the governor be responsible for board appointments, which would be confirmed by the Senate, as it would be more similar to how other historic and cultural board members are currently appointed. did. He also asked the committee to consider adding that directors can only be removed for good cause, rather than at the will of the appointing authority.

Another bill Mr. Elliott introduced in the House of Representatives that would allow the removal of library boards was similarly amended on Wednesday, requiring the removal process to be for good cause and fundamentally eliminating the possibility of directors being removed on political whims. It changed to

Murray said he looked at the regulations of other cultural institutions, including the Alabama Public Library Service, and found no provisions that gave him the power to remove directors. But it's worth noting that Gov. Kay Ivey fired longtime board member Virginia Doyle in November after Doyle made comments critical of threats to state library funding.

When Elliott suggested that the current board setup allows members to appoint “their own people” to the board, some in the audience couldn't help but laugh.

“At the time of my appointment, I was no one’s friend,” board member Majella Hamilton said later in the meeting. Hamilton is co-founder and executive director of Ballard Her House Her Project, Inc., where she and her team have worked to preserve historic buildings in the Birmingham Civil Rights Historic District.

Current Archives Chair Delores Boyd asked the committee to consider how the change would affect donors who want to donate memorabilia or funds to the department.

“It just means we're being calmer in our decision-making about how we do business,” Boyd said. “What could be more unstable and chaotic than a board that is forever changing?”

Elliott posted that the department has a “woke agenda,” but multiple speakers said the department's only agenda is “preserving Alabama's history.”

The committee will not vote on the bill Wednesday and is expected to make a decision on it next week.