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House committee changes bill to require cause for removal of library board members


When Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) drafted SB10, it would have allowed appointing authorities to remove library commissioners at will with a simple majority vote.

However, following amendments made by the House Committee on County and City Government on Wednesday, removal of a library commissioner would require a two-thirds vote and a showing of cause from the appointing authority.

The first half of the changes to the original language were made in the Senate thanks to an amendment by Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Platteville) that required a supermajority vote.

Rep. Sam Jones, D-Mobile, filed a second amendment Wednesday to force appointing authorities to explain why they are removing appointees.

Jones said the amendment would protect library commissioners from being removed “on a political whim.”

Mr Elliott argued that requiring a cause could expose the appointing authority to litigation.

This amendment is a game-changer for the bill, precisely because it prevents authorities from removing board members on a whim. The bill was also amended twice to require the Library Board to report to legislative leaders and their appointing authorities on actions taken to remove certain materials from collections.

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All but one of the participants packed into a small, non-streamed committee room Wednesday spoke out against the bill.

Many of the speakers were from Platteville, a city at the center of the debate over whether LGBTQ books are appropriate for children's and young adult sections, and whether moving or removing them constitutes censorship. It is the ground. The Prattville Library's current policy prohibits the purchase of LGBTQ books intended for minors 17 and under, but allows for the removal of those books.

Autauga-Platteville Public Library Director Andrew Foster said even Wednesday he heard misinformation about what was and wasn't happening at the library.

“As we consider this bill, and as we consider all of this legislation, we encourage you to reach out to your local library, speak to your director, your board, your employees, and help us address what we are working on. Communicate with them about what's already being done.' We're talking about it now,'' Foster said.

Lori Herring, another Platteville resident and president of the Eagle Forum, was the only speaker who spoke in favor of the bill.

“This bill is not about books that are or aren't in libraries. It's not about a clash of philosophies about what is censorship and what is not censorship,” Herring said. “This deals with the power of local authorities to control their own board appointments.”

Elliott also sought to downplay the controversy behind the bill, calling much of the public comment made on the bill “exaggeration.”

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Adam Rotenberry said library commissioners should not be removed because they do not remove content that offends specific people or groups.

“What's really frustrating is that this government is waging a culture war instead of actually trying to govern and help people,” Rotenberry said.



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