The Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) Board of Directors voted on Thursday to elect Alabama Republican Party chairman and APLS District 5 board member John Wahl to serve as the chairman, going against outgoing chairman Ron Snider's recommendation.
The vote came at the end of Thursday's executive board meeting since, according to APLS bylaws, Snider is limited from continuing his position.
The APLS board has been thrust into the limelight over the past year after statewide controversy arose surrounding sexually explicit books in Alabama's public libraries.
At the behest of lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey, the APLS passed a series of administrative rule changes, making state funding dependent on compliance with the procurement and placement of certain books, as well as rules for challenging and removing books deemed to be obscene or sexually explicit.
The library issue drew the ire of state lawmakers, who cut the APLS's funding by 9%, just over $350,000. APLS director Nancy Pack announced they cut a planned seminar and internet hotspot programs in rural areas to account for the cuts.
Despite the administrative rule changes, the Alabama Legislature also tried to address the obscene book issue through several bills during the last session. The proposed bills stalled due to gambling gridlock. However, some have already been re-filed for the 2025 legislative session.
SEE: Multiple bills filed to address ongoing state library controversy in 2025 legislative session
Addressing House Bill 4 by State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs), which would remove the state's current exemption of state obscenity laws from public libraries, Snider said the legislation would be "regrettable," and Pack said it would be a "sad day."
Board member Amy Minton cited the funding cuts and potential legislative intervention as reasons for nominating Wahl as the next chairman, citing his influence and relationship with GOP lawmakers to better advocate for public libraries. Wahl has been a frontrunner both on the board and in his political capacity to address the book controversy since it came to light last year.
As the outgoing chairman, Snider motioned for board member Angelia Stokes to take his place with board member Jerria Martin as vice chair. Minton's amended motion made Wahl the chair while keeping Martin as the vice chair.
Minton said, "Based on the 9% cuts, $350,000, I think John has the relationships with the legislature, and we know ..." which is when Snider interrupted Minton to say, "They didn't work this time, did they?"
Minton resumed, "They're sending us a clear signal with House Bill 4 being pre-filed with 50 signing on it that they're going to handle this themselves if we don't handle it. And I think John has the best relationship with them to prevent further cuts because I see further cuts coming."
Stokes advocated for herself as having more experience in libraries than Wahl, questioning "how it would look bipartisan-ly" to have the Alabama GOP chairman also serving as the library board chairman.
Martin graciously offered to cede her vice chairmanship to Stokes, but that recommendation didn't proceed.
Wahl contended that there would be no more conflict with him serving as the board's chair than him currently serving on the board in general.
The vote to elect Wahl and Martin passed, with Stokes and Snider casting the "no" votes.
After the meeting, Wahl told 1819 News that he was "incredibly excited" to be the new chairman and looked forward to protecting children.
"I have always loved libraries, and I'm looking forward to being an advocate for every single library in the state of Alabama moving forward," Wahl said. "I want to thank my fellow board members for putting their trust in me. It's a duty that I take seriously, and I look forward to serving the people of Alabama."
Wahl said his priority as chairman would be to see libraries thrive in the state while listening to Alabamians' concerns.
"I want to listen to them and make sure their values are represented and encourage a love of reading and creativity in our youth," he continued. "Some of my goals are partnering with the Alabama Reading Initiative and encouraging young people to pursue good literature. One of the most important things facing libraries today is protecting children from sexually explicit material. This is going to be a major focus for me as we continue to listen to parents in the state of Alabama and make sure that our children are safeguarded in each library.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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