MONTGOMERY — The House County and Municipal Government Committee on Wednesday gave a favorable report to an amended bill granting local control over library board appointments and removals.
The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine), said, as a former local government official, he believed that who serves on a board and who doesn't should be left to local government.
"I think we ought not to necessarily legislate about libraries here, but rather say, 'Hey guys, here's the local control that many of you have asked for,' and that's what this bill does," Elliott said. "It gives the appointing authority the ability to appoint and remove library board members. That's it."
The first amendment adopted changed a requirement to appoint members who reflect the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural and economic diversity of the state's population to the population the library serves.
A second amendment added that a member of the appointing authority may serve on a local library board.
A public hearing provided an opportunity for people to voice their concerns. Several speakers asked the committee not to advance the bill, particularly without an amendment requiring just cause for termination by a library board. A motion for that amendment failed.
The bill will now go to the full House for consideration.
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