Bill that would have allowed firings of library board members fails in Alabama Legislature

A bill that would have allowed local governments to fire library board members failed to get a final vote before the Alabama Legislature ended its 2026 session last week.

SB 26, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, would have allowed either county commissions or city councils to remove members of their respective library boards at any time and for any reason by a two-thirds vote.

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“It is a disservice to them to remove them without so much as a reason,” the Alabama Library Association said in a statement on Monday. “Secondly, the bill would allow a council to remove all board members at once and then doesn’t require staggered terms. Currently, 1 or 2 board members roll off the board each year. Without staggered terms, the board loses all institutional knowledge.”

The statement also said that the bill would politicize local library boards.