Bill to give politicians appointments to Alabama Archives’ governing board fails

A bill that would have subjected the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s Board of Trustees to political appointments failed to become law in another legislative session.

SB 5, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliot, R-Josephine, would have taken the board’s power to nominate its own members and made the governor the appointing authority for most seats, including members from each congressional district. Eight at-large appointments would havecome from the House Speaker, Senate President Pro Tempore, and the House and Senate Minority Leaders.

This year’s effort was the furthest his bill has moved. Elliott said that he planned on bringing it back next year.

“I think at the end, everybody was on the same page … just ran out of time. It happens,” Elliot said after the Senate adjourned its final day Wednesday, adding that “it’s certainly a starting point for next year, and we’ll come back with it.”

Elliott has pushed for similar legislation since a presentation about LGBTQ+ history in Alabama at Archives in June 2023 led to attacks from Republicans and right-wing groups.Elliott tried to pull $5 million from the department in a special session on redistricting in the summer of 2023, but the bill failed to pass.

The following year, Ellitt filed a  bill that would have allowed state officials and legislative leaders to handpick the board members, keeping the board’s size as it was. That bill made it through the Senate and a House committee, but it never got to a vote in the full House.

The bill this year faced some delay after it returned to the upper chamber after the House added an amendment to remove the Senate confirmation process from appointments by the Speaker of the House.

Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, asked Elliot how he felt about eliminating the Senate confirmation process, saying that this would make the Department of Archives and History one of the few agencies not subject to Senate oversight via confirmations.

Elliot, ignoring the debate while using his phone on the podium, did not look up.

“Well, I guess it’s not his pleasure,” Stewart said.

Elliot asked the Senate to adopt the House amendment, which would have sent the bill to the governor, but Senate Democrats continued to filibuster, effectively delaying and later killing some local bills. Elliott eventually changed his mind and asked the Senate to nonconcur, sending the bill to negotiations between the House and Senate through a conference committee.

The conference committee met shortly before the Senate convened Wednesday and removed the amendment added in the House, bringing the bill back to the Senate version. But amid a filibuster from Senate Democrats, neither chamber took up the conference committee report before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

Archives meeting

Archives’ board of trustees met on Wednesday afternoon.

“Whatever happens, we are very committed to working with the new appointments to be sure that we continue to serve the state well, and that there may well be some benefits of having those kinds of direct connections with the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House through their respective appointments,” Steve Murray, the director of Archives and History, said.

He then expressed gratitude to the members who would have been replaced under the legislation.

“I also want to thank the staff who have maintained really an unbreakable spirit of service and continuity in our work,” he said. “It has not been an easy couple of years for us here, but they remain absolutely committed to the work that we are doing, and do it with such energy and knowledge, and enthusiasm, and professionalism, that I could not be prouder to be affiliated with them.”

After the 90-minute meeting, Delores R. Boyd, chair of the Board for Archives said the changes that was under consideration by the Legislature were unnecessary.

“The governance structure that has worked for years was adequate,” Boyd said. “I respect the judgement of the politicians who believe that ought to have more impact. I hope that their motivation though, is one that is destined to keep this important agency on the same trajectory, that is: we are the crown jewel of state archival and history agencies. We have functioned well for over a century.”