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The Alabama Senate passed two out of the 13 bills on their calendar Thursday after Democratic Senators sustained a filibuster on the floor to contest a proposed bill that would reform the way the Board of Trustees for the Alabama Department of Archives and History is appointed.
Currently, the board comprises two members from each congressional district, two at-large members, and the governor. The trustees vote on board members who are then confirmed by the Senate.
SB5, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, would add the governor as a voting member of the board and two additional at-large members appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore. The bill proposes that all board members be appointed by the state’s executive and legislative leaders.
The changes would be phased in as vacancies arise. There are currently three vacancies on the 17-member board.
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, and Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, used Senate rules to protest the archives bill.
While Democrats stalled on legislation introduced by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, which would require state buildings to install adult-sized changing tables, the bill ultimately passed in a unanimous 27-0 vote.
Smitherman read from the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s fiscal report from 2024 during his time on the floor, emphasizing the work that could be jeopardized.
“‘The Alabama Department of Archives and History collects records and artifacts that document the stories and experiences of Alabamians throughout history,’” said Singleton. “That’s their mission, and yet here we have a bill that threatens to shut down that mission—stacking the board with people who may seek to eliminate the history of many of our groups and citizens in this state, and that’s wrong.”
