State Rep. Larry Elkins, R-Murray, plans to introduce a bill to make positions on local library boards elected by voters, motivated in part from past controversy surrounding the Calloway County Public Library Board.
(Legislative Research Commission photo)
Elkins pre-filed the bill for the General Assembly’s 2020 regular session. He said he filed the bill to combat a lack of oversight for library boards.
“Given the amount of tax money collected by libraries each year and the lack of accountability directed to the voters was the main reason I filed the bill,” Elkins said.
The measure calls for nonpartisan elections for board members every four years. Members may run for re-election, but cannot serve more than two consecutive terms on the board. Elkins said he expects bipartisan support for the bill.
“Having the voters, the taxpaying public, select trustees. I just can’t imagine why anybody would be opposed to that,” he said.
Elkins said he was unsure how Governor Andy Beshear might react if the bill reaches his desk, but Elkins said he was hopeful the governor would sign the bill.
Elkins said controversy surrounding the Calloway County Public Library Board’s handling of the multiple issues including the cost of expanding and renovating the library did play into reasoning behind the bill, but wasn’t the primary motivator.
The bill comes after a rocky relationship between Elkins and the Calloway County Public Library Board. Elkins previously served as Calloway County Judge/Executive before winning election to the fifth district house seat.
Elkins said he expects the bill to begin in the House’s Local Government Committee, but that decision is up to House leadership. The Kentucky General Assembly’s 2020 regular session will convene January 7 and adjourn April 15, 2020.
(This story first ran on www.wkms.org)
