House BB19-1048 (Election of Library Trustees) and SB19-048 (Protect Students from Harmful Materials) Killed in Committee!
On February 6, 2019. House Bill 19-1048 (Election of Library Trustees) was killed in committee. A big thank you to all the library advocates who contacted their elected representatives and testified before the committees that heard this bill.
For those unfamiliar with this bill and its potential impact on libraries in Colorado, House Bill 19-1048 (Election of Library Trustees) would have allowed for registered voters within a library's district to decide whether their district trustees should be elected directly by voters or appointed by a committee of legislative bodies from the municipal entities that established the library district. The bill would have also affected how library district trustees would be removed and their length of terms. You can go here for the full language of the bill.
In related news, another important bill, Senate Bill 19-048 (Protect Students from Harmful Materials) was killed in committtee on January 24. The bill would have required entities providing electronically accessible educational materials to a public school or school district to apply a filter software or service that prohibits access to material that is harmful to children or obscene. You can go here for the full language of the bill.
The library community rallied to oppose both bills by contacting elected officials, recruiting passionate represenatives to coordinated with our partners in public education and to testify at the committees. Thanks to all who stepped forward to make this happen!
