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Senate committee approves sweeping library governance bill after extended testimony from librarians and state officials
Summary
A provocative bill to abolish the Arkansas State Library board and transfer its functions to the Department of Education passed the committee after hours of testimony from library directors, state library staff and the Department of Education counsel.
The Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs voted to advance Senate Bill 536 after several hours of testimony both for and against the proposal to transfer many functions of the Arkansas State Library to the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).
Senator Dan Sullivan (District 20), who sponsored the bill, said SB 536 is “about oversight, innovation, accountability, and opportunity,” describing the measure as a reconstitution of statutory authority that would move the state library’s administrative functions under ADE while preserving many existing services in law. Sullivan told senators the bill adds performance expectations tied to state aid and contains an emergency clause aimed at accelerating compliance and oversight.
The bill drew sustained opposition from librarians and state…
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