Margaret Beale | Oppose HB1214

I oppose this bill because it takes authority away from each town's board of trustees who are elected by citizens of the town. It is so critical to our democracy that citizens have free access to information. Library boards of trustees spend a lot of their time, going over important policies to make sure this happens as well as policies that outline procedures for removing materials from the library which a user may deem inappropriate. They also ensure that library policies conform with state statues. Giving the town control of the library would mean giving them control of not only policies but also the budget. Under the current system, town councils or select boards and budget committees already vote on whether to recommend the budget presented by the Library Board. Please vote against this ill-conceived Bill.