House Bill 848, filed by Representative Steven Jackson (D-Shreveport), would change the structure of library budgetary control in Louisiana.

In the majority of Louisiana library systems, current personnel budgets are set by the library board of control and cannot be amended by the parish governing authority. This bill would allow parish governing authorities to amend salaries and benefits in the budget. Parish governing bodies have library boards in place for a reason, and that is for oversight. This bill allows parish governing boards the ability to micromanage public libraries instead of leaving it up to the parish library boards of control and directors.