The Mississippi House on Tuesday rejected a proposal to restructure the board that governs the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
The nine-member board was established in 1902. Its members have always nominated their own successors and those nominees have been confirmed by the state Senate.
Senate Bill 2727 said the Archives and History board could recommend nominees, but the governor or lieutenant governor could ignore those recommendations and nominate any person they want. The nominees would still need Senate confirmation.
The proposal was pushed by Senate leaders, who argued that Archives and History board members would be more accountable to the public if they were nominated by elected officials. But the plan was broadly condemned by historians who said the change could politicize the way Mississippi examines its own legacy.
The House voted Tuesday to kill the bill, with only 19 members voting for it and 103 voting against it. The bill was held for the possibility of more debate in coming days, but supporters need to persuade 43 members to change their votes to revive it.