Bill to criminalize Alabama librarians for ‘obscene’ content fails in the Senate
Bill to criminalize Alabama librarians for ‘obscene’ content fails in the Senate
After hours of filibustering from Sen. Rodger Smitherman, the bill was not added to the agenda.
I find the idea of criminalizing the sharing of books to be obscene.
Thank goodness for some good news out of ‘Bama. For a change.
Good news? I mean, I'm glad that the baby-eating machine was stopped for a day, but I don't think this story is good news, just not-bad news.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A bill to make school and public library staff criminally liable for distributing “sexual or gender oriented material” to minors without parental consent died in the Alabama Senate this week.
After hours of filibustering from Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Jefferson County), the Senate did not place HB385 on the agenda for Thursday - the final legislative day.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Shelby County), would have placed libraries in the same category as “adult-only” stores, movies, and entertainment.
It also would have forced school and public librarians to remove the book or end the behavior within seven days of written notice or face a misdemeanor.
Academic librarian Jessica Hayes said the language in the bill would have banned drag events and silence the voices of trans people.
Bromberg said Alabama’s bill was intended to prohibit drag reading hours at libraries and is “egregiously unconstitutional” among other states that have passed legislation criminalizing librarians for obscene content like Arkansas and Indiana.
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