Alabama Republicans Try to 'Criminalize Librarians Simply for Doing Their Jobs'

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-library

Alabama Republicans Try to 'Criminalize Librarians Simply for Doing Their Jobs'

"Not only is this wrong, it's also unconstitutional. You are not protecting children; you are protecting extremists who are trying to dismantle the very foundations of my country."

JESSICA CORBETT
Apr 03, 2024

The Alabama Library Association and other critics on Wednesday called out the state's Republican policymakers for pushing a new bill that opponents warn will unfairly jail librarians and have a chilling impact on collections. House Bill 385, introduced Tuesday by state Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-43) and 30 other legislators, says that "under existing law, certain obscenity laws do not apply to public libraries, public school libraries, college libraries, or university libraries, or the employees or agents of any such libraries."

"This bill would provide that these criminal obscenity laws do not apply to college or university libraries or their employees or agents, but do apply to public libraries, public school libraries, and their employees or agents," the legislation continues.

H.B. 385 would also add the following language to the definition of sexual conduct: "Any sexual or gender-oriented material that knowingly exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and other public places where minors are expected and are known to be present without parental consent."

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"Under H.B. 385, public and school librarians could be penalized or even arrested by prosecutors eager to follow the demands of Alabama Republican Chair John Wahl, an Alabama Public Library Service Board member, who's willing to jail librarians for having books he considers unacceptable," Layne said. "This bill is government overreach, robs parents of their rights, and would have a chilling effect on free speech by potentially incarcerating librarians because particular books are available, including even the Bible."

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(He went there: even the Bible.)