censorship Archives - We Find All The BS In Politics

Arkansas

Rapert tries to block funding for libraries suing Arkansas over 2023 obscenity law

The Arkansas State Library Board voted unanimously on Friday to give public libraries their allotted quarterly share of state money after former state Sen. Jason Rapert tried to suspend funding for the libraries suing the state. The board authorized the disbursement of almost $1.4 million over the next couple of weeks, State Library Director Jennifer […]

Arkansas

Public libraries vs. quorum courts: an ongoing local conflict throughout Arkansas

YELLVILLE — Dana Scott hasn’t received a pay raise since the start of 2021. Scott, a librarian with 17 years of experience, has run the Marion County Library in North Arkansas for nearly seven years, and the library board of trustees has approved a merit pay raise for her every year. For the third year […]

Arkansas

Central Arkansas school district drops library’s digital learning tools, citing lack of ‘filter’

More than 11,000 Pulaski County students are unable to access online educational materials through their local public library as a legal precaution, according to school district administrators, in light of the statewide debate over what content children should be able to access in libraries. The Pulaski County Special School District, which covers the rest of […]

Arkansas

Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Law Criminalizing Librarians

A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the implementation of an Arkansas law criminalizing librarians and booksellers who provide access to materials deemed “harmful to minors.” U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks—an appointee of former President Barack Obama—issued a preliminary injunction against two sections of Act 372 (also known as S.B. 81), a censorship bill introduced […]

Arkansas

Judge blocks Arkansas law that would allow librarians to be charged for loaning “obscene” books to minors

Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” or “obscene” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library […]

Arkansas

Coalition Sues Over New Arkansas Library Obscenity Law

After news last month that legal action was imminent, a coalition of 18 plaintiffs led by the Central Arkansas Library System has now filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Arkansas law that would expose librarians and booksellers to criminal liability for making allegedly inappropriate books accessible to minors. The 34-page complaint, filed on June […]

Alabama

Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from states | #elections | #alabama

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies. Some Republican-led states banned or severely limited abortion immediately, while […]

City Council

Utah Library Assn. doubles down on charge of ‘censorship’ involving Orem Library, Orem City Council | #citycouncil

Orem Public Library. Photo: Google Streets OREM, Utah, June 18, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Library Association is defending its letter charging censorship after the Orem Library did not place a Pride Month display in the children’s section, as it had last year. The ULA’s original statement, issued Monday, attributed the lack of the […]