Alabama lawmakers advance bill that could lead to prosecution of librarians
Time:2024-04-26 14:58:25 Source:worldViews(143)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation that could see librarians prosecuted under the state’s obscenity law for providing “harmful” materials to minors, the latest in a wave of bills in Republican-led states targeting library content and decisions.
The Alabama House of Representatives voted 72-28 for the bill that now moves to the Alabama Senate. The legislation comes amid a soaring number of book challenges — often centered on LGBTQ content — and efforts in a number of states to ban drag queen story readings.
“This is an effort to protect children. It is not a Democrat bill. It’s not a Republican bill. It’s a people bill to try to protect children,” Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney, the bill’s sponsor, said during debate.
The Alabama bill removes the existing exemption for public libraries in the state’s obscenity law. It also expands the definition of prohibited sexual conduct to include any “sexual or gender oriented conduct” at K-12 public schools or public libraries that “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.”
Previous:The federal government plans to restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades region of Washington
Next:Controversy over spiked antifascist speech dominates Italy's Liberation Day anniversary
You may also like
- Gary Sánchez pinch hits for 2
- Rwanda basketball league resumes after 7
- A glimpse of the Beijing Olympic Museum
- 195 mln trips made through China's railways from Sep 27 to Oct 8
- Las Vegas Raiders take Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick in the NFL draft
- China's women's football team reach Tokyo Olympics with extra
- Xi Jinping and the Revival of Baiyangdian Lake
- Chinese tourists' return greeted by destinations
- New EPA rules would force plants to capture emissions, shut down