Alabama lawmakers advance bill that could lead to prosecution of librarians
Time:2024-04-26 18:10:21 Source:healthViews(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.”
You may also like
- Miami Dolphins bolster pass rush, taking Chop Robinson of Penn State with 21st pick of NFL draft
- How do private enterprises tackle challenges with innovation?
- Playoff hopes fading for troubled Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific
- No one is above the law. Supreme Court will decide if that includes Trump while he was president
- Revealed: The 5 popular brands responsible for the most plastic pollution in the world
- Vibrant Q1 consumption mirrors China's economic stamina
- Twins' Castro hits birthday homer, lifts Minnesota to 6
- Imelda Staunton reveals The Crown's final episode had to be re
- Controversy over spiked antifascist speech dominates Italy's Liberation Day anniversary