HB 1239, Bethany Soye’s draconian measure to subject librarians to a year in jail for minors checking out material she finds objectionable (because it’s apparently too hard for parents to be parents) was up today in Senate Judiciary committee today as their last item on their agenda for regular committee meetings.
Proponents predictably tried to claim that they aren’t going to lock up librarians, despite removing exemptions for criminal penalties which WOULD allow librarians to be jailed for up to a year in the county jail on a class one misdemeanor for prurient words in books. They cited that it’s all for the kids, etcetera and so on. Oh.. and apparently we found out that neurons put on a show in the brains of children brains, and reading will lead to dangerous behaviors. (not kidding).
What else? Florence Thompson parroted the same thing she testifies in every committee, and said that it’s time to stop the woke agenda, and Rep. Lauren Nelson who pushes stripping funds from public schools says it’s time to put teeth into the law, despite the promise from other proponents who claim won’t be used to put Librarians in jail.
Opponents to the bill included a woman who actually parents her kids, and says it’s her job to determine what’s appropriate for her kids.
Trial Lawyers opposed it on the basis of not wanting South Dakota to become a book banning state, as well as the facts that passing the bill would also remove historical material, that it’s censorship, and is an attack on librarians.
The Library director at the Custer County Library said ultimately, parents should be the ones who decides what’s appropriate for children, and puts librarians at risk. Another librarian noted that if you think we have a shortage of library resources now, just pass this bill. And other librarians noted how its an attack on jobs and the profession, and will lead to shortages in professional staff.
Criminal Defense lawyers said the librarian lock up bill will chill free speech, as it targets schools & librarians, and will affect a wide variety of literature, such as Shakespeare.
A professor from DSU noted that it’ isn’t just librarians if affects, and this effort just leans into a trend of book banning. And, it’s going to hurt the teaching profession as well. And reminded us that parents are the caretakers of children (not teachers or librarians). And that this may limit events at museums. The Lobbyist for the Sioux Falls Sioux Falls School District noted that proponents talked about obscene teaching material – and had to ask, where is it?
A plethora or associations, groups, and professional groups all stood up and objected to the measure to lock up librarians, teachers, museum workers to jail time.
Book-banning Bethany attempted to rebut opponents claiming that no one has ever been arrested for a book being checked out. But, fact checking her, it looks like they’ve come pretty darned close:
Amy was busy at her job in the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri, when the officer strode through her open doorway to investigate a sordid accusation: Someone had called the police department and reported that she had been giving pornography to children, a criminal offense in Missouri.
She looked at the uniformed man in disbelief. She was the mother of a toddler and a long-time public servant. The scene of the alleged offense was not an adult bookstore or the dark web. It was a high school library. The officer explained the situation. A parent had told the police that she was circulating pornography to students through the books in the school’s library collection. The policeman, a school resource officer employed by both the Wentzville School District and the O’Fallon Police Department, came to the library to investigate the claim. He came back again six months later, prompted by similar complaints from another parent at the school. The visit did not lead to any disciplinary action against Amy. But it left her deeply unsettled.
and..
“What we have with SB 775 is politicians saying, ‘We are going to determine what books should sit on your library shelves and be available to your students. And if you go against what we said there are criminal implications,’” Bober said.
Read the entire story here.
and here…
In body-camera footage obtained by journalist Judd Legum of Popular Information, a member of the far-right parent activist group Moms for Liberty is shown standing in the lobby of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and demanding a police probe into a local school allegedly retaining a young adult novel with risqué passages. Jennifer Tapley tells officers that a school librarian kept the contested literature on the shelves at Jay High School despite complaints about its content.
Accompanied by an older man who brought the 512-page book in a large manila envelope, Tapley tells officers that a third-degree felony is being committed.
Read that here.
After committee discussion, the measure was moved to the 41st day by Senator Duhamel o n the basis that it’s the PARENT’S job to decide what’s appropriate (yay! Helene gets it!). And commented that libraries don’t have the staff to take n the role of parents. Blanc offered a substitute motion to Do Pass, because he says taxpayer institutions should not be exempt from arresting employees… And then the audio cut out! AAARRGH…
Audio came back…...Grove talked about the need for the bill to deter bad behavior. Sen. Mehlhaff said he was against the bill before he has in favor of it. Se. Blanc said it’s a pro-kid bill, not an anti-librarian bill (despite librarians the one being threatened with a year in jail).
Sen. Wheeler pointed out that all this bill is about is threatening prosecution because someone didn’t get a bill removed from the shelves after they lost on the appeal process.
Ultimately, the lock-up the librarians bill ended up going to the floor with a Do Pass recommendation on a committee vote of 5-2.
So, with the measure hitting the house floor next week, THIS WEEKEND make sure you contact your legislators to urge them to reject this bill, and make sure they aren’t sending their local librarians and teachers to the hoosegow.
Rookie Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., might be the unsung hero of the early Trump administration. Moving the Senate with unaccustomed speed and keeping his often disparate Republican caucus largely united should earn acclaim throughout the Republican Party for his leadership ability.
