On Monday, December 23rd, a federal judge overturned a key part of a law in Arkansas that allowed criminal charges to be brought against librarians and booksellers who provide “harmful” materials to minors.
United States District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled that certain provisions of the law known as “Bill 372” were unconstitutional.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, speaking to the Associated Press, stated, “I respect the court’s decision and will be filing an appeal.”
The law mandates that materials deemed unsuitable for children in libraries must be relocated to areas inaccessible to minors. The law was signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023, but a previous ruling had raised questions about its enforcement, temporarily halting its implementation.
In his ruling, Judge Brooks wrote, “This law authorizes librarians and booksellers to act as censors, and out of fear of imprisonment, they are likely to only stock books suitable for children while segregating or disposing of other books deemed unsuitable for children.”
Alliance including the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock has raised concerns about the law, stating that libraries and booksellers may refrain from stocking or selling potentially controversial books due to fear of prosecution.
Supporters of the law have vowed to continue fighting for its implementation.
Governor Sanders of Arkansas, in an interview with KATV television station, said, “Bill 372 is just common sense: schools and libraries should not be putting obscene materials in front of our children. I will file an appeal against this ruling together with Attorney General Griffin, in defense of Arkansas law.”
At the same time as this ruling, some conservative state legislators are pushing for measures to make it easier to ban or restrict minors’ access to books containing unhealthy content.
Several states, including Iowa, Indiana, and Texas, have already enacted similar laws.
【This article referred to reports from the Associated Press】