Indianapolis, Indiana – Republicans reintroduced and passed a bill on Thursday that would subject school librarians to criminal prosecution as Indiana legislators enter their final days of session.
That might occur in accordance with House Bill 1447 if they offer books or other things that are considered “harmful” to kids. This includes products that are sexually explicit but have no artistic, political, or academic merit.
The measure eliminates educational objectives as a justification for not prosecuting someone.
Earlier this session, the legislation was contained in Senate Bill 12. The GOP helped the bill succeed in the Senate. A committee in the House attached the idea to another bill and held a hearing without taking a vote.
The wording was added to House Bill 1447 on Thursday, and about five hours later, the legislation approved it in its entirety.
“There’s people that are worried about what their children, as we all are, see in schools,” State Sen. Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville) said on the Senate floor. Tomes has pushed for the legislation for several years.
The law also establishes a procedure for parents to request that school boards examine particular items.
Both the House and the Senate approved it, largely along partisan lines. Democrats blasted the action.
“We don’t need to have our nose in everything,” said State Rep. Renee Pack (D-Indianapolis).
Pack expressed fear that libraries in schools would ban books featuring LGBTQ protagonists. She related the tale of her daughter’s work, which was deemed obscene and subject to examination by the Oklahoma attorney general, during the House’s discussion of the bill.
“Books like hers show young people no, you are you,” Pack said. “You are you. That’s what these books can do for youngsters.”
Concerns about this were refuted by House Majority Leader Matt Lehman (R-Berne).
“It’s not about what other states are banning,” Lehman said. “It’s about one thing. One thing. And that is the indecency and the obscenity that we already define in the Indiana code and we say if that is what’s entering into the classroom, we need to have more transparency.”
The governor’s desk will now get the measure.
We got in touch with the senators and representatives that spearheaded the effort to get this legislation back. Our requests for interviews were denied by them.
