April 29, 2024 Group Watch: House Passes Bill to Bring Libraries Under State Obscenity Law
Libraries and librarians could soon be held accountable under Alabama’s obscenity law if the bill just passed by the House (72-28 with 11 abstentions) is passed by the Senate and sent to Governor Ivey. The law prohibits providing “harmful” materials to minors, and the bill removes the law’s current exemption for public libraries. In the original version, librarians would have faced felony charges if “harmful” materials were not removed, but a floor substitute changed that to a minor misdemeanor for the first offense and leaves it to the local District Attorney to investigate and prosecute.
