Library Obscenity Bill Passed by North Dakota Senate Gets House Hearing

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — People concerned about keeping minors from pornography in libraries testified about an obscenity bill at a North Dakota House committee.

The Senate already passed the bill by Senator Keith Boehm which includes a misdemeanor for willfully displaying explicit sexual material.

The bill also has policies for digital and online resources offered by school districts and public libraries.

Boehm spelled out a number of minor amendments to the bill before supporters and those against the bill spoke out, including a librarian from Minot.

“Supporters of these bills have repeatedly, and you’ve heard it over and over today, say they want to protect youth from pornography. And I’m here to tell you we do not have pornography in libraries. We do not have pornography in libraries,” said Janet Anderson with the Minot Public Library.

Sen. Boehn talked about proposed changes to the bill.

“Taken as a whole means that a book you take it and if there is one scene in there or one thing and it’s sexually explicit it does not mean that that book gets to be taken out of the system,” said Boehm.

Other opponents say libraries already have laws against unlawful material and the bill would add costs and extra stress on staffs.