WA passes bill to protect libraries

[cbabe]

https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/mar/27/wa-passes-bill-to-protect-libraries-as-other-states-target-them/

WA passes bill to protect libraries, as other states target them

Battles over libraries generally involve books dealing with race, gender or sexuality

By David Gutman, The Seattle Times
Published: March 27, 2024, 8:17am

SEATTLE — Washington has passed legislation intended to safeguard its public libraries, after a small city in the southeastern corner of the state nearly became the first community in the nation to shutter its library over the book battles that have engulfed schools, libraries, cities and states across the country.

The legislation, which passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee Tuesday, comes in response to a push last year to close the only library in rural Columbia County. The new law will make such attempts much more difficult, requiring more signatures to get potential shutdowns on the ballot and then allowing a broader population of voters to decide a library’s fate.

…
In Utah, the governor recently signed a law to allow a small minority of school districts to get books banned in all public schools statewide. Wisconsin and West Virginia both looked at legislation to make it easier to prosecute schools and libraries for display of “obscene” material.

…

Washington’s move in the other direction stems from a yearlong dispute in Dayton, a small farming town where a group of residents, upset with the placement of books dealing with gender, sexuality and race, nearly got the county’s only library shut down.

…more…

[bucolic_frolic]

1. If you strip literature of race, gender, and sexuality - what's left?

[albacore]

2. And the Wingnuts are apoplectic! Books... and education...are the enemy to those people. nt

[hauckeye]

3. Yes!! As a retired librarian I LOVE this !

[republianmushroom]

4. Good