Decency – Page 5 – Family Council

Committee Passes Bill to Address Obscenity in Libraries

Feb 20, 2023Jerry CoxCurrent EventsArkansas Legislature, Decency, Library, Obscenity

On Monday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a measure addressing obscene material in libraries across Arkansas.

S.B. 81 by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R – Russellville) and Rep. Justin Gonzales (R – Okolona) prohibits giving or sending harmful sexual material to a child. The bill also eliminates exemptions for libraries and schools in the state’s obscenity statute, and it clarifies how library patrons can go about contesting objectionable material at a library.

As we have written before, the Jonesboro public library has been at the center of multiple controversies over its decision to place books with sexually-explicit images in its children’s section while failing to adopt a policy that separates sexual material from children’s content.

Librarians have made it clear that they want to be free to share obscene material. The library in Jonesboro went so far as to post on Facebook that it isn’t the library’s responsibility to protect kids from obscenity.

Other public libraries in Arkansas have failed to separate sexual material from children’s material as well.

Public libraries are supposed to be for everyone. More and more, Family Council is hearing from people who are deeply troubled by the obscene children’s books that librarians have placed on the shelves of their local libraries.

Bills like S.B. 81 help address those problems.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for a vote.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Bill Filed to Strengthen Arkansas Law Regarding Sexual Indecency With a Minor

Feb 16, 2023Jerry CoxLegislationArkansas Legislature, Decency, Sexual Indecency

A measure filed at the Arkansas Legislature on Wednesday would strengthen state law concerning sexual indecency with a child.

S.B. 270 by Sen. John Payton (R – Wilburn) and Rep. Cindy Crawford (R – Fort Smith) clarifies that an adult commits sexual indecency if the adult exposes himself or herself in a public changing area to a child who is a member of the opposite sex.

The bill also addresses adults entering or loitering in changing areas where a child of the opposite sex is present.

The bill defines “public changing facility” to include a restroom, bathroom, locker room, or shower room.

S.B. 270 is a good measure that will help protect children in Arkansas.

Read S.B. 270 Here.

Arkansas House Passes Measure Protecting Children from Adult Performances

Feb 7, 2023Jerry CoxLegislationArkansas Legislature, Decency, Drag Queen Story Time, Obscenity, Transgender

*Above: Rep. Mary Bentley presents S.B. 43 in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Monday, February 6.*

On Monday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a measure to protect children from adult performances.

S.B. 43 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) prohibits adult-oriented performances on public property, with public funding, or in view of minors.

The bill defines “adult-oriented performance” as a sexual performance that includes nudity, sexual activities, or exposure of specific body parts. The bill also contains language about exposure of prosthetic private parts to protect children from explicit drag performances.

S.B. 43 previously prohibited drag performances on public property or in view of children. It was amended in the House committee last week to apply more broadly to sexual performances and to prohibit public funding of those performances.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

You Can Read S.B. 43 Here.