On Tuesday Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) filed S.B. 66 requiring pornographic websites to implement an age verification process to protect children from pornography.
The measure is similar to a Louisiana law that has caused major porn websites to start verifying that users are over the age of 18.
S.B. 66 requires pornographic websites to verify users are 18 or older using a government-issued ID or a commercially available method to check a person’s age.
In practice, this means pornographic websites would rely on IDs like state driver’s licenses or some sort of third-party software to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.
Technology has given children unprecedented access to pornography. Among other things, pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems.
We need to take steps to protect kids from pornography and other harmful material.
The Jonesboro Sun reports that this November voters in Craighead County will decide whether or not to reduce the library’s millage from two mills to one mill.
Under Amendment 30 and Amendment 38 to the Arkansas Constitution, voters can circulate petitions to place a measure on the local ballot assessing a form of property tax — or “millage” — to provide funding for city and county libraries.
In Jonesboro’s case, property taxes for the library are currently two mills — or 0.002%. The ballot proposal would reduce the rate to one mill — or 0.001%.
Library officials in Jonesboro have said the tax cut would “devastate” the library and could force it to close, but news reports indicate the library has enjoyed a budget surplus of more than a million dollars for the past three years, and documents from the Craighead County Clerk’s Office show the millage tax provided more than $3.1 million in revenue for the library last year.
Even if the library were not spending public tax dollars on obscene children’s books, reducing the millage in Craighead County arguably would help balance the library’s budget and provide relief for taxpayers.
It’s ridiculous to think that a library isn’t to blame if a child finds pornographic or obscene material in the library’s children’s section.
Public libraries are supposed to be for everyone.
Families should be able to take their children to the library without worrying what their children might see.
Arkansas’ statewide library catalog shows several books containing graphic sexual content are in children’s and young adult sections of libraries around the state.
According to the Arkansas State Library’s digital catalog, Mockingbird, the book Gender Queer is at libraries such as:
The Main Library in Little Rock
Terry Library in Little Rock
Fletcher Library in Little Rock
Bentonville Public Library
Crowley Ridge Regional Library
Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library
Fort Smith Public Library
Calhoun County Library
Garland County Library
Gender Queer is a graphic novel that frequently has been challenged in schools and libraries because it contains illustrations that show explicit sexual acts involving minors.
The catalog also lists the book L8r, g8r — another book that contains explicit content — at the following libraries:
Bentonville Public Library
Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library
Grant County Library
Mabel Boswell Memorial Library
Malvern Hot Springs Central Library
CALS Maumelle Library
Arkansas River Valley Regional Library
Garland County Library
Fort Smith Public Library
Tri-County Regional Library System
Greenbrier Library
The book It’s Perfectly Normal — a children’s book that includes illustrations of nudity, sex, and homosexuality — was found listed in catalogs for libraries in Conway, Little Rock, and North Little Rock.
Several pro-LGBT children’s books also appeared in library catalogs around the state, including:
They, She, He easy as ABC published for children ages 3-7 (Cross County Library)
Bye Bye, Binary, a board book for babies and preschoolers (Crawford County Library System)
The GayBCs, a picture book for preschoolers and young children (Crowley Ridge Regional Library)
Unfortunately, there has been a growing trend of public libraries in Arkansas placing sexually explicit and pro-LGBT children’s books in their catalogs.
Communities can take steps to remove objectionable material from their local libraries.
Library boards and librarians have leeway to establish selection criteria and make decisions about the kinds of material available on the library’s shelves.
Library patrons generally can use a Material Reconsideration Form to ask libraries to remove inappropriate material.
And voters can call on their elected officials to enact laws protecting children from objectionable material in public libraries.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
