Idaho House passes bill that could see librarians jailed over “harmful” material
Idaho has advanced legislation that could see the likes of librarians and teachers jailed over materials considered “harmful to minors”.
House Bill 666 (HB 666) was passed by the state’s House of Representatives on 7 March by a vote of 51-14. The proposed legislation would amend existing law to “remove an exemption that protects libraries, schools, museums, colleges and universities and their employees for ‘disseminating material that is harmful to minors.’” However, it does not state what is considered dangerous to young people, leaving a lot of room for interpretation.
During a public hearing on HB 666 last week, many of the books cited as “harmful” examples by those supporting the legislation included LGBTQ+ themes and characters, such as Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, among others.
Should the bill be signed into law, the penalty suggested is up to one year in jail and a fine of $1,000, the Idaho Statesman reported.
