{"id":2384018,"date":"2024-12-27T13:33:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T18:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arkansas-law-punishing-librarians-overturned-due-to-first-amendment-concerns\/"},"modified":"2024-12-27T13:35:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T18:35:28","slug":"arkansas-law-punishing-librarians-overturned-due-to-first-amendment-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arkansas-law-punishing-librarians-overturned-due-to-first-amendment-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Arkansas law punishing librarians overturned due to first amendment concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Farkansas-law-punishing-librarians-overturned-due-to-first-amendment-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2384018&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-times-issues-multiple-corrections-for-article-falsely-claiming-900000-u-s-children-have-been-hospitalized-for-covid-19-during-pandemic\/\" title=\"New York Times Issues Multiple Corrections For Article Falsely Claiming 900,000 U.S. Children Have Been Hospitalized For COVID-19 During Pandemic\">article discusses<\/a> a recent \u200bdecision by a judge to overturn\u200c an Arkansas law \u200bthat penalized librarians.\u2064 The ruling was based on concerns regarding the First Amendment, which \u2063protects the freedom of speech and expression. The law was challenged for possibly infringing on the rights of librarians to provide access to \u2062various materials. \u200dThe \u2064judge&#8217;s decision underscores the importance of protecting\u200d First Amendment rights in the\u2063 context\u200b of library services and\u200c the\u200d dissemination of details.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Arkansas law punishing librarians overturned by judge over first amendment concerns<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1917790\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A law in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/arkansas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Arkansas<\/a> that threatened librarians and booksellers if they were found to have provided &ldquo;harmful&rdquo; content to minors has been struck down by a federal judge over concerns related to free speech.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled that two parts of the law, stating booksellers&rsquo; and patrons&rsquo; First Amendment rights, used overly broad and vague language. In 2023, Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Sarah-Huckabee-Sanders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Sarah Huckabee Sanders<\/a> (R-AR) signed into law Act 372, joining other conservative states and counties in the United States that have looked to restrict the availability of certain kinds of books to minors, mostly those with themes centered on race and LGBTQ matters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Up until the passage of Act 372, it appears that Arkansas&rsquo;s more pressing concern with respect to librarians was that they be insulated from meritless claims and time-wasting prosecutions,&rdquo; Brooks wrote. &ldquo;Times have changed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-supreme-court-takes-up-trump-lawsuit-days-ahead-of-electoral-college-vote\/\" title=\"Wisconsin Supreme Court Takes Up Trump Lawsuit Days Ahead of Electoral College Vote\">judge ruled<\/a> that if the statute&rsquo;s purpose was to &ldquo;protect younger minors from accessing inappropriate sexual content in libraries and bookstores, the law will only achieve that end at the expense of everyone else&rsquo;s First Amendment rights.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Arkansas lawmakers said they would appeal the decision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I respect the court&rsquo;s ruling and will appeal,&rdquo; said Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.<\/p>\n<p>Librarians and booksellers celebrated the ruling. The law required that any material deemed &ldquo;harmful&rdquo; to minors, including books, magazines, and movies, be shelved in a separate &ldquo;adults only&rdquo; area. The law also made it a misdemeanor, with the possibility of a year in prison to be used as punishment, for librarians and booksellers to distribute these items seen as &ldquo;harmful&rdquo; to a minor.<\/p>\n<p>Librarians and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">booksellers previously warned<\/a> that the law would create a chilling effect across the state as anyone could object to any book and pursue criminal charges against the person who provided it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Brooks seemingly agreed, writing in his ruling, &ldquo;The law deputizes librarians and booksellers as the agents of censorship; when motivated by the fear of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kremlin-critic-alexei-navalny-ridicules-claim-he-failed-to-meet-parole-terms-while-he-was-in-coma-after-nerve-agent-poisoning\/\" title=\"Kremlin Critic Alexei Navalny Ridicules Claim He Failed To Meet Parole Terms \u2014 While He Was In Coma After Nerve-Agent Poisoning\">jail time<\/a>, it is likely they will shelve only books fit for young children and segregate or discard the rest.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Holly Dickson, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, said the law &ldquo;was an attempt to &lsquo;thought police,&rsquo; and this victory over totalitarianism is a testament to the courage of librarians, booksellers and readers who refused to bow to intimidation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1917790\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1917790\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arkansas law penalizing librarians overturned due to free speech issues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2384019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/book-bans.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7411,6371,33332,6547,28190],"class_list":["post-2384018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-arkansas","tag-censorship","tag-first-amendment","tag-law","tag-librarians"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/book-bans.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2384018"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2384022,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384018\/revisions\/2384022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2384019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2384018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2384018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2384018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}