If Little signs H710 library patrons will lose out and parental rights will be harmed | Opinion

I don’t recall hearing that any legislators felt called to run for office because of “out of control librarians.” However, for the past three years, the Idaho Legislature has ended the session with a debate about what to do about “harmful materials” in libraries, villainizing librarians for allowing freedom of speech to exist on the shelves.

When there are so many other pressing issues that are actual problems to fix, I find myself at a loss as to why legislators keep choosing this non-problem to hang their hats on.

The reality is that after House Bill 710 becomes law, libraries will need to buy and install better camera systems and will likely need to hire information technology staff to review camera footage to obtain proof of how explicit books ended up in the children’s section. Then, of course, those large video files will have to be retained because they’re public records. That’s very expensive too. Libraries will have to buy these systems quickly, too, because the legislature declared an “emergency” exists, speeding up the timeframe in which the new statute takes effect.

These costs, combined with those associated with statutory penalties (which Gov. Brad Little once appropriately called a “bounty” on librarians), legal fees and increases to insurance premiums as a result of this unnecessary legislation are a ridiculous waste of Idahoans’ tax dollars.

If “harmful materials” in our libraries were an actual problem, and I would personally argue they aren’t, the solution is easy and free: parents should govern their children at the library, not librarians or legislators. Parents have a responsibility to supervise their children.

The notion that Idahoans need government interference in supervising our children at the library is disrespectful, and Idaho parents should be concerned about legislators who think they know better than they do. Idaho parents are perfectly capable of being engaged, knowing what books their child is reading and deciding what content is appropriate for them.

Our libraries are cozy sanctuaries where Idahoans of any age, any background and with any financial means can go to find peace. At the library, they can learn, grow and find answers to nearly any problem. The implementation of H710 threatens one of our most important community resources, wastes our tax dollars and offends parents’ right to govern our own children.

This story was originally published April 10, 2024 at 10:56 AM.