Arkansas State Library Board Appointees Clash Over Funding Authority
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ appointees to the Arkansas State Library Board engaged in heated debate on Friday, arguing over the board’s authority to withhold state funding from certain libraries.
The contention centers around former state Sen. Jason Rapert, who has been a vocal advocate for restricting the distribution of certain books deemed inappropriate for minors. Rapert has made multiple attempts to withheld funding from libraries that are currently suing the state over Act 372, which he argues is a content-based restriction on speech that regulates protected materials.
Rapert’s motions have repeatedly been met with opposition from other board members, who argue that such actions would be political and potentially coercive. Board Chairwoman Deborah Knox of Mountain Home expressed skepticism that libraries are knowingly distributing obscene materials to children, highlighting the lack of evidence to support this claim.
Lupe Peña de Martinez, a member of the board, countered Rapert’s arguments by stating that some books contain sensitive content intended for children who have experienced sexual abuse. She suggested that restricting these books from minors would be a form of privilege and an exercise in oversight.
The ongoing debate has ignited a broader discussion on the role of libraries in the democratic system and the balance between free expression and public morality.MouseEvent 2(anonymous function) with ‘[object MouseEvent]’ argument {bubbles: true, cancelable: true, currentTarget: li.lev2, target: li.lev2, type: “touchend”, charCode: 0, …} and own ‘target’ set.
