Aiexpress – Legislation creating a state council to establish standards for books that may be deemed obscene and banned from public school libraries was approved by a Georgia Senate committee on Wednesday.
“This bill aims to ensure that our public school libraries do not become spaces where children are exposed to sexually explicit materials,” stated Senator Clint Dixon, the chief sponsor of the bill and chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee. He made this statement prior to the vote.
Senate Bill 394 proposes the establishment of the Georgia Council of Library Materials Standards. The council’s members would be appointed by key government officials, including the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House, House minority leader, and Senate minority leader. Its primary task would involve developing a grading system to determine the classification of books as either “harmful to minors” or “sexually explicit,” ultimately leading to potential bans.
Schools that do not adhere to the standards set by the council will not face criminal charges. However, they may receive complaints from parents, which could potentially result in lawsuits.
Representatives from various faith-based organizations came forward on Wednesday to express their support for the bill.
According to Taylor Hawkins from the FrontLine Policy Council, the aim of this measure is to prevent children in public schools from accessing materials that are already prohibited on the streets of Georgia.
“It’s a bill that makes a lot of sense,” he said.
However, numerous civil rights advocates and educators expressed concerns that the bill could potentially be used to specifically target books that discuss homosexuality.
According to Tracey Nance, the Georgia Teacher of the Year for 2020-21, approximately 10% of the population in the state identifies as LGBTQ.
According to her, the bill does not align with the desires and values of the people of Georgia.
According to Sen. Elena Parent, a Democrat from Atlanta, she voted against the legislation because she believes that gay Americans already have full legal rights. She pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court has already legalized gay marriage, which has granted equal rights to the LGBTQ+ community.
Republicans on the committee emphasized that the legislation is not aimed at marginalizing any specific groups of Georgians.
According to Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, the proposed legislation is not targeting any particular sexual orientation and is not aimed at indoctrinating students.
The Senate Rules Committee will now schedule a floor vote for the legislation.
