In a surprising turn of events, the Arkansas Senate voted down a bill that would have required librarians in public schools to lock away certain “sexual” materials from children in grades kindergarten through 5th grade. The bill, House Bill 1646, was co-sponsored by Rep. Richard McGrew and Sen. Matt McKee and included penalties for librarians who failed to comply. Despite being a known opponent of libraries, Sen. Dan Sullivan led the pushback against the bill, arguing that local school boards should not have the power to revoke teaching licenses as outlined in the bill.
McKee, one of the bill’s sponsors, defended it by stating that it was necessary to ensure children only had access to age-appropriate books on sexuality. However, the bill failed to receive the required 18 votes in the 35-member Senate, with one Republican and five Democrats voting against it, and seven Republicans voting “present.”
This vote comes in the midst of a legislative session in Arkansas that has seen numerous bills aimed at restricting librarians and libraries. Despite this trend, the defeat of HB1646 shows that there is division even within the Republican party on such measures. The future of similar bills in the state remains uncertain as the debate over the role of librarians in schools continues to unfold.
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