Gerogia US, Bill to criminalize librarians lending ‘harmful materials’ to minors advances in House, similar in Iowa

[Jim Burton]

https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2026/02/ ... rgia-sb74/

A controversial bill that would create criminal penalties, including jail time, for librarians who knowingly allow minors to check out materials deemed harmful to them under Georgia’s obscenity law advanced out of a House committee on Friday for a full House vote. The Republican-backed Senate Bill 74 already passed the Senate last year.

SB 74 has drawn strong opposition from librarians and civil rights organizations, who argue the bill is a censorship measure that disproportionately targets LGBTQ-related content.

“Faced with the threat of criminal prosecution, librarians are likely to self-censor,” said Sarah Hunt-Blackwell, the ACLU Georgia’s senior policy counsel, in an email to supporters after the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee passed the bill Feb. 6 along party lines.

[OnionPetal]

Not enough kids use libraries anymore as it is. Just give the kids what they want. I highly doubt the library stocks hardcore pr0n. I don't know how many 'obscene' materials Georgia's libraries has in their collections, but where's the proof that any such material is 'harmful'? What is the nature of said 'harm'?

[Scorchingwilde]

I guess it's preferable that the librarians allow the kids to read these "harmful" materials in the library under their supervision to avoid legaly scrutiny, while also being available to answer their questions about things they should have been taught in biology and history. Seriously though, I really hope we see some malicious compliance from the employees in GA

[Jim Burton]

Similar in Iowa:

https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/02 ... libraries/