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Federal Court Blocks Arkansas Censorship Law Criminalizing Librarians and Booksellers

HeadlineJul 31, 2023

A federal judge has blocked an Arkansas law that would allow criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to children and teens. The law, signed by Republican governor and former Trump spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March, would have gone into effect tomorrow, Tuesday. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of various Arkansas libraries, bookstores, librarians and readers. Seventeen-year-old plaintiff and high school student Hayden Kirby said, “I want to fight for our rights to intellectual freedom and ensure that libraries remain spaces where young Arkansans can explore diverse perspectives.”

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