BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Senate and House passed House Bill 710 (H710) with strong majority party support to restrict material deemed "inappropriate for minors" by existing state law inside Idaho libraries.
If a book is brought into question, the bill would allow the library a 60-day period to review the complaint. If they agree and relocate the book to a different part of the library, the problem is resolved. When a library disagrees, the complainant can file a civil lawsuit for $250.
"When you have an issue like this, where multiple districts multiple libraries are coming for and multiple constituents across the state are coming forward. Then you say we have a state issue, and we now have to step in and solve it for the for the whole state, as opposed to it just being a one-off library issue. It's pretty prominent," bill sponsor Rep. Jaron Crane (R-Nampa) said.
Governor Brad Little (R-Idaho) vetoed a similar bill, also sponsored by Rep. Crane, last legislative session. Reop. Crane met with the governor to review his concerns for a second attempt at the legislation in 2024.
"It's a learning process. The great thing about the veto is it brought people to the table. We didn't have conversations before that we needed to have. That brought them to the table," Rep. Crane said. "I think that [the governor] is gonna support this one. I feel very strong about that. "
The Idaho Libraries Association (ILA) opposed the legislation and its previous forms all session. They testified the $250 civil enforcement is just a floor - legal fees to defend appeals in court will be costly. The ILA also calls the bill and unfunded mandate; they interpret the legislation to mean they must block off and "adult only" section of the library and actively enforce the age restriction.
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