Two Book Ban Bills Headed To Governor Burgum’s Desk

(Bismarck, ND) — Two bills targeting sexual content in North Dakota’s public libraries are headed to Governor Doug Burgum’s desk for signature. One bill would remove or relocate “explicit sexual material” from the children’s collections at public libraries. Libraries would have to submit a compliance report on new policies developed for handling requests to remove or relate books, developing age appropriate collections, and periodically reviewing collections. A Senate bill would allow for misdemeanor criminal charges for willfully exposing minors to “explicit sexual material.” Supporters say the bills protect children from pornography, while opponents say they amount to censorship.