Library materials bill could reappear

COEUR d’ALENE — Legislation that would make libraries civilly liable if minors obtain “obscene” materials from their collections could reappear before the House State Affairs Committee.

Last week, the House Education Committee voted 9-8 to hold HB 139, killing the bill that would’ve opened libraries to a $10,000 civil penalty each time a minor was loaned “harmful” material, as defined by the legislation.

Rep. Jaron Crane (R-Nampa), one of the bill’s sponsors, indicated this week that his team “went back to the drawing board” and planned to introduce new draft legislation into the House State Affairs Committee.

The draft legislation was on Friday morning’s State Affairs agenda, but the entire agenda was replaced Thursday afternoon with a notice that it had been temporarily withdrawn.

The details of the proposal will not be made public until after it is formally considered by the committee.

House State Affairs Chair Brent Crane (R-Nampa) pulled the draft legislation from Thursday’s agenda after a “good meeting” with the Idaho Library Association, according to James Dawson of Boise State Public Radio.

Brent Crane reportedly indicated that the Idaho Library Association opposed one piece of the proposal that had been “inadvertently left in.” That unspecified piece would be cut, Dawson reported.