Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry released his "Protecting Innocence" report Tuesday. Landry says it is an examination of sexually explicit material at public libraries that may not be age appropriate for children.
"This is about giving parents the ability to control the information that there children see or have access to at public libraries," said Landry.
Landry says the report does not call for the censoring or banning of certain books at public libraries. But he says the report recommends how libraries can prevent kids from accessing inappropriate materials.
"The ability of those children to check out certain materials should be limited to what their parents and guardians allow," said Landry.
ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director Alanah Odoms says this is another attempt by Landry to strike at people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
"Politicians do not have the right to determine what we read or which ideas we can access. Material that some find offensive may be enlightening and enriching to others," said Odoms. "Today’s proposals would empower state and local officials to pick and choose what material is 'sexually explicit' and, therefore, restricted or removed from circulation entirely."
Turkey Creek Senator Heather Cloud filed legislation today calling on public libraries to implement a policy to limit the access of minors sexually explicit material.
"You know and I know that we don’t want that 10-year-old walking into a library with a full access card and check out something like a Penthouse magazine," said Cloud.
Cloud’s legislation will be discussed in the regular session that starts in April. Her bill proposes that libraries who fail to follow the law could lose public funding.