Former Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert continued his efforts to withhold funds from libraries at a meeting of the Arkansas State Library Board Friday.
Rapert began his tenure on the board this year. At every meeting since then, Rapert has unsuccessfully tried to remove funding from Arkansas libraries over specific books in their collections. None of his motions at Friday’s meeting received a second, meaning the group was not able to vote on them.
Rapert was especially upset about two memoirs with LGBTQ+ themes found in some Arkansas libraries: “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson and “Genderqueer” by Maia Kobabe. He said he had learned about the books on a website called Take Back the Classroom. The organization is funded by the conservative Capitol Resource Institute, a group working to end sex education in schools.
The site lists books that contain sexual or LGBTQ+ content found in many public libraries. Several titles are by popular authors, including fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas, novelist Ellen Hopkins and poet Rupi Kaur. Rapert previously asked several libraries in Arkansas if they carried the 30 books he found listed on the website. He found that the majority of them did.
During the meeting, Rapert read from “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and showed pictures from “Genderqueer,” which is a graphic novel. He said it was “not fun for him” to read from these books. Rapert said he didn’t want to ban the books, but instead to “segregate” them in a restricted section.
Board members were adamant these books are in appropriate sections of libraries based on their content. They also said the board doesn’t have the power to regulate collection development. Rapert was also upset that many of these books are in school libraries; he dropped this point after a board member pointed out to him that the board does not have power over school libraries.
Along with wanting to withhold funding from libraries, Rapert also wanted the library system to cut ties with the American Library Association, which he says supports “putting pornography in front of children.” He also referenced ALA President Emily Drabinski calling herself a “Marxist lesbian” in a 2022 Twitter post.
Before Rapert read from “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” board member Deborah Knox asked him to explain the relevance of the book passage.
“The relevance is that you’re giving millions of dollars to people in Arkansas for libraries,” Rapert said emphatically. “And you are fighting us from keeping pornographic material in front of these kids.”
The two got into a heated back-and-forth.
“You know who is fighting us? The legislature, because they can not effectively write a law that will stand up in court. It was just struck down,” Knox said.
Neither member referenced any specific law, but Rapert said Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, was at the meeting. Last year, Sullivan helped pass a law requiring books in public libraries deemed “harmful to minors” be put in a restricted section.
Right now, most libraries are governed by obscenity laws. “Harmful to minors” is a much lower and vaguer legal standard. The law also allows county quorum courts to regulate books for “appropriateness.”
On July 29, 2023, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks blocked the two more controversial parts of the law from going into effect. At previous meetings, Rapert has tried and failed to withhold funding from the libraries involved in the suit.
Rapert seemed to be under the impression that the law may not have been struck down.
“You don’t know that of which you speak,” he said to Knox.
Knox further pointed out to Rapert that the library board cannot legally withhold funding, regardless of whether they want to or not.
“Our opinions about these books don’t matter,” she said.
At one point, Knox described the content of “All Boys Aren’t Blue” as “pornography,” but said “we don’t ban books on this board.”
“This whole board is authorized by statute,” Rapert told her.
Knox repeatedly called on Rapert to name a statute that gives the board the authority to withhold funds. He did not name any.
She then read from state statutes regarding the library board functions.
The state lawshe referenced says “be the official state library agency designated to administer state and federal programs of aid.” She said this means they can’t design or write aid programs.
“And I know that upsets you because you are a [lawmaker],” she said. “You are standing in the wrong room.”
Board member Lupe Peña de Martínez reiterated points she had made at earlier meetings. She said, as a survivor of child sexual abuse, the books could be helpful for a child going through the same thing.
Board member Pamela Meredith agreed, saying the books act as a “deterrent to sexual abuse.” She also said the board couldn’t make collection development decisions.
“There is a thing called the First Amendment,” she said. “And in order to have the freedom to speak, you must have the freedom to listen. And along with that is the freedom to write, and the freedom to read.”
Rapert said there was nothing in the books that could guide “thoughtful conversation,” adding he will not give up his attempts to withhold funds.
“All of these motions will be back before you at the next body,” he said. “You are going to vote on this every single time I am a member of this board.”
Rapert’s term on the Arkansas State Library Board expires in 2029.