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Penalties for libraries and felonies for librarians up for debate in two Ohio bills

a stack of books
Kimberly Farmer
/
Unsplash

Ohio lawmakers have proposed a bill that would charge librarians with felonies for exposing minors to "obscene" materials. A separate Ohio bill would defund libraries for displaying these materials.

Current state law already prohibits the selling and distribution of "obscene materials" with exceptions for a list of professions. But what constitutes "obscene," and are schools and state institutions equipped to enforce these restrictions if passed?

On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the proposed legislation, current law and the potential impacts on schools and public libraries if passed.

Guests:

  • Jessie Balmert, reporter, USA Today Network Ohio Bureau
  • David Niven, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, University of Cincinnati
  • Jonathan Entin, professor emeritus of law, Case Western Reserve University

Ways to listen to this show:

  • Tune in live at noon ET M-F. Call 513-419-7100 or email talk@wvxu.org to have your voice heard on today’s topic.
  • Catch the replay on 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB at 8 p.m. ET M-F.
  • Listen on-demand. Audio for this segment will be uploaded to this page by 4 p.m. ET., or subscribe to our podcast.
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