(CP) – A bill has been introduced in the Missouri state legislature to restrict drag performers from reading to small children at libraries, a phenomenon that has upset parents nationwide. Called the “Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act,” the legislation is aimed at libraries that display “age-inappropriate material” and proposes losing state funding and penalizing librarians with fines or jail time, according to the Kansas City Star.
The bill’s sponsor in the Missouri statehouse is Rep. Ben Baker, a Republican from Neosho, in the southwestern region of the Show-Me state. “In some places — St. Louis, Kansas City and I think St. (Joseph) — they’ve had these drag queen story hours and that’s something that I take objection to and I think a lot of parents do,” Baker said.
“That’s wherein a public space, our kids could be exposed to something that’s age-inappropriate. That’s what I’m trying to tackle.” Baker’s bill does not apply to books. “If we were trying to ban books or censor literature, I would kill the bill, myself,” he said. Librarians who refuse to remove age-inappropriate content could be convicted of a class B misdemeanor and be required to pay a $500 fine and be sentenced up to a year in jail. READ MORE
