BISMARCK, N.D. (PRAIRIE PUBLIC) – The North Dakota House failed to override Gov. Burgum’s veto of a book ban bill that carried potential criminal penalties for librarians.
The bill – SB 2360 – required librarians to review their collections for “explicit sexual material.”
The Senate had earlier voted to override the veto.
Jamestown Republican Representative Bernie Satrom spoke in favor of the override.
“The Governor states, ‘in America is built on the foundation of freedom of speech, a free exchange of ideas and the freedom from government overreach.’ Should I remind us, or him? Obscenity is a category of speech not covered by the First Amendment. And our freedoms can never be used to justify providing sexually explicit books to our children,” Satrom said.
But Wahpeton Democratic Representative Alisa Mitskog said children aren’t getting pornography from libraries – they’re getting it online.
“We need to move ahead a couple decades here and really acknowledge this (explicit content online) is the threat to our young people. Just go home and ask parents,” Mitskog said.
The vote was 53 to 41 to override the veto. It needed 63 votes.
