Opponents of a bill requiring school librarians to restrict student access to certain books containing sexually explicit materials tried to overturn the earlier vote in favor of the bill – but failed to get the House to reconsider.
The bill is SB 2307.
Rep. Jon Nelson (R_Rugby) supported the reconsideration, saying this issue is a matter of local control, not state control.
"Don't count on the North Dakota Legislature to get into local matters that we have no business in," Nelson said. "Let the local communities make those decisions."
Nelson said school board elections are coming up.
"If you don't like the decisions, get out and run, if you want books filtered from your library, and make that decision from your local position," Nelson said. "But don't require every other community in North Dakota to follow along with your definition of what is right and what is wrong."
Rep. Larry Klemin (R-Bismarck) opposed reconsideration.
"Most librarians and public schools, I'm sure, do a wonderful job in managing their libraries," Klemin said. "But there are some who just haven't got the message, and we need to set them straight with this bill."
The motion to reconsider failed, with 40 voting yes, and 51 voting no.
