is missouri closing libraries

To donate by check, phone, bitcoin, or other method, see our, Advocates for Racial Equity on Campus Say SCOTUS Ruling Wont Deter Their Fight, Right-Wing Think Tank, Walmart Heirs Behind Latest Attack on Arkansas Teachers, DeSantis Transferred $92 Million to Project Helping Developer Who Donated to Him, Hiroshima Survivors Denounce Move to Equate Pearl Harbor With Atomic Bombing, Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism, proposed eliminating all funding for public libraries in the state last week, purge hundreds of titles from the shelves, LGBTQ characters or racial justice themes, among the materials that have been banned, When Missouri Proposed Library Censorship, Librarians Got Organized, particularly in rural areas that rely on state funding due to small tax bases, said Missouri Libraries Association president Otter Bowman, Article IX Section 10 of the document says, Almost 7 Million People Are Predicted to Lose Medicaid Due to Technicalities, Supreme Court Kills Student Debt Relief, 1 Day After Slashing Affirmative Action. Questions? Theyre making these sweeping decisions that make it difficult for people to live their lives., Ultimately, any measure to defund libraries could be deemed unlawful since Missouris constitution says the state must see to the establishment and development of free public libraries and to accept the obligation of their support by the state and its subdivisions and municipalities in such manner as may be provided by law.. Missouri GOP Votes to Defund Libraries Amid a Nationwide Republican The Missouri Constitution requires the state to fund free public libraries. Republican Rep. Dirk Deaton of Noel defended the law and the decision to strip public library funding in response to the lawsuit. Theyve become liberal grooming centers.. This is not that, Deaton said. The move came in response to an ACLU lawsuit filed by. James Risens New Book on the Church Committee, Amy Littlefield on Life on the Abortion Borderland After Dobbs & State-Level Work to Preserve Access, Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg Dies at 92, We Dare to Dream: Syrian Filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab Focuses on the Refugee Olympic Team in New Film, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License, As Media Spotlights Titanic Sub, Hundreds of Migrants Who Died in Greek Shipwreck Get Scant Coverage, Mutiny in Russia: Nina Khrushcheva on How the Wagner Revolt Exposes Putins Weakness, Putins Creation: History of Russias Mercenary Wagner Group & Its Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, A Titanic Disparity in How the World Responds to Maritime Disasters. Missouri has 160 library districts, which split the states library funding. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. But its not against Wichitas housing code. At first I was in disbelief and then my blood ran cold because I thought of the terrible impact this would have, particularly on smaller libraries, but for everyone across the board. ACLU calls Missouri Republicans move to defund libraries 'abhorrent' The library also provides meeting rooms, study rooms, and in many cases serves as a heating and cooling center, and offers restrooms, for people who are unhoused. The logic-defying statement by Scott echoed similar remarks he made in May. By submitting your email, you agree to our, The rising Republican movement to defund public libraries, The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained, Affirmative action for white college applicants is still here, The other big decision just handed down by the Supreme Court, explained, The monstrous arrogance of the Supreme Courts affirmative action decision. For assistance, please call the Engineering Library (573-882-2379). newsletter. 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It discounts the needs of library patrons all over the state. No food. Smith has claimed that the reduction of funds for public municipal libraries was needed to ensure the MLA couldnt use state funds to help subsidize its lawsuit however, the ACLU is not actually charging the MLA any fees but providing legal aid pro bono, thus rendering the GOP lawmakers concerns moot. The Missouri Senate later restored the funding to the budget proposal in April. Google Pay. We have hours left to raise the $12,000 we still need to keep Truthout whole. Any school official, including librarians, who fails to comply with the law could be fined up to $2,000 and/or could be imprisoned for up to a year. Help us get essential knowledge into a world that needs revolution and healing make a tax-deductible donation today! The percentage of aid that that state aid makes up in the overall budget is much greater for rural libraries because they don't have such a strong tax base, they're kind of on a shoestring as it is now, said Bowman, who works at the Columbia Public Library. The original rule allowed anyone to be able to challenge access to books. Find popular everyday essentials at a discount during Prime Day 2023. PDF Missouri Public Library Closures Due to COVID-19 Updated April 15, 2020 Democracy Now! To support all of these services, the state has consistently allocated more than $3.5 million each fiscal year since 2020. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Libraries & Collections // Libraries // Mizzou // University of Missouri The proposed rule filed by the Secretary of State would have broad and permanent ramifications for Missouris public libraries. Rep. Cody Smith (R-Carthage), chair of the House Budget Committee, proposed eliminating all funding for public libraries in the state last week, after a lawsuit was filed by the Missouri Libraries Association (MLA) in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against a state law that bans certain materials from schools and libraries. 04:14 GOP rep suggests replacing libraries with 'church-owned' alternatives One House Republican not only condemned public libraries, he suggested they be replaced with "church-owned". As the Missouri Senate takes up the House-approved budget, there are signs that public library funding could be saved. The Missouri Constitution requires the state to fund free public libraries. The move by Republicans may also be illegal, as Missouris constitution requires the state legislature to provide funding for all free public libraries, though it doesnt provide an exact figure or formula for how it must do so. U.S. A revised version says only a parent of a minor can challenge access. He can be found on Twitter: @thatchriswalker. Letter: UH wastes money by closing Sinclair Library Advocates are using the moment to argue for the purpose of libraries. And as fights over banning books or removing them from shelves continue, libraries could be an increasing target of lawmakers displeasure. Missouri is one of a growing number of places where government funding is being deployed as the newest weapon in the fight over books. Schmidt: The Bud Light controversy is the free market in action. Fort Bend County Libraries' Missouri City Branch Library will present a special program on " The Language of Flowers " on Friday, July 14, from 12:15 to 1:45 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library. Republicans in that legislative body have said they would restore the cuts, but that promise was made before the budget was passed in the House. HANDOUT Kurt Erickson JEFFERSON CITY The chief Senate budget writer said he plans to restore state funding for Missouri's public. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. Plus, they get matching funds from the federal government. If there is no state aid to match, then they dont get federal funds. The Kansas City Public Library has closed its locations on Sugar Creek at 102 S. Sterling Ave., and on Trails West at 11401 E. 23rd St. effective immediately, after a staff member tested. Best Missouri Library Science Degrees for 2022 | Online & Campus Other commentators spoke out against the defunding of libraries in the state. Theyre pandering to a particular base that may or may not understand how libraries work. Federal court documents also say Sparks group distributed at least a kilogram of methamphetamine every day for nearly a year in the Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, and St. Louis areas between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 12, 2018. Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. SCOTUS Sides With Website Creator Seeking to Discriminate Against LGBTQ People, Supreme Court Reverses Decades of Precedent to Curtail Affirmative Action, Nurses in Texas and Kansas Make History With a Massive Strike, When Missouri Proposed Library Censorship, Librarians Got Organized, Right-Wingers Are Taking Over Library Boards to Remove Books on Racism, Missouri Republicans Consider Dont Say Gay Bill Thats Worse Than Floridas, SCOTUS Case to End Student Loan Forgiveness Relies on Unwilling Participant, Anti-LGBTQ Petitioners Apparently Made Up Gay Couple Cited in Major SCOTUS Case, Historians Condemn Philly Museum for Hosting Right-Wing Moms for Liberty Event, Corporate Donors Fund Dark Money Push for Third Party Presidential Challenger, DeSantis Says He Would Eliminate 4 Federal Agencies, Including IRS, as President, Oregon Legislature Advances Ballot Question on Ranked-Choice Voting, Sen. Rick Scotts Travel Warning for Florida Is a Veiled Threat to Socialists, Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19, Religions Role in the Struggle for Justice. to your inbox each morning. Rent The Pointe (3rd floor) at Missouri City Branch Library? The Supreme Courts lawless, completely partisan student loans decision, explained, The difficult reality of restarting student loan payments, in 5 charts, The Supreme Court will decide if abusive spouses have a right to own guns, Why Jonathan Majorss assault arrest is so disturbing and so complicated, An Airbnb collapse wont fix Americas housing shortage, How to prepare for the return of student loan payments. Republican House Budget Chairman Cody Smith last week cut the roughly $4.5 million in public library funding from the budget, citing a lawsuit by two library groups to overturn a new Missouri. The measure has led to the removal of over 300 books from school libraries many with LGBTQ characters and social justice topics. Support our mission by making a gift today. The logic-defying statement by Scott echoed similar remarks he made in May. A second broadside of the Declaration of Independence is now on view at Olin Library at Washington University in St. Louis. ordinarily mild-mannered actor LeVar Burton, who hosted the popularPBSchildren's program "Reading Rainbow" for decades,tweeted in response to the budget bill. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Moms for Liberty aims "to obstruct the professional responsibilities of historians," one historians' group said. Republicans in that legislative body have said they would restore the cuts, but that promise was made before the budget was passed in the House. Top Missouri lawmaker moves to strip library funding The percentage of state funding in each districts overall budget is much greater for rural libraries because they have smaller tax bases and dont have as much coming in from other sources, when compared to urban districts in Missouri, said Bowman. Sen. Lincoln Hough (R-30), the body's chief budget writer, has said he plans to restore the $4.5 million in the upper chamber's version of the legislation.. Fort Bend County Libraries Missouri City Branch Library will present a special program on The Language of Flowers on Friday, July 14, from 12:15 to 1:45 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library. GKN Aerospace is closing. Get Democracy Now! Storytime for Toddlers - 9:30am at Withers. Who do we want to be in here? State Rep. Peter Merideth asked colleagues on the House floor. The ACLU, the Missouri Association of School Librarians, and the Missouri Library Association in February asked the Circuit Court in Kansas City to find the law unconstitutional or clarify how and when it applies. Storytime for Babies - 9:30am at Green Hills Library Center. In February, the ACLU of Missouri, the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment.. Republicans decided to retaliate against MLA, a nonprofit . Two students have sued a Missouri school district over its decision to remove eight books from school libraries, arguing the novels were banned because they discuss issues surrounding race, gender . The bill forbids teachers and staff members from discussing LGBTQ topics with students in grades K-12. Around $4.5 million in funds that would have been included in the budget for libraries were instead dropped down to zero, after cuts proposed by Rep. Cody Smith (R), chair of the state House Budget Committee, were included. The stripping of funds for public libraries was done in retaliation over a lawsuit brought forward by the Missouri Library Association (MLA), which, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is suing the state over a draconian law that bans hundreds of titles in public school district libraries, including books that discuss LGBTQ issues, racial justice and the history of the Holocaust. The rhetoric these lawmakers are using to describe these books is being deployed to alarm constituents and suggest that there is material in schools and libraries that is objectionable. A Michigan library lost its funding last year after it refused to pull. You can also contribute via. 'Despicable and Dangerous': Missouri Republicans Vote to Defund State's Lawmakers in Llano County, Texas, weighed closing public libraries this spring instead of following a court order to return banned books to the shelves. ACLU-MO filed the suit on behalf of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association (MLA) in an effort to overturn a state law passed in 2022 that bans. A former fugitive who triggered a massive manhunt pleads guilty to escaping from prison. Mar 29, 2023 If the proposed budget cut passes, Missouri libraries might have to cut back on what they can provide the public. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The Curtis Laws Wilson Library location will be closed. Trevor Sparks escaped from the Cass County jail . A new mural project by St. Louis artist David Ruggeri brings awareness to the importance of access to banned books. The budget has yet to be passed in the state Senate. Missouri Republicans Are One Step Closer To Defunding Public Libraries The proposed rule would require Missouris 160 local public libraries to adopt policies on the age-appropriateness of literature. In 2017, Chad joined the St. Louis Public Radio team as the fourth Race and Culture Diversity Fellow. Missouri House votes to strip state funding from public libraries - KY3 In Jamestown, Michigan, last year, residents voted against passing a millage which would have raised property taxes to fund the Patmos Public Library. Copyright 2023 Salon.com, LLC. That number could double by next fall. The threats tend to occur in states where lawmakers want to restrict health care for trans people, limit drag performances and curb how teachers discuss gender, sexuality, race, and history at school. And we cant do that if we have a paywall. The law, passed last year, does not apply to written descriptions of sex or sexual acts; only photos, drawings, videos and other visual depictions are prohibited. FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. What to expect from scaled-back Fair St. Louis. Missouri state House Republicans vote to defund public libraries We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. The program is free and open to the public. The lawsuit argues the Missouri law violates the First Amendment. So theyd be penalized twice. Any decrease in funding could also increase the already high turnover rate for library employees due to lower wages and force some locations to close on some days or run on limited capacity. Ashcroft, a Republican considering a 2024 run for governor, floated the change in October. Around $4.5 million in funds that would have been included in the budget for librarieswere instead dropped down to zero, after cuts proposed by Rep. Cody Smith (R), chair of the state House Budget Committee, were included. Residents in Ada County, Idaho, recently tried to dissolve the local library system, though commissioners ultimately decided to not put the question of dissolving the library on the ballot. Chad is a native of St. Louis and is a huge hip- hop, r&b, and pop music fan. The Missouri law that librarians are currently challenging in court bans materials that the state has deemed sexually explicit from schools, including school libraries.

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