Missouri GOP votes to slash state library funding over LGBTQ+ books

Republicans in the Missouri House of Representatives have voted to defund their state’s libraries after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the state for banning numerous LGBTQ+ books as “explicit sexual” materials.

The April 4 vote removed $4.5 million of state budget funding for libraries as well as “costs for diversity initiatives, childcare, and pre-kindergarten programs,” WCPT 820 Radio reported. The removal now requires an additional state house vote and state senate approval before heading to the governor’s desk to become law.

Missouri House Budget Committee leader Rep. Cody Smith (R) suggested slashing the funds in response to the ACLU’s lawsuit over S.B. 775, passed in June 2022. While S.B. 775 expanded the rights of sexual assault victims, state Sen. Rick Brattin (R) included an amendment that punished any school librarian who…

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