BISMARK, ND (AP) — The North Dakota Republican governor on Wednesday rejected the bill, further restricting sexual content in libraries, creating a voucher program for private schools, and rejecting two measures that saw widespread support from GOP governors of other states.
GOP-led legislatures can override Governor Kelly Armstrong’s veto by two-thirds of votes at each chamber of commerce. He voted 32 in the Senate and 63 in the House. Neither building gained such support on the road to Armstrong’s desk.
Library bill It will expand the 2023 ban on “explicit sexual material” at public libraries in North Dakota to school districts and require that such material be relocated with a policy to relocate such material “to library areas that are not easily accessible to minors.” The bill also required libraries to have the technology to stop K-12 students from accessing certain online content, and required local prosecutors to consider alleged violations of state restrictions.
In his rejection message, Armstrong said the bill “represents a false attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship. The bill places ambiguous and punitive burdens on experts, opening up many consequences that are not unintended and damaging to the community.”
He also said the bill was “redundant, overly burdensome and places local librarians, school districts and state lawyers in a situation that would not be accepted.”
Supporters said the bill would protect minors from the harmful effects of books that say they are pornographic or indecent. The example they cited is a book on an LGBTQ theme. Opponents said the procedures are already in place and will be called the Bill Government.
The prohibition of books has been revealed in Republican-led states in recent years. Arkansaud, Idaho, Iowa, Florida and Missouri, said Jonathan Friedman, managing director of Penn America’s US Free Expression Program. In recent years, some communities and lawmakers have been trying to advance what he calls the “censorship agenda,” something heavily motivated by anti-LGBTQ animus.
The voucher bill attempted to create an income base “Educational Savings Account Program” Managed by a state-owned bank in North Dakota, it costs $21.7 million for the next two years of budget cycle. This money can be used for tuition fees at private schools, textbooks, technical costs and other expenses.
In his rejection message, the governor said his administration “strongly supports the expansion of school choices,” but the bill “is far short of truly expanding choices as it affects only one sector of the student population. Voucher discussion aside, the law still requires work to address the issue of implementation. It benefits most students and ensures the implementation of the program.
Supporters said the bill would allow parents to choose the best education for their children.
Opponents said the state should not provide public funds for private education. Others cite the state’s constitutional ban, which states that “the funds raised to support the state’s public schools have not been allocated to support religious schools.”
The governor’s proposed two-year budget included $44.3 million to launch the Educational Savings Account Program.
The House has not yet voted for another bill with a similar concept. Armstrong called the bill “an available means to combine the best parts of both bills.”
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