Arkansas Judge Halts Law Criminalizing Librarians for 'Harmful' Materials

A federal judge in Arkansas has temporarily blocked a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing "harmful" materials to minors. The law, signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, would have also created a new process to challenge library materials. The judge's ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System, arguing that the law could lead to self-censorship. The judge rejected a motion to dismiss the case and stated that the law violated the Constitution and wrongly targeted librarians. The decision is seen as a victory for First Amendment rights and a setback for conservative efforts to restrict access to books.