"Arkansas Judge Halts Law Criminalizing Librarians for Lending 'Obscene' Books to Minors"

A federal judge in Arkansas has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing "harmful" or "obscene" materials to minors. The law, signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, would have also created a process to challenge library materials and request their relocation. 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 ACLU of Arkansas applauded the decision, stating that it protects First Amendment rights. Similar laws restricting access to books have been enacted in other states.