Meeting Public Comments

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

02-18-2025

Ellen de Graffenreid

PLEASE let parents not politicians decide what their kids read.The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.Citizens have the right to make these decisions on behalf of themselves and their children.

02-19-2025

Charles Wellman

No group which has banned books has been on the right side of history. This bill aims to ban "obscene" books from public libraries and "education institutions".This is a slippery slope.This is under the guise of "protecting children"Books like The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and SO many other fantastic works of writing are on the list of books to be removed.Restricting these books makes them unavailable to so many people, not everyone can frequent Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Additionally, B&N and Amazon have enough money.Iowans deserve to be able to choose what they read. We don't need our government to decided what qualifies as obscene material.

02-19-2025

Grace Rogers

This bill aims to ban "obscene" books from public libraries and "education institutions".This is a slippery slope.This is under the guise of "protecting children"Books like The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and SO many other fantastic works of writing are on the list of books to be removed.Restricting these books makes them unavailable to so many people, not everyone can frequent Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Additionally, B&N and Amazon have enough money.Iowans deserve to be able to choose what they read. We don't need our government to decided what qualifies as obscene material.

02-19-2025

Steven Groom

This bill is another waste of time by our state government. No state, country, city, or group who has advocated for censorship has ever been found to be in the right. This bill needlessly interferes with libraries across the state in an effort to place controls on what is read. This is a fundamental violation of the 1st amendment.

02-17-2025

Sumner Wallace

Do NOT pass this bill. What are you so afraid of? That children might relate to a book about queer people and realize something about themselves? That they might read a book about the impact of racial hate and learn how to be kind to people who aren't exactly like them? That they might learn something about their own bodies? (Lord knows they aren't learning enough in Health class.) What you should be afraid of is censorship. Books and librarians are not "turning" your kids queer or "indoctrinating" them. Conservative politicians would like to focus your attention on the fear that your kids are being harmed by books and librarians so that they can get busy destroying democracy. "Democracy dies in darkness," and darkness happens when you censor information. If you don't want your kid accessing certain information, then you oversee what books they're checking out. Take responsibility for your own kids. But NOT for other people's kids. Just because you don't like something and don't want your kid to read it, doesn't mean other parents feel the same. Some of us like access to knowledge and multiple perspectives, and we want our kids to be open minded and compassionate human beings. Strike down this bill. Librarians are not hurting your kids, but YOU might be if you limit their access to knowledge. Get your priorities straight.

02-14-2025

Abby Scace

Please do not pass this bill. Censorship has no place in the country of free speech. It is the job of parents and legal guardians to guide what their children may or may not borrow, the library must remain a bastion of information and free speech.

02-14-2025

Carrie Stevens

Please parent your own children, and let other parents do the same. Not everyone can afford to buy new books every time their child wants to read something new. It takes a lot of money and storage space to have a home library that would satisfy some of the most voracious readers as children. Libraries provide wonderful resources for the community that aren't otherwise guaranteed. Please allow us to have an equal opportunity for everyone to educate and better themselves. And pay attention to what your own kids are doing so we don't have to have the government breathing down our backs as we parent our children.

02-14-2025

Amanda Schimonitz

I strongly oppose this bill. Parents not government should be responsible for guiding their children's reading choices.i don't impose my religious beliefs on others and should not have others imposed on myself or my children. Libraries are a safe place for many a d should remain that way.

02-14-2025

Brandon Molyneux Molyneux

I like the the idea of protecting kids, but this bill will affect adults too. I'm all for keeping it out of the schools not public libraries though because that will restrict adults access to said materials. That's censorship and has no place in agree society.

02-14-2025

Julian Trachsel

I strongly oppose this bill. If parents dont want their kids reading certain things thats between them and their child. Dont take away freedoms from everyone else just because some people want to abdicate parental responsibility to the state

02-14-2025

Laura Camerona

I believe this bill forgets that librarians are professionals with their masters degree. As an author, I know that getting books in libraries isnt easy. Librarians are choosy and pick books that fill the needs of their citizens. This book is oversight. There does not need to be a committee to decide what books make it into the library. Librarians are educated professionals that already do this.

02-14-2025

Michael Roberts

I oppose HF274. Government censorship is contrary to the values espoused in the constitution that legislators have sworn to uphold and defend. If parents are concerned about materials available at the library they should do their job as parents and set boundaries for their children, instead of demanding the government to parent for them. Groups pushing for state censorship and book bans are not and have never been on the right side of history.

02-14-2025

Michael Lux

Please do not pass this bill.Given the definition of "promote" in 728.1 includes procure, give, provide, and distribute and the definition of "Obscene material" is "which the average person, taking the material as a whole and applying contemporary community standards with respect to what is suitable material for minors, would find appeals to the prurient interest and is patently offensive; and the material, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, scientific, political or artistic value" this bill effectively shutters libraries at as a whole. A libraries whole job is to procure, give, provide, and distribute media, particularly books and with a definition as subjective as that given in 728.1 for obscene material, libraries wouldn't be able to vet content effectively due to lacking staff. This also put more strain on our legal system as complains would likely have to follow the procedure listed in "728.6 Civil suit to determine obscenity."Please do not close all our libraries with this bill, these series of laws (728) were not designed with public institutions in mind.

02-14-2025

Rebecca Breazeale

I vehemently oppose this bill. Please do not limit childrens access to libraries. I also oppose censoring of library content. It is oppressive overreach and focusing energy in the wrong place. Please keep our libraries safe from censoring and authoritarian bullying!!!!

02-14-2025

Morgan Molden

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries are not the problem they are serving a diverse community and should have the freedom to select material that serves their patrons. Enough with this no one wants porn in libraries bills like these are going beyond common sense and feeding an ignorant belief that libraries are running amuck. Leave our libraries alone they are perhaps the very best of government.

02-14-2025

Emma Helvie

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL! Libraries are a resource for EVERYONE. It's not the library's fault if your child finds an "inappropriate" book/material. Why are you censoring a public resource? Is it because you can't control it? That's a violation of the 1st Amendment. Lastly, Libraries are one the last places where you can spend time without the expectation to spend money.Iowa can't go back to being a top education state if this passes.

02-14-2025

Justin Jackson

This bill is nothing but censorship.If Iowans do not know how to parent their children, please take a class. Do not make the state assume your parenting duties by controling what you think your kids know or read. Maybe if your child reads something you find objectionable, you can have a converversation about that. This is disgusting.

02-14-2025

Mikaela Ferreter

This bill needs to vetoed and I am appalled it has gotten this far. Libraries are the foundation of knowledge and resources in our community and any censorship is a disgrace to all the work they do. Just because you don't want to teach the truth to your children doesn't mean that others are in the same mindset. The realities of the world are not PG and always child friendly but it is the reality of it. Denying this is akin to living in fictional world.

02-14-2025

Addie Knight

I am AGAINST this bill. It has never been the expectation and should never be the expectation that a library parents children. Having materials available is not the same as exposing it to Iowas kids. Parents need to take responsibility back.

02-14-2025

Frank Kminek

I do NOT support this bill. Public libraries provide materials of all types to all citizens in their communities. They are not actively stocking pornographic material. This bill is riding the wave of the culture war and attempting censorship. Let librarians decide how to meet their communities' needs and let parents decide what their children should read.

02-14-2025

Adam Albright

I do NOT support this bill. Our hard working librarians already follow a common sense version of what this bill claims to accomplish, so it is not necessary. At the same time, the overly broad and vague wording of this bill would do more to harm our children than to protect them, by creating confusion and limiting access to libraries as a space to learn and to relax. I would recommend that the committee take a trip to their libraries and read Jeffrey Hatcher's play "A Picasso", in which Picasso's work was banned from display as "degenerate" as part of a political order.

02-14-2025

Rosemary Geiken

I oppose HF 274. It is up to parents to guide and monitor their children's reading. It is NOT up to this group to do the same to mea tax paying adult. The definition of "obscene" in this bill allows for lots of subjective opinion and could lead to many quality pieces of literature being removed from our libraries. I strongly urge you to vote against this bill.

02-14-2025

Erin Bode

This bills intent is not to protect minors, rather it is a way to further restrict our public libraries abilities to properly support their community. This states government in general is out of touch with the needs of the people. There are issues that are more integral to the daily lives of the people: Protect minors more concretely and clearly from workplace exploitation AND intensive monitoring of these workplaces (since you now allow child labor in the state). Craft bills and budgets that increase funding for our public schools that you collectively have put in a position to make it HARDER for them to support students. Spend time genuinely trying to find ways to get more money into the pockets of THE AVERAGE PERSON. Dont waste valuable time for your citizens on such damaging legislation that does nothing but prevent YOUR CONSTITUENTS from access to essential resources, material, and representation. This bill, as well as others introduced, highlight the ways in which our government has continually abandoned our genuine needs in favor of policies like this that focus more on supposed culture issues, that merely distract from the needs of the people. Its sad that you lot are so out of touch, willingly and enthusiastically introducing legislation to create more division and razing essential resources for your constituents to the ground repeatedly. Im disgusted by your embrace of propaganda and the fact that these types of legislation are even up for debate. Your constituents are starting to see through this, so buck up and do the work that we actually care about and NEED.

02-14-2025

Amanda Robertson

Do not pass this bill. Libraries are one of the last public places children can use for free. Children are much more likely to be exposed to obscene material playing with someones phone than at a library. This will force libraries to close their doors to children. It does nothing to address the problem being exposed to obscene material, and decreases the quality of life in our communities.

02-14-2025

David Michael

I am a parent of four children, ages 2 to 13 years old. My wife and I frequently use our community library with our children and use other metro libraries as well. Libraries are laid out with age appropriate content and as a parent should have the right to decide what content is appropriate for them to view. Sometimes that might be content in the section for adults but is relevant for kids. It is important parents be involved in the media their kids consume and it is not the right of the state to patrol that.I am against the passage of this bill and would urge the subcommittee not to move forward with it.

02-14-2025

Ellen Bell

I cant believe this bill is even being considered. This is censorship, plain and simple. I do not need the government telling me what I or my children can and cannot read. I do not coparent with the government.This bill has no place in Iowa.

02-14-2025

Nick Pierson

I do not support this bill. Libraries are vital institutions that provide necessary services to patrons and community at large. This bill unnecessarily strains these vital resources to meet arbitrary rules that dont place faith in people to choose what is and is not acceptable for them.

02-14-2025

Jesse Garrison

I am opposed to this bill.Libraries are for everyone and what one parent deems inappropriate for their child doesn't mean that that material is inappropriate for anyone. Librarians already choose things based on community standards and have policies regarding appropriate content. What they don't do is act in place of parents whose responsibility it is to monitor their children's media consumption and have conversations regarding it. This is, at best, fearmongering regarding the presence of obscene materials and at worst a backdoor attempt to censor materials about types of people that other people are prejudiced about (e.g. the existence of gay people being portrayed as being inherently obscene) all wrapped up in a "won't somebody think of the children!?" package.Please reject HF 274.

02-14-2025

A Tokarski

I absolutely do not support this bill. Libraries are for everyone. It is up to parents to decide what their children consume and do their jobs accordingly for their own children. A few people cannot and should not dictate everyone elses media consumption or decide what is considered obscene or offensive.

02-14-2025

Isaac Hillaker

Please, oppose this bill. Libraries are meant to be a source of not only books and movies, but access to other educational materials and tools. My local library gives access to things like power tools, video editing software, kitchenware, tech for converting old family videos to digital, language learning software, etc On their own, these different types of tools can be prohibitively expensive, so both adults and kids have few or no opportunities to learn how to use them or they do not have access to the tools needed to accomplish different tasks (whether for school or in their personal lives). Not everyone has access to these types of things. Libraries can provide access to these various tools and materials, opening the door for people of all ages and backgrounds to begin learning or experimenting with new skills, or simply provide them a place to get a task done.Additionally, in this digital (and polarized) age, libraries offer a public meeting space for people to actually interact in. Our society is sorely missing this, and we need public spaces where we can hang out, discuss ideas, and interact with members of our community, face to face. This bill is just another layer to prevent community members from seeing each other and further dividing us. We NEED to see each other and talk to each other. I have young kids and I have never, not once, walked into any library and felt my child was being marketed pornography or anything like it. There are some books, films, or other materials that are for adults, absolutely, but that is not the same as pornography. This bill uses incredibly vague language to determine what is art or valuable, leaving it wide open to interpretation. The Lord of the Rings might frighten younger children, but I wouldn't say the library should stop carrying it because SOME parents might be opposed. I would say the parents need to start parenting, and discuss with their child why they can't borrow it from the library. Same goes with any horror film or any film that contains sexual content. Parent your children. It's not the states place: it is yours.Libraries are one of the most trusted and respected public institutions. You will find people from all walks of life in them. They are there to provide the public access to information, and as discussed earlier, even tools and other materials, should their budget allow it. Additionally, libraries offer quiet places for families, students, and other individuals to study or read in quiet. I see no reason, none whatsoever, that we should be targeting public libraries. We can hold our public institutions to a higher standard, there's no problem in that, but this bill is not doing that. It is reactionary fear mongering and does nothing to keep our children safe. Parents, start parenting your children and having a relationship with them. Talk to them about why they can't borrow certain materials or watch certain films. It is NOT the states job to tell you and your child what you can and cannot read, what is art and what is not. And while you're at it, take a look at what they view on their smartphones (or even yours) or their computers. The Internet is a source of any obscenity you can think of, and is a much, MUCH bigger threat to your child's well being than your public library. Oppose this bill. Please, support your library and encourage your librarians to do good work, and delve into the various services that libraries offer. And please, write your reps and discuss the issues that actually affect our day to day lives as Iowans. Toxic waterways, decimated Iowa ecosystems, few public land holds for people to enjoy, lack of access to affordable healthcare, lack of access to good paying jobs, etc These issues affect us every day. The library isn't the problem and it never was.

02-14-2025

Graham Anderson

This is an attempt to censor knowledge which becomes a very slippery slope to authoritarianism. This will likely cut off access to books and other crucial learning materials about our history, without knowing about our past mistakes we are blind to reproducing them.

02-14-2025

Brent Johnson

This bill is ridiculous. Do not pass it.Before we start casting stones at libraries parents should first take a deep look at their own households. Social media is a far more destructive 'real' threat to our children that books will ever be. Sticking your heads in the sand and blaming someone else will not save your child from these topics. Instead, they'll just learn about them in a more confused, deceitful, bigoted, and incorrect manner. Just think how your child would view the topics of puberty and sex if their education came from Urban Dictionary.I for one would rather my child be educated by a book than by the lies and disinformation about the very topics that those wishing to ban these books are worried about. Your child's education starts at home. If you don't want them to read books tell them not to go to the library, don't burn it down.

02-14-2025

Cheryl Jefferies

Please do NOT pass this bill. Its way too vague and could lead to further harm to our library system. Children should have access to books. This could take away access for all children for fear of retribution to having the wrong book on the shelves. The goalpost will be moved further and further until there are no libraries left at all. Parents need to be involved in their childrens lives and should be more aware of what their children are reading. This involves effort on the parents part. Libraries are not parents, just facilitators for parents to be able to educate their children. Libraries should be treasured and not torn away piece by piece with bans and restrictions. Libraries are also a place for people of all ages to get education that they would not normally have access to (because of having to quit school to work at an early age or otherwise). Please do not take autonomy away from the people. Please do your job as parents and instill the values that are needed for your children to pick up books that you deem worthy. Do not force all of us to parent your kids. Sounds a lot like laziness and free childcare/welfare (which you are against). Please start thinking these bills through before proposing them. They are very tone deaf and reactionary. I thought you were chosen and getting paid to provide a higher judgemental skill than the top percent of Americans. This is giving the bottom ten percent and is shameful. Please do better. For all our sakes.

02-14-2025

Sonja Brandt

Please do not pass this bill. This is against freedom of speech. Parents should be deciding what kids can and can not bring into their homes, not libraries. Libraries are there for everyone and if you start censoring then where does it end? This bill would be abuse of power and will hurt libraries. The kids can see anything in books and more on the phones and tablets that parents hand them, usually without any controls. Don't punish the libraries!

02-14-2025

Larissa Boeck

Do not pass this bill. Libraries are deeply important hubs for community that facilitate learning, creativity, and preservation of history. I thought the point of republican leadership was supposed to be about smaller government, less rules, and leaving people alone. Whereas this bill seems to be all about control, control, control. The people of Iowa do not want this bill.

02-14-2025

Sharon Falduto

Who gets to define "obscenity"? Is it books withgaspsex in them? Don't dumb down Iowa even more by passing draconian laws about what books and materials libraries can have in them.I do not support this bill. I support libraries.

02-14-2025

Mitchell Anderson

I do not support this bill. This is promoting censorship. People need to stop talking about the kids. Parents need to actually parent their children rather than expect the government do it for them. It is up to the parents to make sure the kids are not getting into anything inappropriate.

02-14-2025

Katherine Pierson

I do not support this. Censoring the library will put it at danger of shuttering and closing, cutting our community off from vital resources. This is a moral panic strategically designed to create fear. Education gives us power and censoring it is a means to weakening that power. The onus should be on a parent or guardian to protect their child from materials they disapprove of. Anyone and everyone should have access to learn about any subject they wish.

02-14-2025

Alycia Lentz

I do not support this bill. It is too vague who is to determine what the average person thinks, who defines obscenity, and why should one person's vague interpretation of "safe for children" affect what all children can see? Personal responsibility should belong to the parent, not placed on librarians who will be forced to severely restrict access to books for fear of prosecution. Libraries should be protected, expanded, and supported. They are repositories for ideas, free speech, and education. Anything that attacks libraries is a attack on us all.

02-14-2025

Chris Gibbons

This is a terrible bill and idea. For the party of "small government" you sure are sticking your noses in a lot of places that don't want or need you. As the parent of 2 children, I've never once worried about the materials at my library or the wonderful folks who work there. You people think that we can't parent our own children and/or that we need your help. We don't. You are what I warn my kids about, not the library or the materials therein. Shame on you.

02-14-2025

Brandon Schmidt

Absolutely do not pass this bill. This is just another way to punish our public libraries who offer complex, well rounded collections to our children and communities. Public libraries do not have the legal authority to act in loco parentis. It is my responsibility as a parent to decide what my children have access to, not the library's. As the common phrase goes, there is something in a good library to offend everyone. Stop trying to take away the power of Iowans to educate themselves and their children! Leave our libraries alone!

02-14-2025

Olivia Cesnik

Do not pass this bill! Plenty of adults enjoy the library. If you dont want your kids to read certain material, then be GOOD PARENTS AND WATCH YOUR KIDS! Dont take away perfectly good books from the greater public because you dont want to parent your child! Reminder the people banning and restricting books are NEVER on the right side of history. Never once.

02-14-2025

Chelsey Wentz

As a librarian I would like to point out that this is illegal as the first amendment is for freedom of speech. Which also means written speech. Not to mention it is a public library not a personal one.and a public library should have something for everyone. Not just one set of people. We are all diffrent so we need diffrent books to accommodate.

02-14-2025

Jayme West

Do not pass this bill. It is not the governments responsibility to tell me or my kids what they are allowed to read. Stop putting unnecessary regulations in place just because nosey Karens are upset that people are allowed to think differently than themselves.

02-14-2025

N. Bruce Nelson [Retired]

Iowans are Americans, too. No real American agrees with censorship. To anyone who reads history, as educated people do, they know that this is the kind of proposal that was supported by Nazis and others with antiAmerican ideas. I am an ordained and active Christian minister and know that such legislation is wrong as a result of my Christian education. I want the Bible to continue to be available to inquirers. Such a bill also threatens the jobs of educated Iowans in small towns, just as it did in Idaho. We should know better than to even consider such a bill here in Iowa.

02-14-2025

Austin Behrens

I dont support nor want to see this past, too many books have already been banned that had important life lessons in them that were taught and read for years including to kill a mockingbird and of mice and men, parents should be held more accountable for their childrens decisions including the topics and genres of the books they read, obscene is a broad word in every category of book written, many could say an anatomy book used in schooling is obscene, or history books relating to any world war is obscene, where do you draw the line? This is crossing too hard of a line that you cant go back from, parents need to use their own judgement whens it comes to what children read, banning such things is an infringement on all our rights, especially from a public place that is open to all.

02-14-2025

Lizzy Fitzsimmons

I do not support HF 274, or much else of what this legislative session has brought. Seriously, Iowans have so many real issues. Housing prices, grocery prices, lack of consistent medical care access in rural areas, skyrocketing cancer rates, farmers having insurance claims denied. And yet, you sit here voting on what books people can read and where people can pee? Get a grip.Republican lawmakers may claim to be against the government styles of dictatorships like Russia and China, but you just want to be them, and its showing.

02-14-2025

Kara Askey

Please do not pass this bill. Public libraries are public and the books and materials they have help foster knowledge, learning, enjoyment, and relaxation throughout the community. They are wonderful resources!!Parents should parent and check what their kids are borrowing from the library if they're that concerned about it. Libraries serve the community as a whole, and the librarians have their own job to do which does not include parenting other people's children in a PUBLIC place or telling someone what books they can or cannot read.

02-14-2025

Barbara Noble

Vote NO. I do not support this bill as it signifies a shift in the legal framework governing obscenity in relation to education and will likely lead to stricter regulations and impact freedom of speech. Individuals decide what is or isnt obscene, not the government ?!

02-14-2025

Jeremy Dahlstrom

Do NOT pass this bill. It's clear several people commenting on here do not know what they are commenting about and/or do not know what a library is for. Censorship, in general, is bad for a society. Libraries are there for learning. And learning involves being introduced to things outside of your family, being introduced to history, other cultures, other viewpoints, etc. Helping to develop an appreciation of other opinions and expanding ones knowledge beyond that which is purely experiential.

02-14-2025

Natalie Osenbaugh

I am vehemently against this bill. The lack of definition of "obscenity" is dangerous and banning books is always wrong from public places. Children's books are separate from adult books with adult themes in libraries and if you want to monitor what your children see, then parent them.

02-14-2025

Rhiannon Montelius

Do not pass this bill. Parents themselves can decide what their child can read or not. The idea of banning books in a public library is absurd and goes against the very foundation of what a library should be. People are saying in the comments that their children are seeing Playboy in the library, I feel like they clearly have never set foot in a library. I also want to bring up using the word "obscene" without a very strict definition is a slippery slope and could lead to even more book bans from our public spaces.

02-14-2025

Justin McCarty

First, why do we have official bills trying to be passed that have horrible punctuation? The bill is missing half the spacing that it should have. It speaks to haste and laziness on the part of our government officials. If they have too many bills to take the time to write them out correctly, then they are trying to pass too many bills too quickly. Second, children are not being introduced to obscene materials in public libraries. They are being introduced to obscene materials in advertisements, TV, the Internet, social media, YouTube, etc. Big corporations literally target our population for what they think will get the most views which equates with what will get the biggest return on their money. Corporations don't care about morality. Going back to the bill, this is just asking for government overreach and restrictions on freedom of speech and print and access to information that people have a right to because of that freedom. Who gets to define what is obscene? It's all fun and games until someone says that statue of Jesus hanging on the cross is obscene and every Bible has to be removed from the library. No law will protect your children the way you yourself should. If you want to protect them then you should be in the library with them and know what they are looking at. Libraries do separate kids content from adults content. If your kids are roam free in the general public areas, again, that is on us parents to watch not the government, and not the responsibility of the understaffed libraries

02-14-2025

Lisa Brown

Please do not pass this bill. Censorship by the government or anyone else is not ok in our public libraries or elsewhere. Libraries have a wide range of material to meet the needs of a wide range of people, as they should. Parents need to take a more active role in helping their child find what is appropriate for them.

02-14-2025

Sienna Connor

I do not support bill HF274.The language used in this bill to identify what is considered obscene material is purposefully vague. Relying on community standards to decide what is appropriate for your children leaves room for much interpretation through each individuals lens and beliefs. Additionally, what exactly will be considered scientific or educational merit? Whom exactly decides for the masses what we are allowed to read or consume? If certain groups believe that the pictures in the biology textbooks are now too obscene, do you care that your child will no longer be receiving an education as full as students in other states? What about classical art and literature? Do we really want Iowas education level to fall even further behind because of arbitrary laws that arent even necessary? What happened to individual freedoms and our rights as parents to decide what is appropriate for our own children without government interference. Again, this leaves room for any interpretation to be applied whether its someones own religious bias or any bad actor who wants to restrict the freedoms of Iowans by using the loopholes in this bill. It is not up to the Government to decide what our children are allowed to view or not allowed to view and especially not for them to have full unfettered authority over them. That is our job as their parent to decide what is and isnt appropriate. This is a censorship bill disguised as protection for children. If it wasnt, the verbiage would not be so intentionally vague and misleading. Its a clear overstep of authority in an attempt to silence us, assure our children have less access to educational materials and enforce personal beliefs on all Iowans.

02-14-2025

Sara Strom

As a mother, it is my responsibility to monitor my own childrens exposure. It is not up to the government to remove books. The mothers that are attempting this ban need to discuss with their children, not ask government to get involved. Are you going to keep your children from all social activities? They get exposed to more from their friends than they do the library. Someone pull the statistics on how many of these books are even checked out by minors. And DISCUSS with your children the content you dont want them accessing! Government, stay out of it!

02-14-2025

Navia E

Do not pass this bill. This bill is just the first step into full censorship of our public libraries and educational institutions. Libraries are there to provide materials for all people, not act as parents to minors. Parents need to be aware of the content their child is consuming and not expecting the library to be fully censored. Libraries are meant for the community and not just children. I can promise that the children's section is not full of obscene material. It is not full of smut or porn. If a parent is allowing their child to get material outside of their maturity level they need to take responsibility for that rather than trying to make a library an 18+ establishment. Libraries are one of the few 3rd spaces we have left and by adding this level of censorship you are taking away a place where people can go freely and feel safe. Support your local library and librarians. Do not pass this bill.

02-14-2025

Lydia Revier

Please do not pass this bill or any other bills that restrict library content or access. If parents are worried about content, then parents need to be actively involved with their childrens reading choices. You know, like how parenting works. History has never once show people denying access to knowledge and reading materials to be the good guys. We have seen so many problems in other states where libraries have had to limit access to minors. It makes it much harder to run programming for children and youth and ultimately hurts communities while attempting to solve a problem that doesnt even exist. I cant believe I have to write this, we shouldnt even have to be having this discussion.

02-14-2025

Ainslee Barnes

Please do not pass this bill. This is freedom of choice if you don't want your child to read a book from the library, don't let them look at it. That should not stop me from sharing that book with my child if I so choose. Libraries are wonderful institutions that give opportunities to people they otherwise may not have; you shouldn't take away that right because someone else is offended.

02-14-2025

Jared Scherrman

There is absolutely no need to pass this bill. Would it not be much more in line with the conservative family values that those in support of this bill champion to leave the control of what their children or family members read in their own hands? If you don't want to see something or read it, don't look at it. This is needless and would place those who dedicate their time and resources to providing education and information through our libraries. I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL.

02-14-2025

Dave Forman

As I submit this comment, absolutely no verification was required to prove that I'm a resident of this great state. As I am most certain is also the case with the wave of astroturfed comments supporting this bill. I do not support this bill or any censorship in any way shape or form. It's my job as a parent to protect my children from, or contextualize the inappropriate material they should happen upon. NOT YOURS. With access to the internet at home, books in the library are the least of my concerns, and the histrionics on display by the alleged other residents in these public comments don't pass the smell test.

02-14-2025

Therese Gilrain

Iowa has plenty of urgent issues (lack of support for homelessness, mental illness, food scarcity, high cancer rates, water quality, support for rural communities, public education) and I find it truly obscene that our legislators think putting more government restraints and requirements on libraries of all things. Our libraries are fine, please spend our resources and time on things that really matter to our quality of life as Iowans.

02-14-2025

Sidney Terry

The obvious out of state influence on these comments sicken me. As an ACTUAL resident of the state of Iowa I do NOT support this bill. Censorship has no place in Iowa or in libraries. As a parent I make the decision what my children can and cannot read. I help them process new more complex information as they grow. Its called parenting. These draconian, antiAmerican censorship laws are simply an extension of authoritarian overreach too many people seem to believe in today. When did people so easily give up their freedoms? This is a bill that does exactly that.

02-14-2025

Ronald White [N/A]

As a Black man growing up in the South in the 1950s I experienced firsthand the harm this type of censorship unleashes. Far from protecting minors this legislation is the gateway to banning public library materials that the average person (whoever that is) finds objectionable under the broad definition of obscene. Parents should be the ultimate decision makers about what their children are exposed to not the Iowa legislature. Please kill this bill . Thank you

02-14-2025

April Pearson-Decklever

Please do not pass HF 274. Censoring books is dangerous.Censorship undermines parents If parents are concerned about the books their kids get at the library, theyre welcome to choose what they deem appropriate. For the government to restrict that choice violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which protects the right of parents to make decisions about their children (Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur, 414 U.S. 632). To quote Tiffany Justice, founder of Moms for Liberty, I raise my children. The government does not. We do not coparent with the government. Censorship obliterates free speech Banning books goes against the First Amendment, which protects the right to express ideas even if they are offensive. This is the same amendment that protected Moms for Liberty member Melissa Missy Bosch from criminal charges when she said this about school librarians: Im telling you, if I had any mental issues, they would all be plowed down by a freaking gun right now.Censorship hinders critical thinking It prevents individuals from learning to navigate complex issues and form rational opinions. An example of hindered critical thinking would be Moms for Liberty member Crystal Alonso calling for LGBTQ kids to be put in separate classrooms like for example children with autism and Down syndrome. Banning books in public libraries threatens the very foundations of a free and open society. Thank you for your time and consideration.

02-14-2025

Madeline Arnold

Do not pass this bill. If parents are concerned about what their children are reading, they should talk with their kids and help them to find appropriate texts to read. We should not censor or restrict our public libraries, which are for everyone, not just children.

02-14-2025

Staci Quick

Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-12-2025

Harry Ehrlich

I support this bill as an important action to apply standards for public officials of libraries and schools to be held to rather than having an exemption. There should be accountability for providing materials or programs to our children that are not age appropriate!

02-12-2025

Sonya Swan

Our children are our future. When a child sees something, they cannot "unsee" it. Those images are forever in their precious little minds. When they read something obscene the result is the same. As an educator, I choose the materials for the children I teach very carefully. Our public institutions, have an obligation to omit obscene material for minors regardless of the location (school or library) or the function. Please repeal 728.7

02-12-2025

Rick Phillips [PELLA PAC]

We support passing HF274. It seems anywhere a book is opened a mob of reprobates circle the wagons as if protecting children from obscenity is a human rights violation. Karl Marx was an avid book reader. Emily Drabinski, president of the American Library Association, is an avowed socialist who idolizes Marx. We all know the atheistic views of Marx and can see his spirit working through Drabinski and her influence in Iowa libraries. They see no apparent wrong with overloading young children with obscene material and call it freedom of speech. This is a good bill. It protects children and does nothing to take away a reprobate's liberty to be a pervert. We heard the incessant drone of book banning before. Weve heard the cries of censorship. This bill does not ban books or free speech. It brings no harm to LGBTQ and those who have made the wrong lifestyle choices. It protects children from making those same wrong choices in the future via book grooming. It protects children still pure in mind from those who want to pervert them after their image. Support and pass this commonsense legislation.

02-12-2025

Anna Wolvers

I support a bill protecting children from obscene materials. If it can't be shown on TV or read aloud by the Governor, this it doesn't belong in public schools or libraries. But honestly, the current wording of this bill is confusing and not clear what exactly it is doing. I would support passing this with clearer language for more to understand it easier. Community standards have become a joke on social media and are not written for all to understand. And they seem to change daily. They are also very vague. So saying something like schools and libraries are prohibited from having books with sexual content and language and photos for children under age/grade . Or Children wishing to check out such materials need to have a parental/guardian consent first.

02-12-2025

Ann Summitt

Our children are our most precious commodity! They are too young to understand what is being shown to them, and basically it is grooming. We must go back and look at the different levels of child development and not take advantage of their young and naive minds. They will grow up thinking all this is normal, which it isn't. Please support this bill.

02-12-2025

Stacey Wiese

I was horrified when I went into my own public library this past fall to find obscene materials on display for any child to view. Our children are our most precious possessions, therefore, we need to keep them protected from obscenity. I support HF 274.

02-12-2025

Suzanne Holewa

Its disgusting we even have to vote on something as ridiculous as this. Wed need to protect our children at all costs from obscenity. Absolutely no crude and sexual exploitation of any kind should be available to children. This is common sense. Protect Their Innocence!!!

02-12-2025

Evelyn Nikkel [PELLA PAC]

Our public libraries and some educational institutions are hell bent to get around Iowa's laws protecting our children. Time to stop these criminals using some loophole to groom and pervert our kids with obscenity, pornography and deviant sexual behaviors. Iowa was smart enough to pass laws against this, but the perverts and pedophiles figured a way around them or whine about being "victims" not allowed to be their artistic, disgusting selves. Public libraries in Iowa have become cesspools of perversion ambushing young children, stimulating young people with images and descriptions that becomes addicting and destroy their relationships, selfimages and lives. Enough of them being allowed to use their petty excuses to force this sewage into the minds and lives of our precious kids and their futures. Time for common sense to prevail. Pass this and shut that loophole down now!

02-13-2025

Beth S

02-16-2025

Tara McKee

I do NOT support this bill. From some of these comments it appears many have never been in a public library or interacted with a librarian. Public libraries are treasures that serve everyone. Just because you do not like a whole community of people, does not give you a right to make decisions on what is obscene for my children or for anyone else.

02-16-2025

Brenda Allen

I am against this bill. Please support our librarians and respect their expertise to do what is best for their communities. Additionally, allow each individual and family to make decisions for themselves what they think is appropriate to read. Restrictions have already been placed on school libraries. Allow public to truly serve everyone in their community.

02-16-2025

Derek Meyer

I do not support the passage of this bill. It is not the role of government to decide what its citizens can and cannot read. This is a decision thats left up to individuals and/or their parents. Please stop forcing pseudo morals on other people.

02-16-2025

Katherine Beane Hanson

I oppose this bill in the strongest terms. If you are concerned about the materials your child is reading, then go to the library with them and look at the books together. This is called parenting. It is not the librarian's job to ensure that all the materials in the library are appropriate for all ages, cultural needs, etc. Besides, for the government to tell anyone what they can and cannot have access to read is completely inappropriate and antithetical to your personal freedoms. Please do not support this bill.

02-16-2025

Meghan Stephenson

As C.B. Quoyle says, "Book censorship takes away personal choices from the majority in the community and gives control to a few people." Children need guidance not censorship and banning books isn't going to protect them from the realities of the world. Who ultimately decides what's obscene and what's not?

02-16-2025

Jody Geest

Someone commented "Please protect our children. I don't want obscene material in the hands of children." Yet there are so many people willingly giving their young children cell phones with access to anything and everything.Books are not the problem. Do NOT pass this bill.

02-16-2025

Chris Strawhacker

Do not pass H.F. 274 out of subcommittee. Iowa's schools and public libraries are staffed by dedicated professionals working hard for the students and citizens of the state. These institutions deserve the protection afforded to them by Section 728.7.

02-16-2025

Hallie Wemmie

Oppose this bill. This is under the deceptive guise of protect our children but if parents dont want their children accessing certain materials then dont let them. We cannot cross this dangerous line of censoring free speech. The problem being that who defines obscene? Republican reps in this country define obscene very liberally to anyone who isnt like them.

02-16-2025

Kazmar Portzline

This is insanity. Banning any books is just fear from people who do not want a well read population. I do not support any legislation that bans books at any library. I am 100% against thos measure and will work to organize people to push back on any and all legislation and their sponsors. Any elected officials voting against their constituents will also get pushback.The future of Iowa doesn't needs bans.

02-16-2025

Tony McDowell

I vehemently oppose the passage of this bill. The drive by the legislature to continually deny the public and schools access to books is concerning and frightening.The 1st amendment is a right and as such deserves the same protections this same legislature grants the 2nd amendment right. It also should be defended with the same zeal as the 2nd amendment not swept away because parents arent willing to teach their children anymore or books exist some people disagree with.This is not about protecting children. This is purely about forcing religious beliefs on others as well as continuing to subjugate parts of the population this legislature has decided are not people, should not be protected, and most definitely shouldnt feel like there are other people out there that understand them.

02-16-2025

Mikala Landon

This is another example of wasting time and energy on a nonissue. The library is not the problem, the books are not the problem, but its an easy way to try to implement control and take away first amendment rights. If we are focused on save the children then you would be passing funding to appropriately support our education system. You would focus on feeding children, not cutting funding for programs that support their basic needs. If you wanted to focus on protecting children, you should start with implementing necessary changes to our mental health system. Trying to pass legislation focusing on censorship clearly shows that you are not focused on protecting the children at all. This is a nonissue that is grossly overreaching basic freedoms that have long been the foundation of The Constitution of the United States of America. For these reasons I strongly urge you to vote against this.

02-16-2025

Kara Gates

Do not pass this bill. It is over reaching and impedes constitutional rights. It is not for our government to our local librarians to decide what is appropriate for children to read. That is responsibility of the parent/guardian.

02-16-2025

Jenette Randall

Please do not pass this bill as it goes against our 1st amendment. This would be a restriction of my rights and my childrens rights based on someone elses religious beliefs. Looking at the people that are for this bill, it is easy to see the religious affiliation (they also use it as part of their argument against the books). Limiting books and subject matter could also be considered a violation of our first amendment rights as we are restricting the diverse point of view and experience en masse. This bill would also largely prohibit books with diverse authors and subject manner. If parents dont want their children to read such books, they dont have to allow that, but they should still be available. While we are getting rid of our DEI programs, that information should be somewhere where children and adults can access it. If we are eliminating certain subject matters en masse, we can just call that the propaganda that it is.

02-16-2025

Kathleen Miller [Friends of the Perry Public Library ]

Please vote NO on SF235. People have the right to monitor what books and material their children can read BUT they do not have the right to choose what my children can read.Libraries are a hub for the community and provide a multitude of resources and classes for everyone. In extreme cases, some libraries may have to only allow minors, including teenagers, to have a parent by their side the entire time they are in the library or have adult only libraries.This bill also allows for an unscrupulous person to secretly take a book from the adults only section and put in another section so they can file a lawsuit.

02-16-2025

Angie Aarhus

I never thought I would see the day when libraries are being censored and criticized. Free public libraries are the bastion of a free society. No society in history that censored its citizens has been ultimately viewed in a positive light. We dont need the state to decide what goes in libraries. Citizens should decide for themselves what they read. Please leave these decisions to the individual and to the childrens parents.

02-16-2025

Bethany Sweeney

This exemption should not be removed;as an educator who works with K12 and college students and as a taxpaying citizen who values libraries and opposes censorship, I am strongly opposed to this bill, which would limit public access to literature, uphold the censorship of information, and fly in the face of the idea of both parental rights and public education. The current exemption already makes clear that any material made available to minors in classroom and library settings have an appropriate educational purpose; the current bill is designed to enforce a single ideology rather than to uphold American values of free speech.

02-16-2025

Adam Baldus

This bill is nothing but an excuse to ban books that some people think is against their religion or that they just dont agree with. It is an excuse to ban LGBTQIA+ material or anything that might offend the christofascists. No library keeps actually obscene material for children to get their hands on.Do not support. Do not fall for their propaganda.

02-16-2025

Ashley Becker

Do not pass this bill. Libraries are not to be censored. If a parent or guardian feels they dont want their child reading specific content, that guardian can make that call for their family. Libraries are places for everyone to be able to find materials pertinent to themselves. Leave it at that and stop messing with the First Amendment.

02-16-2025

Jenny H

Do no pass this bill, it violates the first amendment and continues to harass public libraries and could eventually lead to barring children under the age of 18 from using public libraries. Public libraries are one of Americas greatest assets!I frequently take my grandchildren to public libraries and this is not an issue. There is NOT pornographic materials on display for children to see, review or attempt to checkout.

02-16-2025

Holly Thayer

Please vote NO on this legislation. It's very clear than Iowans do not share a consensus when it comes to defining "obscene material". This bill is vague and would almost certainly be used divisively. Please don't pursue legislation that would chill free speech and put Iowa's librarians in a difficult position.

02-16-2025

Kristine Aubrey

Please do not pass this bill. This is censorship. My husband and I are perfectly capable of deciding for our family what is or is not appropriate for our children. I encourage other Iowans to show interest in what their children are reading or watching instead of allowing some 'average person' as vaguely identified on line 17 of this bill to decide what's appropriate for everyone. Furthermore this is a waste of your time. Instead of trying to micromanage what books libraries offer, how about you fund our public schools so all our kids can learn to read. How about you make sure all kids are fed so they can focus on learning. How about you focus on fixing our bridges and cleaning up our waterways so our children don't have move out of iowa to avoid our out of control cancer rates. Those issues are a lot tougher, but that's what you were elected to do. Get to work.

02-16-2025

Gretchen Eastman

I do not support HF 274. Librarians select a variety of books to meet the needs and interests of their communities. They know the difference between pornography and acceptable reading materials.Parents have the ability to filter what their children read. Teach your child how to pick out books and other library materials.This is another piece of legislation attempting to micromanage a publicly supported community resource. That is what fascists do.

02-16-2025

Ashley Burns

As a lifelong Iowa taxpayer, I do not support this bill. Libraries are intended to be an open source for information & learning. As we have for generations, we MUST trust our librarians & the professionals who devote their time & careers to educating themselves in this field. They devote their lives to education & betterment of our community. Communities with strong libraries & free flowing access to information. It is not up to a Librarian to decide what is and is not appropriate for YOUR child; it is their job to create a robust network of information. If you are a parent, you should be very concerned about how much our State government is trying to infringe on your abilities to make your own parenting decisions.

02-16-2025

Angie Ellerbroek

Do NOT pass this bill. "Courageous confidence in the intelligence of the community is the sure sign of leadership and success." I ask legislators to have confidence in the intelligence of the professionals running the libraries. I am confident in the intelligence of the librarians to perform their jobs. This is a nonissue; it's made up to distract folks. Children are not flocking to libraries to get obscene material they can use their smart phone and see whatever they want. Stop taking away freedoms (freedom of speech, intellectual freedom) for false narratives. Focus on what matters and what is true. Find your information from valid nonbiased sources. Don't believe something just because someone says it research it for the truth and think for yourself.

02-16-2025

Elizabeth Brown Hardeman

Vote No. This bill I against parental rights. Heres the thingIve taken my kids to a local library since before they were old enough to walk.At first, I picked out their books.Then they got older, and we picked out their books together. I read them all first, and I said no sometimes because a book didnt reflect the values I hold.Then they got even older and the books longer. I skimmed the books. I took the RESPONSIBILITY as their parent for finding reviews and parentalcontent sites. I still said no sometimes but more often let them read their choice of books and used those content reviews as a starting ground for conversations with my children, so they could learn to think critically about what they were reading. Then they got older still. Last year one of them borrowed a book from a friend (not the library because kids will find a way to get access to what they want to have access to). I had started and stopped the book months earlier and wasnt a fan of its message, so I said Its totally your choice to read that. Just know we will be talking about it along the way. And another daughter started a book and decided to stop reading it on her own because she felt like it wasnt appropriate. They are developing their own values and metrics.Parenting is a long game. Its setting them up to think and ask and discern. I dont NEED politicians or any other citizen to tell me what my kids shouldnt have access to because its my RESPONSIBILITY not anyone elses.I dont WANT politicians or any other citizen to decide what my kids shouldnt have access to because its my RIGHT.Im the parent. A no vote is a vote for parents rights.

02-16-2025

Melissa Nation

I am writing to express my concern about efforts to ban books in public libraries. Limiting access to books is a dangerous step toward authoritarianism and undermines the principles of a free society. Public libraries serve all members of the community, not just children, and should offer diverse reading options that reflect a range of perspectives.Iowas leadership frequently emphasizes parental choice and personal responsibility. Those principles should apply hereparents who object to certain books can guide their own childrens reading choices, but that should not mean restricting access for everyone.Furthermore, efforts to regulate what books public libraries can offer contradict the goal of reducing government overreach. Limiting access to information is not the role of government in a free country. I urge you to oppose any legislation that imposes broad restrictions on public libraries and instead uphold the values of intellectual freedom and personal responsibility.

02-16-2025

N. Trainor

Parents have a responsibility and a right to make these determinations for their own children. Imposing restrictions on libraries takes that away unilaterally and puts parents at the mercy of what the state deems appropriate. This overreach is in direct contradiction of the commitment that Gov Reynolds has expressed toward parental rights.

02-16-2025

Molly Walter

I do not support this bill, it is censorship disguised as "protection". People have their God given ability to choose material for themselves and their minor children, something being available does not pose an inherent risk. This bill lacks concrete definitions of the terms it uses which will allow free abuse of this for the sole purpose of censorship. We have already seen these "protect the children" band limiting access to scientific and informative text on subjects like bodily growth, reproduction and recognizing sexual abuse. This bill will only make for a less educated and less informed public, which is probably the intent. Those banning books have never been on the right side of history.

02-16-2025

Carolyn Stephenson

I do not support this bill. Many of the books proposed to be banned are written by black and Indigenous authors and relate to themes that adolescents can relate to. I trust Iowa's professional educators to make appropriate selections for the age of children they are teaching and reaching.

02-16-2025

Anne Wilmoth

I do not support this bill. Those who do seem to believe that pornographic and obscene content is readily available to young children at the public library, which is not the case. Library materials, which come from mainstream publishers, are selected by highlytrained and credentialed professionals, who use a vetting process which involves crosschecking multiple professional review sources for age group targets, content, and community appeal. The Kama Sutra is not housed next to the Berenstain Bears. Libraries use highly regimented classification and organization systems to sort content, and adult materials are in a separate section from childrens materials. And again, libraries do not collect pornography in any section. Library staff deeply respect parents rights thats why they understand every parent has different boundaries and rules for their children, and expect each parent to determine for and with their own child what materials are right for them. Parents should discuss with their child what materials they are allowed to select from the array of optional materials at the library, and supervise them not throw up their hands and expect library staff to parent all the children of the community for them. The library is for every family in the community these families may look different and have different values and the great thing is, every family can establish for themselves and exercise their freedom in determining what materials are right for them from the wide array of information available in our free country. Calling librarians pedophiles is at best disingenuous and at worst defamatory and disgusting. Librarians have devoted their lives to enriching their communities turn your attention to actual dangers to children, not a resource that is relied upon in so many communities for much more than books by so many people of all ages.

02-16-2025

Marcia Rafdal [Voting citizen]

This bill is a tragedy in the making. First books are banned in public schools now you are attacking free speech in our libraries. It should be left to parents and families to choose correct reading materials for their children not our government. This is reminiscent of the book burnings in fascist regimes.

02-16-2025

Joan Marttila

I am at my local library at least once every 2 weeks. I check out books, I ask the librarians for help in using its many online resources, I attend book groups and events. I just checked my public library's events schedule for children. Do you know what they are doing with children there? They are having a teen trivia event, they have a dropin creation studio, they have a teen chess club, and there is a home school presentation about an Irish quintet (that's a group of 5 singers, in case you thought it was some kind of perverse, pornographic event). There is a preschool story hour for 35 year olds that features stories, songs, finger plays, and rhyming activities all of which are good for developing language and reading readiness skills. I see no pornography. This is a ridiculous bill and certainly represents the current state of Iowa as it retreats to the nineteenth century. If pornography is in the eye of the beholder, there is a sub group of Iowans who see it everywhere.

02-16-2025

Loulwa Soweid

Please oppose this bill. Under the guise of "protecting minors" this bill will be used to remove library books mentioning ANYTHING about the LGBTQ+ community, sex education, topics about systemic oppression or violence basically, anything *deemed* "obscene" even if it is actually educational, contributes to the representation of marginalized communities in literature, highlights the realities of prejudice and discrimination in the United States, etc. Leave libraries alone, and let them continue to be places where children have access to reading materials that teach them more about themselves, their lives, and the lives of others.

02-16-2025

Eric Saylor

This bill is absurd. There is a longstanding legal test established in Miller vs. California as to what constitutes obscenitythe SLAPS testand this legislation not only flies in the face of that, but is unconstitutional on its face. It is unnecessary and inappropriate and should not make it out of committee.

02-16-2025

Ashley Anderson

Do not pass this bill out of subcommittee. It will be a violation of the First Amendment and be a waste of time and state money trying to defend in court. It is severe government overreach. As a parent I demand the right to protect my child in the manner I see fit, but I am not ok with the government separating me from that work by taking this choice out of my hands. Do not parent my child for me.

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02-16-2025

Megan Collins

Please do not pass this bill. As a homeschool parent, I am opposed to book banning and censorship. Parents can make decisions about which reading materials are appropriate for our children. We don't need the government dictating these choices.

02-16-2025

Carol McGhan

I advocate for the right to read, learn, and access information freely, with no restrictions! Don't pass this bill. The exception in 728.7 currently allows for the use of appropriate material for educational purposes. Nobody is advocating for Playboys and Xrated movies. This is part of the larger cultural wars being waged. Protect our society by denouncing censorship.

02-16-2025

Elizabeth Willem

Public libraries should have materials available for everyone. Librarians should not be police for material a child is borrowing. That is the parents responsibility. Please do not forward this bill to the floor of the house.

02-16-2025

Shirley McNamara

Please do not support this bill. It is censorship. Parents who support this bill should also keep their children off social media where theyre way more likely to see something inappropriate than they are at their local library.

02-16-2025

Diana Boeglin

I am vehemently opposed to this bill. Banning books does nothing to protect children. It is the opposite of what a free society stands for, and it pushes us one step closer to fascism. Parental choice means I have the responsibility to overdose what my child reads, not the state.

02-16-2025

Amanda Fitzgerald

Do not pass this bill. Censorship and control of information are not pillars of democracy. Everyone in our state deserves free access to books and information, including those that cover controversial topics and opposing views. Limiting access does not protect our children, it limits their worldview and furthers divides.

02-16-2025

Eva Latterner

Please do not pass this bill. Iowa has a long, proud history of supporting public libraries. Libraries are a vital part of our communities, providing free spaces for community members to meet, access services, and participate in civic life. If this bill is passed, it will surely mean that many of our state's libraries will close and the communities they serve will suffer. Do not vote to remove resources from your constituents.

02-16-2025

Stacey Medd

Please do NOT pass this horrifying bill. This will not make children feel safe. Rather, it will pass along the message that some lives are "not fit" for shelves. They need to know that families come in many different configurations of love. They need to know the challenges and celebrations that are a part of history. They need to make their own decisions about books, heroes, good choices, and poor choices. They need to read about the consequences of history and the possibilities of the future. Our democracy depends on thinking, challenging, creating, and understanding each other. Empathy grows with reading. We need a lot of that right now.

02-16-2025

Valerie Park

I vehemently oppose Bill HF274. When a government decides what is "obscene" and what is not, then that government develops a prerogative to banish any material that undermines its power. Just because children aren't yet considered "full citizens" in the eye of the law, does not mean that the Bill of Rights does not apply to them. The First Amendment guarantees free speech for all citizens that means we not only can say what we want, but also that we can HEAR (or read) what we want. Children are smarter, and more empathetic, than many adults give them credit for. Let them (and their parents) decide what to read.

02-16-2025

Jessica Chrystal [Parent]

How ridiculous it is that the majority of us are having to make public comments on bills this session that range from the absurd to unconstitutional.This bill being one of them. 80 years of precedent in lost court cases,our own Constitution,state law and freedom loving Iowans are not on your side.Samantha Fett,her clerk and the bigots for Christian Jihad & Chuck Hurley should all be ashamed and embrassed for brining forth this nonsense when there are far more pressing issues in this state that deserve time and attention. "Not in our public libraries" is no different than the KKK and white americans who yelled "not in our public schools" at Ruby Ridges and the Puritans who burned women at the stake for refusing to conform to their religious belifes,the white southern "christians" who bombed churches who hosted civil rights activists who dare preach for equality and the current administration in the Oval office attempts to erase any mention of gays,lesibians,trans,queer,black,women and immgrants contributions to our country from existnece from federal websites,college campuses,public schools,libraries and the law with threats of pulled funding and jail time.If they want to live in a county and society where religious extremistm dictates law & decides public policy, freedom of speech is censored,access to information is denied,aristic expression is silenced and public institutions and their staff are punished,they can all take a one way flight to Iran,Afghanistan,China or Iraq and live there.Their bigoted hateful absurd ideas have no home in this state. By this bills own definition of Obsincinty ,their precious Bible should be banned for explcit passages that exist in books such as Ezekiel 23:20. "There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. "I would like to know what is the end goal here? What topic,book and music genre is next? Ban all books about divorced households? Ban books about plant breeding because they talk about Asexual reproduction?Ban where the wild things are because the author was queer? Ban the World Food Prize becuase they promote equity,diversity and inclusion when it comes to solving food insecurity in this state and abroad?Start running over cds again with a steam roller with members of the legislature becuase you don't like the message and it makes you uncomfortable? When is enough, enough? When does calling teachers and Librarians who won't bow down to your bullshit "grommers" stop? We all know they have Masters degrees and go through extensive state and federal background checks.It is the parents job of raising their kids on what they feel is ok to read,waxth and listen to not the government! How hypocritical the bigots 4 Christian jihad want to turn over parenting to "the state" when that's all they complain about. But I guess it's ok long as it suits their agenda.If they want to go down in history along side the Nazis and the KKK,their sarogets in the legislature & on this committee can vote "yes" on this bill. But history and the next election won't treat them kindly. They deserve all the push back they have coming.

02-16-2025

J McMillan

This bill strips citizens of their right to a library free of censorship and violates their first amendment rights. Librarians are highly trained professionals who are not pushing any agenda, other than to help patrons find what they are looking for. Its important for everyone to see themselves reflected in materials at the library, and when we begin to censor content, we start to walk a slippery slope. Libraries exist for the common good as a place to foster community and connection. Spend some time there. Talk to librarians about materials you may find questionable, and open your mind to seeing another point of view. Librarians are great educators and teachers, and they will be happy to explain the merits of materials you may find questionable.

02-16-2025

Erica K

02-16-2025

Lori Enloe

Please do NOT pass this bill!!! It is the parents responsibility to choose what they would like their children to read not the legislature. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-16-2025

Mara B

Heather Matson as a former child of a parent who voted for you. I expect you will not pass this on. You believe in the public educators of Iowa. You believe in free speech. Let LGBTQ+ Iowans live in peace. Let books be books. I count on you. Please Heather.

02-16-2025

Lauren McCarthy

I am opposed to HF 274. This bill seeks to limit free expression and the ability of educators, librarians, parents, students, and the public to make up their own minds about appropriate material. This bill seeks to censor and narrow material that is available to the public, and it denigrates the expertise of professional librarians and educators. Please do not pass this bill.

02-17-2025

Michael Maxwell

It cannot be overstated: when these people say they want to protect children from perversion and obscenity, what they mean is they want to erase any content by/about LGBTQIA+ people. They equate queer people with obscenity. This is a premise that must be wholeheartedly rejected. Queer people existing is not pornography. Supporters of legislation like this want to dodge accusations of homophobia and transphobia so theyll couch their arguments in these disingenuous terms instead of just coming forward and saying what they really mean. Theyre too cowardly to be precise with their words. And make no mistake, their quest to eradicate queer people will not end with the books on the public library shelf. Hold these people accountable for the hateful realities of what theyre espousing. Bullies burying their bigotry in weak semantics. Queer Iowans, you are not alone and you are not obscene. Queer people are not monsters that children must be protected from.

02-16-2025

Allie Clark

Book bans are a violation of our first amendment rights and a direct attack on Queer people and other marginalized populations. As citizens of a free country we should be able to browse and study the content we want to see. Shame on our public servants for attacking identities different from their own.

02-16-2025

Jolene Switzer

This is nothing but censorship to control the narrative, sway our youth and erode free thought. This isnt about protecting our children, this is about control. Banned books are the ones that need read the most. Do not pass. This bill is a slippery slope.

02-16-2025

Rachel Baker

Please do not pass HF 274. Materials in libraries are by request. No one is forced to read or watch anything they dont choose to. Limiting what is available in libraries protects no one, and does limit the ability of people of any age to learn. As the homeschooled daughter of a former public librarian, I spent much of my childhood and adolescence in libraries, mostly left to my own devices. I never saw anything that scarred, traumatized, or corrupted me. When I encountered things I didnt understand, I asked a trusted adult about them. Furthermore, censoring information about topics doesnt make those things cease to exist. Censoring libraries doesnt make kids safe. It just makes libraries, neutral spaces of recordkeeping and information, less effective at what theyre there to do.

02-16-2025

Kelcey Patrick-Ferree

I oppose this bill for the simple reason that it is an attempt to allow parents to be negligent and then take action against librarians, teachers, and art directors to assuage their guilty consciences. I very seriously doubt that any Iowa library or school stocks any material that meets the legal definition of obscenity; but I don't doubt that there are quite a few parents out there who do not understand the legal definition of obscenity. They are essentially asking the state to allow them to weaponize the police and the courts against librarians, art directors, and teachers who passively allow their children to access anything remotely sexual, including sexual education materials, because they do not want to bother to supervise those children. Please do not enable negligent parents to force others to pay for their negligence.

02-16-2025

Brittney Byrnes

Do not vote for this bill. Libraries are the hub of each community. Parents should decide for their own children what materials are suitable, not institutions. Destroying the integrity of these institutions is the wrong path. Support your library and the librarians!!!

02-16-2025

Morgan Kroeze

Please do not support this bill our community deserves access to diverse resources and representation. As parents we are fully capable of monitoring and making decisions for our own children. Our own beliefs should not prevent others from accessing materials that are suitable for them. Public Libraries are for EVERYONE.

02-16-2025

Shelley Skuster

The government shouldnt dictate what an entire community can or cannot read. The best part about the public library is that everyone who visits is welcome and can choose to borrow or not borrow whats on the shelves. Parents and caregivers can implement the rules they feel are best for their kids. Our state government is looking to fix something that isnt broken. Vote no.

02-16-2025

Leah Gehlsen Morlan

I do not support this bill and, frankly, no one should. As a parent, I reserve the right to identify what my children can and cannot read, watch, and with what materials they may critically engage. I wish to retain that right and its folly to think this isnt precedentsetting. Public libraries and their staff are the backbone of our communities. But it is their job to make materials available based on expressed community need and in accordance with free speech and anticensorship; obscenity and appropriateness are subjective. We should be teaching our children to CRITICALLY think and to trust us enough as their parents to talk to us, to ask us their questions, and to engage with us. If our children arent doing those things, it is on us. Which brings me back to parenting: libraries and their staff shouldnt have to parent our children for us nor do they want to. This bill assumes wed like them to do otherwise.

02-16-2025

Leah Greif

Please do not pass this bill. It turns back the clock and controls what my children will read. Only I should have that authority. Librarians regulate appropriate reading material! Sounds like many of you have not been in a library in years.

02-16-2025

Pam Kenyon

Reject this bill! Censorship is a direct attack on our First Amendment rights. Time and time again, those pushing to ban books havent even read themtheyre just following the marching orders of powerful organizations with an agenda. If you dont want your child reading a book, then take responsibility as a parent and make that decision for your own family. But dont impose your personal beliefs on an entire state. Lets stand for freedom, not fear!

02-16-2025

Mandi Remington [Corridor Community Action Network]

Public libraries and schools exist to educate, inform, and provide access to a broad range of ideas. HF 274 threatens these core functions by removing critical protections for educational institutions and libraries, exposing them to censorship and legal threats.By eliminating exemptions for schools and libraries, this bill could criminalize educators and librarians for providing educational and literary materials deemed obscene under vague and subjective standards. It opens the door for books to be removed, art to be censored, and intellectual freedom to be undermined. Students deserve access to literature, history, and varying perspectives without fear of government interference.This attack on our first amendment rights sets a dangerous precedent by restricting access to information and punishing those who provide it. I OPPOSE HF274 because 7 weeks ago I took an oath to uphold the constitution that this legislation threatens. As a fellow legislator I am asking you to protect the right to read, learn, and think freely in Iowa. Vote NO.

02-16-2025

Sheryl McGovern

I do not support this bill. Freedom of information should not exclude by age. No one, not even a librarian, should determine what is appropriate for an adult or child to read. If a parent is worried about what their child checks out at the library, go there with them. And maybe take a look at what they're accessing on their cell phones. The public library should be the least of your worries. Books for children and teens are carefully selected by professionals. If you don't like the content, that doesn't mean all parents disapprove. Don't censorypu have no right to do that.

02-16-2025

Justin Scott

Christofascist cowards fear an educated public.Every dumbass GOP leader sucks up to Trump.Nazi bookburning energy from Kim Reynolds.Shitforbrains lawmakers terrified of smart kids.Only in Iowa would banning books be a priority.Red hats, empty heads, and zero critical thinking.Trump worship turns you into a effing moron.Holy hell, does Y'all Qaeda even read books?Idiots banning books because Fox News told them to.Stop electing these Biblethumping cockroaches.

02-16-2025

Jennifer WendtGeisler

If you believe in giving parents the freedom and right to teach their children as they wish, DO NOT PASS THIS BILL. It is an attempt to limit free speech and the ability we all cherish to educate ourselves about any topic we value. If you believe it will not affect you personally, please think again. In my lifetime, Iowa was held up as a shining example of educational values. Please consider carefully the aims of this bill and the slippery slope you set as your path forward. No one should get to tell others what to read, how to speak, and therefore, what to think. Our founding fathers would be horrified that this is even up for discussion.

02-16-2025

Kris Johnson

Please do not pass HF 274. This bill wrongly shifts the responsibility of deciding what children should read away from parents and places it on libraries and librarians. Libraries are meant to offer a wide range of materials for everyone in the community, and individuals should be free to make their own choices. Rather than imposing restrictions, we should encourage parents to take an active role in their childrens reading. HF 274 would limit the availability of important resources and undermine the role of libraries, affecting not just children, but the entire community. I have never heard of or been to a library that carries pornography. I trust our librarianswho are highly educated and care deeply about serving their communitiesto curate materials responsibly.Libraries are places of open access and intellectual freedom, and this bill would restrict that freedom. Its vital that libraries remain free from political interference so they can continue to support the diverse needs of all community members.Please vote against HF 274 and protect our right to make decisions about what we read and how we learn.Thank you.

02-16-2025

Miriam Timmer-Hackert

Please do not ban books that help children who have been raped see that they are not alone. Please do not ban books that help gay and lesbian teens know that they are not alone. If parents dont want their kids to read them they can leave books on the shelves. No one is being forced to read anything. Book banners are the bad guys not the good guys.

02-16-2025

Abby Jones

I oppose this bill. It is movement towards censorship. Books should not be entirely removed just because they contain obscene material. Guardians and adults can advise children picking out books if needed. There is very little possibility that a child would actually pick up something actually obscenebooks are organized by age and content. The obscene content they might find in their sections may only be intent to educate them on important information that promotes greater understanding. Dont remove books. This isnt 1984, this isnt Fahrenheit 451 (if youve read either of these bookswhich are often bannedyoud know what I mean).

02-16-2025

Katherine Bryden

I do not support this proposed legislation in HF274, nor government sponsored censorship. I trust Masters prepared librarians to shelve age appropriate books with medical and sexual health information appropriate to different developmental stages for children and adults, and to offer books with accurate INFORMATION about human sexuality in all its many forms (including LGBTQ sexualities) to the public. It is the duty of THE PARENTS to have discussions with their kids about reproductive health and sexuality, and also to know what their kids are reading. It is also a librarys purpose to offer literature that is relevant to peoples lives, and sometimes topics related to human sexuality are depicted in novels or poems. I am opposed to censorship, and opposed to the increasingly parochial and religious tenor of a lot of recent legislation. I recognize that I am in the minority in this state as I still value intellectual freedom and will always advicate for open inquiry and curiosity over ignorance.

02-16-2025

Elizabeth Baker

For many kids, the school library is their only access to a variety of books. Books expand horizons and choices lead to developing critical thinking skills, empathy for others, and knowledge of the world around us. The people who ban books never turn out to be on the noble side of history.

02-16-2025

Teresa Wellman

I strongly oppose this bill to repeal the outlined exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions. Concerns for what material MIGHT be available to a youngster in a public library or school versus ensuring that youngster is fed, safe, and not forced to work dangerous jobs for slave wages are sorely misplaced and out of touch.Libraries already section ageappropriate books for youth and adults. Its is up to us parents to determine what is appropriate/obscene for our children. Not this legislature. Same goes for the illadvised bill regarding penalties around drag shows. I will decide, not this legislature, what my children will see or not see and how they are taught to perceive this world we live in. Whats next? We cant study the works of art by Michelangelo because there are naked bodies depicted?! Are you TRYING to be Florida?

02-16-2025

Sharon Zaugg

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL HR274!! Our libraries should be open to ALL literature and free of individual bias based on any one persons beliefs!! They are here to make literature & information available & accessible to all!! Not to parent anyones children! That is a job that should be undertaken in the home by parents & not forced onto a public agency that is there for all people of any background, creed, political party OR RELIGION! If your child is seeking out inappropriate books it is NOT THE LIBRARIES FAULT! Be PRESENT AS A PARENT! If you are afraid of a child learning about ACTUAL HISTORICAL EVENTS theres a larger problem than them running across a book of which you disapprove!! Library literature is NOT THE CULPRIT! Parents are responsible for guiding their children..DO NOT ALLOW ANY FURTHER CENSORSHIP IN IOWA!! We have ENOUGH ALREADY!! YOU MUST DEFEAT THIS ATROCIOUS BILL and another muzzle on our freedoms & rights!

02-16-2025

Jean M

Do NOT pass HF 274. It is a violation of our First Amendment right to receive information. Parents have the responsibility and right to make decisions about what their children read. They should not dictate what others can access. I do not support this bill.

02-16-2025

Julie Sands

Do not pass this bill. What some people find as inappropriate others do not. This is censorship. Where does the censorship end? Maybe the Bible should be censored, there is plenty of violence (murder, human sacrifice, genocide, rape, etc.). Parents are and need to be responsible for what their child reads, not librarians. Do not pass this bill.

02-17-2025

Renee Obergfell

Im strongly apposes to this bill. Public libraries are for public use and not just by children. As a parent, my responsibility is to ensure my children are accessing ageappropriate material. I look to and trust the educated and skilled librarians in our state to serve all in our communities. Where does the censorship end if this passes?

02-17-2025

Riley Waters

Please do not pass this bill. My family and I love spending time at our local and surrounding public libraries. This bill is a step towards taking this joy from us. There are far bigger worries of exposure to material that is not age appropriate in other modern means. I believe and trust in libraries.This is an attack on intellectualism and speech. Please stop.

02-17-2025

Lynndsey Brozene

This is an obscene over reach of government. This is a slippery slope from banning educational materials to fascism. Keep the government over reach out of our public libraries and schools. Our librarians have adequate education and experience in curating and choosing age appropriate materials and categorizing them as such. Our librarians have higher education than Kim Reynolds, and should be trusted as such.

02-17-2025

Eric Bryden

I do not support this bill. It is a Trojan Horse that will enable a small number of zealots to set standards for every community throughout Iowa. Most libraries already have means by which individual books can be challenged and assessed. Why then is this bill necessary? If this bill passes, we can expect any and all books about sexuality and reproduction to be taken off library shelves in many Iowa communities. And it won't stop there. What else will the "champions of decency" target? Maybe books about GrecoRoman art? Lots of bare breasts on those statues. Can't let the children see that! Will books about evolution be next? Lots of evangelicals think that idea is "obscene" after all. In short, I oppose this bill because it takes power out of the hands of those who prize our liberties and who work to maintain our rights and places it in the hands of those who want to control others. As an American, I stand with freedom of information, freedom of conscience, and freedom of thought against scolds and busybodies of whatever variety.

02-17-2025

Billie McKeag

I strongly oppose this bill, it has the potential to villainize libraries and librarians across the state. Its a book ban in sheeps clothing. Any library I have been in has sections for every reading level, if you, or your child dont want to see, obscene books, stay away from those areas. Truly tired of religious zealots telling me what I can and can not do.

02-17-2025

Andrew Murphy

Please, DO NOT pass this bill. This is about a public library. There should be access to all types of information no matter the nature of the content. It's up to parents to keep their kids from accessing things they don't want them to see. There's no reason why censoring books should even be an issue being voted on. People who demand books be banned and deny free and clear access to information should not be making decisions for everyone. This isn't about kids, it's about attacking marginalized communities and removing them from history.

02-17-2025

Cheryl Beatty

When materials are chosen for library collections they are chosen by people who have been trained to use primary sources to provide the best possible quality of materials for readers of ALL ages. Public and school libraries are NOT peddling pornography to underage children! ANY parent or guardian has the right to determine what their children read. Parents must provide that education and support in their own home, but do not have the right to decide for all children! What kids have access to on the internet and on TV are far worse but where is the legislation to limit those devices? Where is the legislation to keep kids safe from online predators? Books do not make kids gay or transgender inappropriate books are not out there on shelves just waiting to corrupt children. I urge you to really learn and consider what librarians do in order to protect children and what amazing opportunities our libraries provide for all users!

02-17-2025

Hayley J

Not only is the bill vague, it is misleading. This country was founded on basic principles of freedom of thought and expression. Libraries are clearly labeled and categorized for their audiences. If children are selecting content a parent deems inappropriate, the parent can make an individual choice for their child. The comment section is filled with empty, baseless fears that are not grounded in reality. (And clearly people posted comments without even understanding the bill. Look how many talk about schools when the bill is about public libraries.)The notion that the world is full of groomers is absurd. The implication that librarians are predatory groomers because libraries contain material someone may not like is repugnant. Bills like this are an affront to first amendment freedoms, they are inflammatory, and they create false panic. Who determines what is obscene? Thats where the slippery slope begins. How quickly will this morph into removing books that contain uncomfortable historical realities? The Holocaust, slavery, war It is the marker of a democratic society that people have the freedom to choose what they read. Parents can already choose the material they deem appropriate for their children; they do not have the freedom to determine what is appropriate for mine or what should be removed from a public library. This bill is incendiary, dangerous, and illconceived. The bill isnt about protection, its about imposing personal views on public access. Oppose it.

02-17-2025

Donald Baxter

Passing this bill, which will also affect public library adult users and university students, faculty, staff and community users at Iowa's Regents institutions and community college users, will make Iowa look like a backwater state full of fools. Why can't Iowans elect a legislature committing of mature adults focused on what matters to people facing a state with 93 counties treading water or flat out dying? And who gets to decide what obscenity is, anyway? I left the South 25 year0. If you want to live under the thumb of the this dictatorial nature, try moving to Alabama and see if your kids don't fall hopelessly behind, unable to face the real challenges of the 21st Century living in states like Illinois or Minnesota where their jobs will inevitably be.You all shouldn't even waste your time debating this nonsene. Our water is filthy and I don't see the Lege progressing on that obscenity.

02-17-2025

Teresa Mangum

Please DO NOT support this bill that will undermine our wonderful public libraries. Book censorship laws are being used to impose the values of a small group of radical right people on all the rest of us, despite their claim that they support family values. Supporting family values would mean allowing each family to decide what books they and their children will read. Librarians are trained educators who work with their advisory boards and community groups to build their collections and to offer thoughtful guidance about what books are appropriate for what ages. After offering informed advice, they welcome parents and kids to decide what books they wish to read. Iowa used to be a leader in education, and we are falling badly in national rankings due in part to laws like these. Vibrant public libraries are critical to having a strong, knowledgeable, openminded community. Please, please do not weaken our state further by passing this narrowminded, provincial, vague law. Let's go back to being the state that believed in intellectual freedom, back to giving individuals and families the ability to make their own decisions about their reading and learning, and back to having the best public library system in the US.

02-17-2025

Victoria Walton

I am opposed to Bill SF 235. Librarians and educators in accredited schools should have autonomy to thoughtfully offer appropriate curriculum materials for choice by students rather than be dictated by the beliefs of some.

02-17-2025

Victoria Walton

02-17-2025

Susan Cornforth

Please consider freedom of speech and thought and DO NOT PASS THIS BILL. Censorship and book banning are not American or Iowan. Its time to get our priorities straight and stop trying to police what other people think. Its not a library's job to parent your children.

02-17-2025

Melanie Reed

Please do not pass this bill. Censorship is not the job of the government. Parenting is not your job, it is mine. It is my job to decide what I think is appropriate for my children to read based on what I believe and what I know about their development. This is a massive overreach. Please do not go down this road.

02-17-2025

Anna Kemp

Do not repeal. Public libraries and educational institutions need to give access to information. Banning one book leads to more. Also if your child has access to a smart phone then why on earth would you be going after libraries. They can find way worse things on the internet.

02-17-2025

Charlotte Jeppsen

As an educator, I do not support this bill. Censorship from the government is dangerous for the development of our children. It takes agency away from children and families to read what they want, which cascades to negatively affect mental, emotional and cognitive development. I do not support this bill.

02-17-2025

Anne Mangano

There is a clear, practical reason obscenity exemptions are in place for public libraries: obscenity is highly subjective. You are asking public institutions to take an undue burden in courts at great cost, both financially and emotionally, for every item in a library that some person might find objectionable. Remember: what is obscene changes from person to person. Practically, local governments will be saddled with increased legal costs and insurance. Morally, librarians will be afraid. Im not sure why legislators feel they have to solve a problem that doesnt exist. I think if legislators bothered going into a public library they would see that the people of Iowa need access to food, housing, and mental health care.

02-17-2025

M Jeanine Redlinger

This bill is another overreaching act out of Des Moines on an issue that should be handled at the local level where people closest to the children can make the right choices for their reading material. Parents need to be more involved, local boards, librarians and teachers not lawmakers at the State Capital need to find a workable solution that includes inappropriate materials that are even more available on the Internet. All the cries to "protect the children" are ironic while our government is failing to feed the children, educate the children, keep them from working in dangerous jobs, or driving cars on our roads when they are not properly instructed, or saving them from guns, or keeping them from being used by politicians to secure votes for reelection!

02-17-2025

Amanda Boody

Why aren't parents taking responsibility for their own children? Why are these lazy parents wanting a law to enforce their specific ideas and fears on everyone else? If you don't want your children to read something that may be at a library then be an active parent and know what they are checking out. I don't support this law for lazy parents who want the government to do their parenting for them while they fuss and whine about what made America great Freedom. Let the libraries provide freely and let parents stop being lazy. Librarians are not parents and should not take their place. The government should not take the place of parents. This law is about making the government our parent. That is not American. Don't pass this law. Tell parents to tend their own family and I will tend mine.

02-17-2025

Brooklynn Coburn

I vehemently oppose HF 274. This bill and its companion SF 235, strip Iowans of their constitutional rights to freedom of inquiry and expression. Parents already have the right to decide what is appropriate for their own children but not for everyone in Iowa. Public libraries do not act in loco parentis. Parents and guardians are responsible for actively monitoring what their children consume . Public libraries should strive to curate a collections that expresses every view point, including ones you do not personally agree with. Government control over the information that is freely available to the public is an infringement on freedom and goes against everything Iowa stands for. Iowa was the FIRST to adopt a Library Bill of Rights to defend our citizens right to freely pursue and consume information from all view points. This bill is not Iowa.

02-17-2025

Brooklynn Coburn

02-17-2025

Adam Sirgany

I am a writer, literary editor, and educator, and I unequivocally do not support HF 274 on several grounds. First, all such bills are overreaches of government, the best role of which in the lives of its citizenry is its least intrusive on and most enabling to the freedom of their minds and actions.Second, such measures are, practically speaking, unhelpful to parents with concerns over the content to which their children are exposed. Lets be quite clear that we live in a digital age, one where children are regularly shown obscene materials on devices given them, not by teachers or librarians, but by their parents. Third, as an active librarygoer and volunteer, as someone who regularly works with books and with children, I can say with great confidence that I have never seen anything I would deem obscene made readily available to minors by a public school or public library. To add limits to selfregulating entities already responsive to patron expectations and the developmental needs of children is frankly rather silly bureaucracy for bureaucracys sake. After all, any reasonably engaged parent has some understanding of what media their children are exposed to, and they have every right to complain to any institution they find has made available materials to which they personally object. Not all such complaints reflect informed readings of the media objected to. But the right to speak is a fundamental aspect of American republican democracy, and this applies to artists and thinkers and their critics, alike. If you go to the Solon public library, or to the Ely Public Library, or to the ICPL, you will find materials of slightly different character, though these institutions actively share books. This reflects the ability of these libraries to curate in accordance with the needs of their communities. So, I sincerely ask, what recourse does HF 274 add? What practical end is served by this performance of protecting children from entities that already do the work in reality?Fourth, I would argue that citizens, even young ones, deserve to have an abundance of literary and artistic works made available to them. Why? Because engaging materials that challenge us helps us grow, in mind and in faith. It strikes me as hubristic or, at best, paternalistically nave to think an undefined average person who mean, median, or modereads very few books and rarely if ever steps into libraries could define what is prurient or patently offensive to any reader who opens a book, reads it, and asks serious questions about it. While libraries effectively, selfmanage evident obscenity, there are any number of reasons arguably obscene materials may be held by a public library or other educational entity. Certainly, it is part of the good work librarians and educators do to make themselves available, to help contextualize difficult works for those to whom they help make literature available. This isnt true in all scenarios children encounter media.Let me explain what I mean narratively. As a young person, I was a precocious reader. A Bible, available in my home, exposed me to the slaughter of the Canaanites. I was extremely troubled by this story. Now, I would never want a librarian to be held accountable for making the Bible, Christianity and Western literatures book par excellence, available, though I have heard the KJV described in terms that would have it withheld from children by the lights of HF 274. What was important in my own experience of discovering something agonizing in the Bible was that my school teachers and, yes, my local librarian helped me better understand the narrative I had read and put it in a historic context I could comprehend at that age. Without that context, I may have put down this book and never touched it again. Should all children engage with all materials at all ages? No. But they should be given public spaces and public forums where support to their development is enabled. To think this is best achieved by abstract content banning (or the room to ban) by those like yourselves, few of whom work directly with youth, few of whom work seriously in the arts, seems dubious at best. Any elected official who could take this kind of action seriously would lose, now and into the future, my respect and my vote. This bill is illconceived, poorly written, and unconstructive to its own ends. That such drivel is drafted using taxpayer funds and archived using taxpayer resources when our people face matters of real import is perhaps the greatest obscenity.

02-17-2025

Becca Kurtz

I vehemently oppose this bill. Librarians are saints, not criminals. The state should be in the business of helping its constituents, not banning books. This is just another ploy to say they are protecting the children when in reality they cut funding for food programs and public schools. Spend your time on more important things that will actually help the people.

02-17-2025

Veronica Ruse [Drake Community Library]

I am a current library science student at the University of Iowa, and I work as a library assistant in Grinnells public library. Every day I wake up eager to serve the member of my community, from little newborn babies with their parents to octogenarians. This bill is incredibly concerning to me, and I am dismayed to see our legislature continue to attack public libraries and librarians. I ask the legislature to consider the following: 1) Public libraries exist to serve everyone in the community and 2) we already divide the library collections into ageappropriate sections like Childrens, Teen, and Adult. If a child has picked up a fiction novel shelved in the adult section, I believe the responsibility should rightly be placed on the parent to monitor what their child is reading rather than trying to charge librarians with obscenity (!). This legislation will only lead to a waste of taxpayer money and undue harassment of hardworking Iowans. Moreover, freedom of speech of one of our nations most cherished virtues. The state of Iowa should not be in the business of forcing public libraries to censor collection materials, rip books out of childrens hands, or ban children from different sections of the library. And this point bear repeating: the state of Iowa should certainly not be trying to charge individual librarians with obscenity! I am a government employee and am very proud of the work I do to serve and help the residents of Grinnell every single day. It dismays me to see my profession maligned in this manner and the institutions and ideals which make our nation great attacked in the name of fear mongering. If the legislature is concerned about obscenity, Id like to see the state of Iowa implement age verification for pornographic websites. I can assure our legislatures that todays youth are far more likely to be exposed to inappropriate materials by accessing the internet on their own devices than by visiting the public library.

02-17-2025

Taylor Hays

I do NOT support this bill. Its a parents responsibility to provide their children with restrictions on what they can and cannot borrow from the library. This is just giving more parental rights away to the government. If people are truly worried about protecting children from obscene stories then children shouldnt have access to the Bible. This is total hypocrisy. Party of small government seems to want to strip parents of their rights and continue to weasel their way into controlling and restricting our lives to push a Christian Right agenda. Leave libraries alone and spend your time fixing real problems.

02-17-2025

Kristy Hartsgrove Mooers

Please do not pass this bill. Childrens libraries and librarians are essential to healthy functioning communities. They provide literacy and learning programs, and act as safe havens for teenagers who need a place to study and get away from the crowd. Please do whatever you have to do to protect libraries so that families can enjoy them. Thank you!

02-17-2025

Katie Peterson

I oppose this bill. It's a censorship bill that limits libraries' and schools' abilities to provide children access to the materials that will help them develop their identities. It's not up to the government to decide what's "obscene" for minors. Libraries and schools are already perfectly qualified to make those decisions.

02-17-2025

Nile Stoltz [ISU]

I strongly oppose HF 2741. This bill infringes on the freedoms of both myself and my community. Parents already have the right to decide what is appropriate for their own children. Not what is appropriate me. Libraries are not babysitters; they are places of learning, exploration, and access to information. Restricting that access is an attack on the very principles that define America. I refuse to have my freedom taken away just to accommodate parents who would rather shift their responsibilities onto public institutions.

02-17-2025

Amy Dobrian

I strongly oppose this bill. Book banning degrades us as a free nation, flies in the face of our constitution and the first amendment, and lowers Iowas standard as a state founded in education. As a parent of a recent high school graduate, I have seen our young people fleeing our state as a result of laws like this designed to oppress marginalized groups, suppress knowledge, and degrade free speech and education. Do not pass this bill!

02-17-2025

Sabrina Cook

I do not support this bill. What happened to parent choice? Just because one parent doesnt want their kid to read a certain book doesnt mean that book should be made unavailable for all kids. Leave our public libraries alone.

02-17-2025

Jay Hodges

I support HF274. I would encourage lawmakers to clean up and elucidate the language of the bill a bit before voting / passing.It should be selfevident that some materials simply do not belong within hands reach of children in a public library. As another commenter noted: if a sheriff or governor couldn't read it on television, it probably isn't appropriate for children in a library.

02-11-2025

Jonathan Huber

I support House File 274 because it aims to protect minors from exposure to obscene content. By repealing the obscenity exemptions, Iowans can ensure that educational and public spaces remain safe and appropriate for all students. It's important to have clear standards that prevent the distribution of material that could be harmful or offensive. This bill helps create a more secure learning environment where students can focus on their education without the risk of encountering inappropriate content. This bill prioritizes the wellbeing of our youth.

02-13-2025

Kathy Dow

I am in full support of HS 274 because it will help protect our children from exposure to obscene content. That there are places exempt from laws to shield our children from harmful material is ludicrous. If the material is harmful in one place, it is harmful in all places. Please pass this bill!

02-13-2025

Steve Clarke

Dont pass this bill the current exception in 728.7 allows for the use of appropriate material for educational purposes. Nobody is advocating for Playboys and Xrated movies. This is part of the larger cultural wars being waged. Protect our society by denouncing censorship.

02-13-2025

Sarah Smith

Do NOT pass this bill. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine what children can or cannot readthat responsibility belongs to parents. Rather than restricting access to books, we should encourage parents to be actively involved in their childrens reading choices.If I come across a book I dont want to read or a news channel I dont want to watch, I simply choose not to engage. Thats the beauty of intellectual freedomthe ability to decide for ourselves. HF 274 imposes unnecessary restrictions that would hinder libraries from fulfilling their mission, limiting access to information and stifling the freedom to read.Our communities thrive when libraries are empowered to serve without political interference. Please vote against HF 274 and protect our right to read, learn, and think freely.

02-13-2025

Janet Winn

Please vote in favor of this bill. I have 2 professional licenses, one of which requires required reporter training in which this material should trigger every teacher to report. Its absolutely absurd this has been allowed for so long.

02-13-2025

Jessica Young

I absolutely do not support this bill. It is up to parents to decide what they want their children to read. Libraries are here for everyone. Parents, if you dont want your kids to read something, its up to you to restrict what they read and what they check out from the library. We do not all view the world through the same lens. Make room for different viewpoints and ideas.

02-13-2025

Nicole Rhodes

02-13-2025

Jill Sanders

I do NOT support this bill. Parents need to be the responsible party with what our children read and have access to. Libraries are the one place that gives access to all and all materials. I will not force my views on other people or children and no one else has that right either. All people need to be able to determine what is good for them and children need to be able to develop that skill as well with the help of their parents. Please do not restrict access to materials in this state.

02-13-2025

Ryan Rhodes

Fett did a most excellent job getting all of her moms for liberty oppressors to enter their comments without actually knowing what this will do.Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-13-2025

Kim Kietzman

The beauty of public libraries is that everyone who visits has choices to borrow or not borrow. That puts the power in parents' hands to choose what their children read and watch, solely within their control. If a public library is expected to parent thousands of children from unique families there will be very little left for adults to read, and children will be restricted to nearly nothing out of fear of misinterpreting or missing something. Online books and audiobooks will be gone, with no way to restrict access based on age, and no way to verify who is accessing the account. This is a slippery slope where the government dictates what an entire community can read. Libraries have communitydriven processes to address these concerns without removing the rights of the rest of the community.

02-13-2025

Jana Schwerdtfeger

Please believe me librarians are NOT putting "porn" on library shelves. I have worked in both kinds of libraries. We are professionals with Masters degrees. A book with sex in it is NOT automatically pornography. A book with nudity is NOT automatically pornography. Porn is defined as something intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings. This material is not in the kids sections. We have romance novels in the adult section, but not for kids. We are not out to corrupt your child. We are here to help them and make them feel welcome.Public libraries are open for everyone. We offer access to all. We offer materials for all. Minors come into the public library and yes, have access to adult materials. If you are concerned about your kids seeing certain books in the library, come with them. Stay with them. Have conversations with them about the world, even if it is a simple answer such as, Thats something well talk about when youre older. Tell them what you dont want them watching or reading so they know to stop if they come across anything like that. We do not take the place of a parent. If you have limitations for your child, thats between you. I trust my librarian colleagues more than the haters commenting on this bill. It is disgusting that some of you liken librarians to groomers, perverts, and pedophiles. We are here to provide reading materials for all ages, all walks of life, all people in our communities.

02-13-2025

Judy Russell

Do not vote for this bill. Librarians are the most honest and caring professionals in our communities. Libraries are the hub of each community. We take our kids for story time, research, activities for all ages. Destroying the integrity of these institutions is the wrong path. Trust these professionals. They purchase books from reputable publishers. Don't let Samantha Fett and her Moms for Liberty hate group throw doubt on this wonderful part of your town. Support your library and the librarians!!!

02-13-2025

Jessica Patterson

Dont pass this bill. Libraries are for everyone. Censorship is not ok. If a public library is expected to parent thousands of children from unique families there will be very little left for adults to read, and children will be restricted to nearly nothing out of fear of misinterpreting or missing something.

02-13-2025

Monica Hamilton

Do not pass this bill. Librarians are not giving obscene materials to children. Let parents choose whether their children go to the library. Government should not be involved in that choice.An unattended consequence that came about in Idaho when they passed a similar billlibraries had to switch to 18+ only. So now no children can access all of the resources that libraries provide to our community. Do not pass this bill.

02-13-2025

Jane Freeman

I do not support this bill. Another ridiculous waste of taxpayer funds. There is no pornography at the library. There is, however, pornography on your phones and computers at your homes and your children can likely access that. The library is a safe haven for learning and a place where one can broaden the mind and gain a free education. Iowa needs more opportunities for education and learning, not less opportunities. A free society requires access to information and restricting our libraries will further Iowa's brain drain. Iowa cannot remain competitive with other states if it insists on stymies access to knowledge.

02-13-2025

Chase Marshall

02-13-2025

Alex Barrett

This law is a waste of taxpayer funds and will shutter many rural community libraries which often provide an educational resource for children. Banning literature and textbooks is horrific and not the responsibility of the government to instill on children. Let parents be responsible for their childrens education. This law would likely strip the Bible and the old testament from being in a public setting due to many of its verses discuss adultery, rape, sodomy, and incest.

02-13-2025

Jarod Johnson [No]

Materials available in a public library are not obscene. There is no pornography made available in a public library and just because someone with an agenda thinks it is does not quantify it as such. These people who are driving this will be more than happy to direct that scalpel of outrage cloaked in religious tapestry on the next thing that "offends" them. If this passes then they are setting a dangerous prerequisite that will eventually lead to public book burnings. This bill cannot pass without damaging the future beyond the point of fixing it for the next generation.

02-13-2025

Jaci Holt

Please do not pass this bill. It is not up to libraries or librarians to decide what content children check out or look at, this is a parent/guardians responsibility. The library should continue to provide a variety of content that appeals to all members of the community.

02-13-2025

Andrew Nostvick

I am against HF 274. This is censorship, plain and simple. It creates problems that do not exist except in your heads. It's an unnecessary restriction. You're talking about banning books from a public library. This will cause a lot of problems.

02-13-2025

Brittney Crist

Do not pass this bill! It should be up to the parents to decide what is obscene for a child when it comes to books, not the government. The wording is too broad. It WILL be abused to oblivion and restrict access to normal books since there is no definition or distinction on what is considered obscene.

02-13-2025

Rev. Travis Stanley

Do not pass this bill. It is not the job of the Iowa Legislature to tell local libraries how to act. Please allow local control, and let local city councils, library boards, librarians, and parents decide what their children read. We do it at home as we monitor what our kids watch on TV and encounter on the internet. We are capable of doing it at a library. Please do not infringe on the autonomy of local libraries. You have other things to worry about. Leave this one to the experts closest to the issue. Thank you.

02-13-2025

Jacob Larsen

So NOT pas this bill. PARENTS are responsible for what their children borrow and nobody at a library is pushing obscene material on children or young adults. In fact, your children are much better off at a library getting valuable advice on healthy interests from professional librarians than they are online.Censorship of legally printed and published materials is never ok. They did that in Nazi Germany and see where that gotThem!

02-13-2025

Avery Troester

I cannot support a bill that seeks to use broad and vague language to attempt to weaken public libraries that act as community centers and supports. No librarians are seeking to give obscene material to anyone, especially children, unless the government wants to define obscene broadly so they can reduce the publics access to information. The people making and supporting this bill are doing it because they want to weaken others so they can feel stronger. I stand with my library and free access to knowledge.

02-13-2025

Rebecca Cahill

I DO NOT support this bill and am absolutely furious to see this being considered. A similar bill in Idaho led to some public libraries CLOSING. This is irresponsible and an overreach. It is NOT up to politicians to decide what is and is not obscenity or to control access to books. I am my childs parent, and I decide what he reads and has access to. NOT POLITICIANS.

02-13-2025

Alli Moerman

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries are public entities that serve ALL members of the public. Forcing libraries via legislation to remove materials that one segment of the population does not agree with is censorship and against the 1st amendment. If parents are concerned about materials in the library, it is their role to determine how to handle it within their family, and not for a legislative body to decide. Please observe what has happened in Idaho after passage of a similar bill. Public libraries will be at risk of closure if this bill is passed.

02-13-2025

Andrew Campos

We should not leave obscenity open to interpretation, this is a dangerous slope that could ban the Bible from libraries, many stories in the Bible could be taken out of context, and used to ban them! It will also cause unnecessary lawsuits all over the place.

02-13-2025

Heather Clark

I do not support this bill. Libraries are a vital resource for communities, especially our rural ones. The people who support this are admitting they don't pay attention to what their children are reading and fully expect someone else to parent their children. It's the responsibility of parents or legal guardians to have discussions with their children on what they feel is appropriate. Parents are more than welcome to visit the library with their children and help them select a book.

02-13-2025

Stephanie Boecker

I do not support the passing of this bill. Libraries are a sacred resource that has never, and should never censored or governed by individual fears. Parents can choose what they do or do not want their children to read by actively parenting them at the library

02-13-2025

Siobhan Solomon

I am NOT in favor of this bill. As a citizen I am appalled that this would even be suggested to protect our children. This isnt protecting our children, its an egregious violation of our freedom of speech. Maybe the people who want to protect these kids should actually take the time to parent them instead expecting the government and everyone else to do it for them. Which is INSANITY because these are the same people who look education in the face and spit in it when they tell everyone I can teach my kids better at home.Shameful.

02-13-2025

Emma D

Please do not support this bill! This is a blatant attack on our libraries and in no way protects minors from anything. This is alarmist, obtuse, and a thinly veiled attempt to defund educational opportunity for ALL IOWANS (not just children!). Do NOT support this bill.

02-13-2025

Norene Kelly

Do not pass this bill. It does not belong in a free society. It is government overreach. Who would be going through all materials in libraries to judge whether material is obscene or not? An impossible task. This is a thinly veiled attempt to force libraries to close and to control what people read. Just as with the internet and tv, parents control what their minor children read and see.

02-13-2025

Alex Carnahan

Please dont pass this bill. Please use common sense to and do not use broad strokes to limit what our libraries and schools can have in the shelves. Trust your librarians and teachers to determine whats appropriate. Most of the time anything the average person would deem obscene is going to be in a separate area and the librarians are great custodians of their material. Iowa is already a leader in banned books and material. That is is not freedom of speech. Dont continue to censor the world we live in. Embrace it and use these opportunities to have discussions with your child. Better yet, engage with your child and keep them away from what you deem inappropriate. This will be a slippery slope to white washing history, culture, science and many other topics. We have to put a stop to it now. Do not pass this bill.

02-13-2025

Luke Schut

Do not pass this bill. It is a clear attempt at censorship and a violation of the First Amendment principals our country is founded on. If the parents in these other comments are so worried about children getting obscene materials (which are not found in libraries anyway; Ive never found a Playboy magazine on the shelves), then they can take some personal responsibility and monitor their kids. This bill is a clear attempt at government overreach and would create a nanny state repressing free thought and free speech depending on who dictates what is obscene.

02-13-2025

Jeremiah Johnson

Firmly against the billThe comments here are insane. You dont care about rights you all care about your cult. Let children have the freedom to learn whatever they choose to, cowards. You seek to ban them from learning because you know that youre not a good enough parent to teach them right from wrong.

02-13-2025

Carl Osterhoudt

I do not support this bill. It seems the government is trying to meddle in affairs that should be handled by parents. Censoring books in this way is a slippery slope that has potential to become means to stifle any views that contracdict those of the in control administration. If this passes, do we round up the offending works literature and set them ablaze in the town square?

02-13-2025

Alexis Pottebaum

The state of Iowa cuts education budgets and targets libraries next because education is the enemy of a conservative government. Stop ruining Iowa and fund public services that improve society. DO NOT VOTE FOR THIS BILL.

02-13-2025

Tracy Barkalow

These comments are obvious brigading by Moms For Liberty, which has a very active presence in our state.DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILLWhen adopted in other states, this bill has been proven to close libraries and endanger library staff. Thats a fact, not an opinion. Iowa has a rich tradition of educational excellence, and preserving access to public educational resources should be our priority, not limiting it.

02-13-2025

Ann Tigges

I am urging lawmakers to veto this bill. Libraries are a place for knowledge and not censorship! It is also not for the state to decide what is obscene for a child without parental consent. Parents should have the right to decide what is appropriate and what isnt for their child. Republicans are supposed to be for freedom and smaller government and not what materials are acceptable for parents to show their children.

02-13-2025

Mary McGrath

I believe in free speech, selfdetermination, and that parents are accountable to their children. It is the responsibility of parents to monitor their children, engage in their learning, and speak with them about difficult subjects. Withholding, restricting, blocking, and burning books is not the way towards common good and well rounded community. We benefit most when our imaginations can expand, traveling safely within the interior of our minds. This bill needs to be struck down and never brought up again.

02-13-2025

Alex Douglas

I do not support this bill. It is the responsibility of individual parents to deem what is appropriate for their own children. This bill could dissuade libraries from carrying certain books due to the opinions of a vocal minority, limiting access to those books for ALL Iowans. If you simply don't like a book, don't allow your child to borrow it.

02-13-2025

Amy Pilcher

I do not support House file 274. I support public libraries and trust librarians to make wise decisions. Books are already separated by age. I've always been very impressed at how librarians have recommended age appropriate books to my children. We made weekly trips to public libraries when my kids were growing up and my children were never exposed to obscene or nonage appropriate materials. Not only to I trust libraries and librarians but I do not believe that legislature should ever restrict access to books. I as a parent can restrict access to books that my children see without removing books arbitrarily from libraries. My husband and I taught our children to ask first before they checked books out from the library. It is the job of parents to watch over their children's choices, not the job of the state legislature.

02-13-2025

Elizabeth Estling

Do not pass this bull This is ridiculous. Where are the parents doing any parenting? Kids don't just check out library books on their own! They have cards where their parents can monitor and see what they checked out. This is flat out lazy parenting if you don't know what your child is doing on a library card that YOU have to sign off on. You want someone else to babysit your kid in the library? A library is just a warehouse of books. All books. You get to pick what your kid reads. Stop pushing your own parenting responsibilities off onto other people. Do not pass this stupid bill.

02-13-2025

Melissa Moody

I am in full support of HS 274. Our children deserve to have the freedom to public spaces free from obscene content that harms their developing hearts and minds. We have a duty to protect the children of Iowa and restrict taxpayer funds from being able to be used to facilitate access to and exposure to obscene materials.

02-13-2025

Rebecca Freckleton

Please veto this bill. Libraries should not parent what materials children check out, that duty rightfully falls on their actual parent/guardian. The state should not be acting as parents. Iowa is #2 in the nation for number of banned books, surely theres a better use of legislators time and our tax dollars? Our state restrictions should not increase, let parents do the parenting with whatever being #48 in book access currently leaves permissible. Iowa used to lead the nation in education, this bill is the wrong direction.

02-13-2025

Patty Hudspeth

Please do not pass HF 274. Its time for parents to do their job as a parent and not rely on legislation to do it for them. It is not the responsibility of the librarians to do that job either. This is getting absolutely ridiculous.

02-13-2025

Crystal Freland

Its apparent that most commenters have never been inside a library. When similar bills were passed in other jurisdictions, libraries were forced to close due to fear of allowing minors to use the library because of lax and subjective definitions of obscene material, which is exactly what is in this bill. Instead of restricting what is available at libraries (where children really are not encouraged to wander into the grown up sections, and where friendly librarians will probably intervene if they see kids with materials inappropriate for their ages), maybe you should just keep a better eye on your own children.

02-13-2025

Kim Reynolds [State of Iowa]

Do NOT pass this bill. It's not the government's job to parent the kids. Libraries are public spaces. They are the epicenter of enlightenment. The world has "obscene" content, deal with it. There are children s sections of libraries for a reason. Seriously, who bans books...in a... LIBRARY?!

02-13-2025

Kevin McGill

I oppose this bill.Violation of Intellectual Freedom:Public libraries exist to provide free, diverse access to information and ideas. Governmentimposed content restrictions infringe on the constitutional right to access information and can set a dangerous precedent for censorship that undermines the very foundation of our democratic society.Erosion Parental Authority:Libraries serve diverse communities and decisions about what children should or shouldnt read are best made by parents and educators. When the government steps in to restrict library content, it effectively removes parental choice and responsibility, replacing it with a onesizefitsall policy that may not reflect local needs.Redundancy in the Internet Age:In todays digital era, obscene or explicit content is just a click away on the internet. Restricting materials in libraries creates a false sense of protection because it doesnt prevent children from accessing such content elsewhere. Instead of relying on government censorship, parents should actively educate and guide their childrenParents Should Parent:Ultimately, its not the government's job to decide what is appropriate for children. Parents are best placed to monitor and discuss content with their children. Empowering parents to guide their kids not government edicts respects family autonomy and encourages responsible media literacy at home.By keeping content unrestricted in public libraries, society upholds the principle of intellectual freedom and reinforces that guiding childrens learning and values is a family responsibilitynot a governmental one.

02-13-2025

Amy Pilcher

02-13-2025

Iowa Citizen

You should go after internet access, children sharing stuff with each other on cell phones, and playground conversations first. I went to the library all of the time as a kid and the only place I ever encountered obscene topics was from other kids on the playground. You should be legislating terrible parenting instead of attacking libraries.

02-13-2025

Hannah Johnson

Please do NOT pass this bill. Parental rights and responsibilities include choosing (or later, guiding) what your child reads. No librarian is putting smut in the childrens section; these are highlyeducated, communityminded folks. Libraries are incredibly important; lets not weigh them down with censorship. Can we please ignore this culture war nonsense and focus on any of the many things that could actually help Iowa (brain drain, soaring cancer rates, child labor laws, taxpayer dollars going to religious schools, etc.)?

02-13-2025

Katelyn Handler

As a librarian, educator, and parent of three young children, I do not support this bill. Iowa libraries already have collection development policies that state what type of material is acceptable to be added to the collection, which in turn is evaluated by library staff. Ultimately collections are meant to serve the needs of an entire community, and those needs vary. All libraries likely have material that would be considered appropriate for adults and yet not necessarily appropriate for children. Government should not be dictating what types of materials libraries should purchase, this is censorship. If someone doesn't approve of certain material, they have every right not to read it themselves, but they do not have the right to decide if other people should read it, particularly if the material fits the collection development policy and has been deemed appropriate by subject matter experts.

02-13-2025

Andrea McIlwee

Do not pass this law. The exemption is based on a Supreme Court ruling, so HF 274 is going to be challenged and deemed unconstitutional. Why are you passing laws that end up held up in courts for years, costing Iowans millions in legal fees?

02-13-2025

Nicole Kressin

Parents should be allowed to parent their children and not rely on the government to do it for them. Parents have always been responsible for keeping inappropriate materials away from their children and are perfectly capable of continuing to do so. In a functioning and free society, libraries contain materials for everyone, not just children. They are the best people to decide what their children should and should not read. The next best people to make these decisions, and to decide what belongs and doesn't belong in a library, are librarians. Government interference of this nature is not only unnecessary but harmful to the entire community. Children do not grow into healthy adults in places where there is government censorship of reading materials. I also do not believe that the true motive behind this bill is "protecting children" when our government focuses on this while doing little to nothing to ensure that Iowa's children have enough to eat, safe water to drink and air to breathe, and access to quality healthcare and education for ALL not just those who can go to private school. Remember that extremism such as governmentsanctioned book bans always breeds equal and opposite extremism. Even if this truly is wellintentioned, it will backfire spectacularly in the long run.

02-13-2025

Kyle Fleming [Self]

I speak out strongly against this bill! Public libraries should be places where all people can explore and learn more about their world. This is not a bill about "protecting minors," this is a bill to chip away at the public's first amendment rights!

02-13-2025

Robert Holmes

This bill would be an embarrassment to all Iowans and be a failure of the legislature to resist puritanical pressures from poorly disguised bigots looking to use their children as an excuse to force their backwards views on their neighbors.

02-13-2025

Brandon Trago

How about instead of making the library take away books from others, who's parents are ok with them reading, YOU ACTUALLY PARENT YOUR OWN CHILDREN. This is insane. If YOU don't want YOUR kid to read a book, don't let them, but that gives you zero right to hinder another child.

02-13-2025

Cole Easton

I strongly oppose House File 274. The party of small government strikes againthis bill would strip public libraries and educational institutions of necessary protections that allow them to provide a broad range of educational materials to students and the public. Repealing these exemptions could lead to censorship of valuable literature, scientific resources, and artistic works, limiting access to information and restricting intellectual freedom.Its not the governments job to make these decisions. Parents should be involved in their childrens lives. If a parent isnt capable of being involved in their childs life, then why should big daddy government be making this decision for responsible parents? Educators and librarians should be trusted to make ageappropriate decisions about content, not be subjected to vague and restrictive obscenity laws.I urge lawmakers to reject this bill and protect the right to read, learn, and explore diverse ideas in Iowas schools and libraries.

02-13-2025

Joel Ferguson

Do not agree with this bill. Parents can and should decide for their own children what is obscene or not. We do not need someone else deciding for others based upon their own personal beliefs. This is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

02-13-2025

Tim Beauchamp

I do not support this bill. The library should decide what books it has and eliminating an exemption will require a bunch of effort that has already been done. This would require redundant reviews that have already been done over the course of several years. Librarians are not radical pedophiles who are grooming children. It's a shame I had to say that out loud. The people in support of this bill are churchy morons with some stupid agenda. Grow up. This bill is what's obscene.

02-13-2025

Tag V

We need to stop this Faso Christian Nazi bullshit in our society. There is nothing broken with libraries and the open learning they provide.Please stop this Handmaids Tale garbage and stop selling Iowans out to frauds and conmen.There is literally nothing you can prevent in a library that can't be found online. If you are too old to comprehend what a waste of time and money bills like this are, you should remove yourself from office.

02-13-2025

Michael Eckert

The state has no business enacting such a bill. I support the right of public library administrators and staff to make professionally informed decisions about acquisitions, access, and all other aspects of how libraries operate. This repeal opens the doors to book bans and censorship by political and religious extremists. What happened to "Our liberties we prize"?

02-13-2025

Darin Kerry

Thank goodness we have reps like Sam and Helena to move this bill along. A bill that is only needed because of the existence of reprehensible lefties who could care less about the effects on kids, if it advances their political agenda. I miss the good ole days of about 5 years ago when everyone basically agreed what was innapproaiate for kids to be exposed to.

02-13-2025

Matthew Richman [No]

Most of these people would rather clutch their pearls and let fascism run rampant in this state than be decent parents. Libraries are an absolute bastion of free speech, and just because you are a backwards nitwit doesn't mean that the rest of the populace needs to suffer to placate your hurt feelings. Maybe read some of these so called "obscene materials" and have a deep think on how you've become so full of spite and hate. Maybe, just maybe, you should have a conversation with your children if you don't want them reading certain books.

02-13-2025

J Uts

I do not support HF 274. I am heartbroken and angered to see librarians being called groomers and pedophiles. Libraries offer windows, doors, and mirrors through the books that are curated for their collections. Do not weaponize censorship for political gain.

02-13-2025

Don Johnson

Libraries, especially public libraries, are a bastion for free speech. Censorship like this is fascism and tyranny.If you dont want your kids reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower because you deem it obscene maybe grow the fuck up and have a conversation with your children.If you really want to protect children git rid of churches you christofascist groomers

02-13-2025

Brittany Hegstad

Please do not pass this bill. Maintaining the autonomy of public libraries is crucial for education as well as intellectual freedom, resistance to censorship, and preservation of democratic values. I urge you to consider the detrimental effects that this bill would have on our public libraries and by extension, our communities. Parents should control what their kids read, not the government.

02-13-2025

Bob McMurray

I do NOT support this bill. Libraries should serve knowledge and insight to all people without censorship and without catering to a particular point of view. Many Libraries will not have the resources to comply. Parents should be responsible for helping their children make smart choices in line with their valuesthat is not the job of a librarian

02-13-2025

Hayley Jackson

I do not support this bill and urge it not be passed. Public libraries exist to serve their entire community and are not meant to be places of censorship. Different parents have different opinions on what is appropriate for their children it is not the place of the library or its staff to make that judgement. Parents and guardians have the right to select what they consider appropriate for their children, but they do not have that right to take that choice away from other parents by arbitrarily removing books from a library serving the whole public.

02-13-2025

Marcus Linde

Because I dont have a better way of explaining it.Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you

02-13-2025

Veronica G

Please do not support this bill. Libraries are NOT distributing or displaying pornography or sexually explicit content to minors. Librares ARE providing books that reflect the community and world we live in and providing materials for ALL people. This bill would leave libraries and librarians open to persecution based on a vague definition of "obscenity". This will have negative affects on the ability of libraries to provide service to their communities as they would have to restict access rather than face legal action. Parents have always had the right and responsibility to choose what their child reads, but they do not get to make that choice for EVERY child and EVERY other parent.

02-13-2025

Carla Melby

I DO NOT support House file 274. I support public libraries and this book would be extremely harmful. Books are separated by age and librarians recommended age appropriate books to my children. We do not need more censorship and fewer freedoms. This is not going to help and in fact would be hurtful to children.

02-13-2025

Jennifer Bertrand

Librarians are professionals that I trust to do their jobs well, which includes selecting varied reading and audiovisual materials for their clients. I'm a parent and I do not want other parents dictating what materials my child may have access to in a library. If another parent doesn't like a book that a librarian has chosen to put in the collection then they can prevent their child from reading it or checking it out of the library. Not allowing me or my child to have access to that material is restriction on free speech. Let the parents of each child aside what is appropriate for their child. We don't need a law restricting an entire profession from doing their job.

02-13-2025

Olivia Kluesner

I do not support this law, Libraries are for the public which a majority are adults. Parents and Guardians are responsible for the content their children are consuming. I would not give the government control over what information the public has access to. Public libraries are an essential, part of our communities. They do not have pornography and do not allow that kind of content to be accessed. If they cannot define what is considered inappropriate then its left for their determination. They could deem anything inappropriate at that point.

02-13-2025

Kristin Knight

As a parent I do not support the passage of this bill. It is up to each parent to determine what is appropriate for their own children and not the responsibility of the library or educational institution to censor their material.

02-13-2025

Leigh Musser

Libraries should never be subjected to censorship! Libraries should be the epicenter of the marketplace of ideas! As a parent, it is MY job to monitor my child and ensure she is exposed to age appropriate material. MY job.Clutching your pearls and calling for censorship for the children! at the expense of everyone else is a disgraceful cop out. Parents parent your own kids! Dont ask the state to do it for you.

02-13-2025

Samantha White

I do not support this bill. Librarians are trained and able to do their jobs without religiousbased laws inhibiting first amendment right to freedom of speech. Parents should do a better job in observing and monitoring their children, its not the laws job to parent your children. Nor is it the laws job to determine what is profanity. The library was a sacred place for me growing up in learning about the world and being exposed to new ideas and views. to bar a child from their own curiosity and want to learn more is a shame. If they are exposed to ideas beyond their appropriate age again thats on the parents who should be then accompanying them and censoring them in the moment if its that much of a concern. Libraries dont have pornography and these other ridiculous things people are accusing them of harboring. Maybe monitor your childs unlimited YouTube and Snapchat exposure first. The call is coming from inside the house, LEAVE LIBRARIES ALONE.

02-13-2025

Jaina Woodward

HF 274 is just another ingredient in Iowas diet fascismlight on freedom, heavy on control. As Karl Marx put it, "Censorship... exercises tutelage over the highest interest of the citizens, their minds." If your ideology cant handle a few books, maybe its not as strong as you think.

02-13-2025

Jennifer Kelso

I vehemently oppose this ridiculous and dangerous bill that is proposed under the guise of "protecting children." The reality of this type of horrendous legislation is to create groupthink and control information. It is abhorrent that this bill has even made it this far. Disgusting.

02-13-2025

Daniel chou

Many of these comments in favor of controlling libraries are from members of known terrorist organizations. Restricting public libraries, one of the greatest gems of our United States of America, is a crime against our freedom. Those that vote for this bill are traitors to our country and the liberties we prize.

02-13-2025

JON Stivers

Please do not pass this bill. It will restrict access to items not intended to be curtailed and is outright censorship. As a parent I talk woth my kids about what they read & let them choose accordingly. Both of my kids read and comprehend well beyond their grade level and this law would restrict them to levels well below them. Librarians dint choose books that are pornographic,a book on the human body can be seen as pornographic by one parent amd educational by others. Why should the one parent have the right to choose what other parents can teach or have conversations woth their kids about.This bill also wreaks of parents trying to pass off to others tje responsibilities of talking with their kids. Parents should be allowed to decide for themselves what is and isn't acceptable foe their own children and not depend on others to raise then. This bill is passing responsibility from the parents to Librarians to ensure their children don't read something when if they wete active and involved in their kids lives this wouldn't be a concern. Our state slogan is the freedom to flourish and this is the exact opposite. This is the voice of a few trying to control what the rest do. That isn't freedom! Our state needs to live up to the slogan and do not pass this bill.

02-13-2025

Teiya Batien

Do not pass HF 274. Public libraries are meant to be bastion of free speech accessible to everyone. It is not the job of the State or local government to police what children read or what media children consume outside of the classroom. The onus is on the parents to ensure their children are reading ageappropriate materials. Each parent should be allowed to make that call for their own children. The government should not be the one making that decision. It has no need to intervene beyond the limitations already in place. This bill can only result in unnecessary censorship and should not be passed.

02-13-2025

Ted Meyer

I am disappointed and saddened by how many of my fellow Iowans have been brainwashed and fooled into fearing literature. You are being led down a dangerous path in the name of protecting our children when it's really about control and deceit.

02-13-2025

Kelly Ashmore

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries are there to help people expand their knowledge. It's not their job to police who reads or what they read. The wording for this bill is so subjective, it could make it more difficult for children to read the Bible at libraries. What about Shakespeare's plays? Or writings by Benjamin Franklin? This is an absurd bill.

02-13-2025

Nick G

So much for free speech. Every day we inch closer to Nazi Germany. Monitoring children's access to insensitive material for their age is the sole responsibility of the parents. Not the state. Wholesale censorship like this just punishes everybody. And let's not pretend this isn't going to be abused to remove other forms of information that are inconvenient to a certain party's political agenda.

02-13-2025

Shelley Hannig

This is a madeup "problem" in order to restrict access to books. No child is or has been corrupted at a public library! Public libraries are good wholesome spaces, where kids feel safe and learning and the joy of reading is encouraged. We refuse to let Iowa slide into fascism! Public libraries in other states have closed when similar laws were enacted, and rural areas will be hit hard. I sincerely oppose this.

02-13-2025

Sara Skinner

Do not pass this law, libraries are important. They are one of the only places left people can gather for free and provide an invaluable resource for the communities they serve. Children are NOT being given access to obscene materials at libraries! Please don't put our libraries at risk of closing for fear of being liable.

02-13-2025

Karla Goertzen

02-13-2025

Coleen Cox

This is beyond insane and affects more than you think. All against censorship until it benefits your agenda. This is why This goes beyond lgbt issues. I am an avid reader. Have been since I was a kid. What's next. Sci fi books from the 70s? Nope, gone under this. Bible? Should be out too. Oh but that gets an exemption because of course it does. Hope you don't like romance novels yourself. What am I kidding, most people wanting this don't read This is why I'm panic buying as many of my favorites in physical copies because where does this end. Kindle suddenly restricted?

02-13-2025

Mike Keller-Wilson

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries provide access to information and resources for everyone. It is the job of parents or guardians to guide their own children in deciding what material is best suited for them, but it is not the roll of parents or guardians to decide what options are available to others. I'm grateful for the time and care that librarians all over the state put into supporting their communities.

02-14-2025

Rebecca Andrews

Do not pass this bill. Parents should be the ones to decide what is suitable for their children to read. Book banning is not necessary, as librarians already are careful in their selection of books. I reject this bill and strongly urge you to vote it down. The overreach of conservatives in the state of Iowa needs to stop.

02-14-2025

Jordan Van Kampen

I stand in opposition of HF274. Libraries are community sources for information. They should be free to stock media that is of intetest to the community. Librarians are not collecting and making pornographic materials available. Limiting materials based on personal values is solely the responsibility of parents. Not everybody shares the same values. This is why we have the first ammendment. The government shall not infringe on free speach. A parent that does not know what their child is reading has failed as a parent. Don't stymie my child, because you can't or won't parent your own.

02-14-2025

Sam Rodman

Are you KIDDING ME?! This is insanity. Have we learned nothing from the past? DO NOT pass this bill. It will have a catastrophic effect and has no place in a functioning democratic society. It is the tool of fascists to ban books from public libraries, to make the pursuit of knowledge a criminal act. Stand for what is right and do not pass this bill. The comments at the top act like there is pornography everywhere waiting to be picked up by kids. They are lying, and they know they are lying.

02-14-2025

Nathan Harder

Do not pass this bill. Libraries already sepperate out "obscene" material from children and young adult sections. If parent or guardians are concerned for their children's saftey or innocence they should accompany them or make sure they stay in the correct areas. Public libraries are meant to house all information disregarding all censorship

02-14-2025

Robin Eggett

I cannot believe people are actually asking librarians to do the work of the PARENTS and police what other people's children are getting from the public library. My word. And the definition of obscenity is incredibly vague and 100 percent subjective. The party of small government wants the government to be just small enough to fit inside your library book. Our governor said for years she trusted Iowans to do what was right for their families. Apparently that trust is gone now. Vote know on this blatant attack on our public libraries.

02-14-2025

Catherine george

Please vote no on this bill. People will disagree on what books are appropriate for kids. It should be up to parents to make sure what their kids check out is right for them. The world is full of good, bad, and everything in between. As much as we would like to preserve our childrens innocence, theyll one day be living in that world on their own. A library is a very low risk place for learning about that world.

02-14-2025

Justin Ketelsen

What's deemed as obscene? This law seems vague on what it's "protecting" people from. How I see it not only will this bill do more harm than good but I see it as an infringement on the first amendment and the freedom of choice for parents that wish to raise their children as free thinkers.

02-14-2025

William McVicker

Say no to this bill! We parents need to take a more active role in our childrens life, if you dont want them reading something, you make sure they dont get it but keep your hands off the library where my and many other kids go to learn.

02-14-2025

Justin Ketelsen

02-14-2025

Nicholas Sels

This is ridiculous. You are making a very flimsy excuse to force libraries to comply with absurd censorship. How many Libraries will survive this new Sword of Damaclese? I promise the children have seen far worse from their friends and the Internet than they will ever see in a Library. You people cannot be this naive. What are the next generations going to do with the mess you're willfully leaving for them? You should be ashamed of yourselves.

02-14-2025

Paul Ravencroft

This bill is ridiculous fearmongering hoping that people will blindly try to "protect the children". Censorship does not protect anyone and denying children the able to read what and where they will is not the job of the government. Librarians cannot and should not be parents by proxy, teach your own children values and let them decide what is and is not appropriate, we are raising tiny humans here and they must be allowed to think on their own in a safe environment, like a library. I urge you to vote this down.

02-14-2025

Josh Gorman

Do not pass this bill. Librarians are not in charge of what your children can read the parents are. If parents do not want their child to read a certain book, it is their responsibility to prevent it. Librarians do not act in loco parentis. And nor should they be expected to.Similar bills have been passed and has led to the closure of libraries, particularly in rural communities. These libraries are closing because parents do not want to take responsibility for what their kids read and instead want to place the burden on a librarian and the government.

02-14-2025

Beth Gilbreath

Do NOT pass this bill. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine what children can or cannot read. That responsibility belongs to parents. Rather than restricting access to books, we should encourage parents to be actively involved in their childrens reading choices.If I come across a book I dont want to read or a news channel I dont want to watch, I simply choose not to engage. Thats the beauty of intellectual freedomthe ability to decide for ourselves. HF 274 imposes unnecessary restrictions that would hinder libraries from fulfilling their mission, limiting access to information and stifling the freedom to read.Our communities thrive when libraries are empowered to serve without political interference. Please vote against HF 274 and protect our right to read, learn, and think freely.

02-14-2025

Hilary Montalvo

Librarians are highly trained people who want to help kids learn, not some crazy porn peddlers deliberately putting stacks of porn where kids will see for some nefarious purpose. What happened to common sense and letting the communities decide how their libraries work and what they contain? Parents are responsible to monitor what their children may be reading, and they should decide what they do and don't see by supervising them. This panic over libraries is manufactured. And there is no common sense reason to micromanage communities' libraries. Do not pass this bill.

02-14-2025

John Sheldon

Do not support this bill. The definition of "obscene material" is far too broad, and quite frankly the idea that libraries are collecting pornographic material to show to children is absurd fear mongering. Just because a book doesn't conform to your personal or religious values does not mean that it should be banned from a public source of information. Libraries should be agnostic to these kinds of differences since they are meant to serve all sorts of people, not only people who agree with you.

02-14-2025

Zoey Mattes

Enough with the fear mongering, parents should parent their children. If you dont want your child reading something, dont check out that book. That doesnt give you the right to limit its accessibility for someone else, just because of your beliefs. I strongly oppose this bill, public libraries are a treasure and should be protected.

02-14-2025

JaVon Scott

Please do not pass this bill. This is based upon an ignorant,false narrative that has spread like wildfire among many Republicans that porn is being distributed directly to children, an abhorrent thought as regardless of whether you can understand that sex is a part of life and it is not always good, most of these books you speak of contain traumatic events that happen to real people everyday. 60% of sexual abuse victims are children who have been abused in their own home or by another family member. Many people under the guise of religion sexually abuse children as they are in positions of power within the church and are able to get away with it. Many sexual deviants hide under the mask of religion but obviously those preaching about the book ban do not know their peers very well. There isn't some conspiracy program to convert children to homosexuality and sexual deviancy that is frankly very stupid to even consider. How many of you have even picked up a book past your 30's? Do you honestly believe everything Fox News tells you? This is censorship of literature you've never actually read or took the time to understand why it's there. This is a slippery slope of censorship, blatantly hating and attempting to ban whatever you do not understand or despise. First it may start with 'obscenities', and then it will move further into ideals and topics that you do not understand, and therefore decide to hate. Censorship is wrong we are supposed to be the land of the Free, but all I see is freedoms being taken away slowly, one by one. Librarians are not responsible for what your children are reading, you are. Parents need to thoroughly check what their children are reading and need to take responsibility. This law will be very all encompassing. Say goodbye to your romance novels, as since librarians cannot guarantee children will not be looking at them, then they must be banned. More books than you think will be pulled off the shelves, leaving libraries to either force 18+ or demand ID checks for the facility, which will lead to libraries closing down. It's not as cut and dry as you think. I know a lot of you do not even go to the library yet you claim there is obscene material there. The Republican echo chamber has become nothing but an excuse to exaggerate and hate what you do not understand. Parents should be discussing what they want their children to read and should talk about these said topic with their children, not demanding book banning in a PUBLIC FACILITY. Read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury,then you will understand the road we are headed on. Stop letting fear run your lives this is absurd and a mockery of our freedoms as American citizens. The land of the Free doesn't seem so free now and that's a scary thing considering we are on the road to fascism, but I seriously doubt many of you can recall the last time you opened a history book.

02-14-2025

Lidia Bertolini

Please do not pass this bill as reading and accessing books to read are the fundamentals of any young person's life. It ignites their imagination and gives them a place to go. Our library has so many activities and resources for kids to utilize. S t e m access to video and audio. If we're looking at the library as a tool to reinforce parental values I recommend doing this at home and teaching your kids what is right and wrong. I don't need the library to do that for me. I also believe that the library is a place that creates great discussion at home understanding why we make the choices that we make and hold the beliefs that we hold. Whether it's understanding another religion or country Etc please do not pass this bill it's completely ridiculous and honestly it's the beginning of fascism.

02-14-2025

Anita Kay

I strongly oppose the proposed bill restricting Iowas public libraries. This bill is being introduced under the guise of protecting children, but in reality, it is an attempt to control access to information and impose ideological restrictions on public institutions. Libraries do not force you to read. They allow you to read. They provide individualschildren and adults alikethe ability to explore ideas, ask questions, and think critically.The idea that children need to be protected from libraries is both misleading and dangerous. Parents already have the right to guide their own childrens reading choices, but no one should have the right to make that decision for every child, every family, or every community. Public libraries exist to serve everyone, not just those who agree with a particular political or moral viewpoint.This bill is not about protecting children. It is about restricting access, limiting education, and undermining intellectual freedom. It will disproportionately harm students and families who rely on public libraries for learning, research, and community support.I urge you to reject this dangerous attempt at censorship and stand in defense of the right to read, learn, and think freely.

02-14-2025

Kate Matson

Please don't pass this bill. Libraries are for everyone. It is a parent's responsibility to oversee the media their child consumes. It's time these parents step up and stop expecting the government to do their jobs for them. We aren't talking about Playboys being stocked on the shelf, we're talking about books that make some people uncomfortable and they either don't want to be present to see what their child checks out, or they don't want to have a conversation with their child about what they deem appropriate for the kid to read. It is not the government's responsibility to decide what is "appropriate" for everyone, this is simply government overreach. Furthermore, libraries are places of learning. Given the current culture war it is not farfetched to imagine books with topics that are "unsavory" to certain subsections of the population to be considered part of the ban things as simple as a children's book about having two daddies, or a scientific book about gender diversity. I have no issues with my child reading such books, but if I did, I would not expect them to be pulled from library shelves to satisfy my opinion. This bill will simply lead to the loss of public libraries, which would do our communities irreparable harm. As a state that already experiences "brain drain" and has had a significant drop in education scores, we need to nurture these places of learning instead of placing undue burden on them.

02-14-2025

Olivia Montgomery

02-14-2025

Olivia Montgomery

02-14-2025

Katie Hof

I strongly oppose this bill. Parentsnot the governmentshould be responsible for guiding their childrens reading choices. Libraries are essential spaces that provide equal access to knowledge, ideas, and diverse perspectives for everyone. Censorship in any form threatens intellectual freedom and the ability of individuals to make informed decisions. I refuse to impose my personal beliefs on others, just as no one else should have the right to dictate what my child or anyone elses can read. Children must learn to think critically and explore different viewpoints with parental guidance, not government interference. Please protect the freedom to read and reject any efforts to limit access to materials in our state.

02-14-2025

April Leyh

I do not support this bill, please do not pass it. Books in libraries are purposefully separated into age categories as well as into specific types. Libraries and librarians are not pushing inappropriate books upon children and parents should be parenting their children. Monitor what your kid is reading, but libraries are places for all.

02-14-2025

Jesse Sass

I dont support this.Ultimate responsibility of what children see or dont see falls on the parents. Bills like these further the nanny state that removes the power from families, and places it in the hands of the government, and sets a dangerous precedent that the state knows better than individual parents what is best for our children.

02-14-2025

Shelby McNew

I am strongly against passing this bill because it will severely cripple if not destroy our public libraries. It should be the job of the parent/caretaker to protect their children from inappropriate materials, not the state. If this bill passes, it won't stop children from being exposed to obscene or inappropriate materials because that stuff can be found almost anywhere. All it will do is rob us of an indescribably precious and valuable resource, as it's all but guaranteed to wipe out our public libraries.

02-14-2025

Andrew VAN BEEK

I do not support this. This is effectively censorship because someone can arbitrarily deem something as obscene. The Bible has verses that most people here would consider obscene in any other book. Maybe parents should have a conversation with their children about this stuff rather than ruin libraries for the rest of us.

02-14-2025

Will Johannes

I emphatically do NOT support this bill. Parents should determine what is and is not appropriate for their children to read. It is not the responsibility of the state legislature to determine what is allowed in public libraries. This bill will only enforce subjective viewpoints of what is/isn't obscene.

02-14-2025

Jaime Blocker

02-14-2025

Emily Elliott

Please do not pass this horrible bill. Libraries are places of safety and kindness for the public use. It is one of the last free spaces for people to enjoy in our state. This bill will prevent children from having this safe space in their community. Furthermore, it is NOT the job of the Iowa government to parent other peoples children. The term obscene is not clearly defined in this bill and should not be left to Republican lawmakers to determine what books should be in a library. So much for small government!

02-14-2025

Christopher Powell

This bill represents blatant authoritarianism, and a scar on the heart of Iowan education and intelligence.Andrew Carnegie, one of our greatest citizens from history and the original billionaire, built his wealth on the knowledge gained from libraries, and championed them his whole life.Its disgusting that our own leaders would consider dismantling one of the cornerstones of being able to pull oneself up by ones bootstraps, while simultaneously screaming that we need to be pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.Rank hypocrisy has become the norm in todays Republican Party, and they want to make sure that future generations dont understand the meaning of that word so they can practice it in perpetuity.In the same hypocritical vein, my fellow Iowans who are concerned about pedophilia are willfully ignoring that the vast majority of *convicted Republican pedophiles* were calling for exactly this to happen before their arrests.Lastly, protecting children from harm is up to the ability and intelligence of the adult in charge of them.If you cannot protect your child from books on your own, you really should examine your ability to parent. I imagine tablets and arguments and misdiagnoses are a massive part of your daytoday experience.All things that are far worse for a child than a library

02-14-2025

Claire Moore

I absolutely do not support this bill. When I was in fourth grade and wanted to check out a book from the library that wasnt ageappropriate, my parents had a conversation with me about why that wasnt a good idea. Legal restrictions on public information will never replace good parenting. Even if there is genuinely pornographic material in libraries (which there is not, because librarians are trained professionals who know better), then it is the job of the PARENTS to make sure their kids are not reading it. Additionally, this leaves the definition of obscene material rather unspecific and ripe for abuse by those who wish to perform mass censorship on our public libraries. No one who supports free speech should support this bill.

02-14-2025

Adam Vermillion

Oh noes. My chittlins might learn about another culture or accidentally develop empathy towards people not exactly like them.DO NOT PASS THIS.All one has to do is read between the lines to see all the racism, bigotry, homophonic, and out right ignorance hiding behind the child meatshield of an excuse.Just because you're a hateful bigot doesn't mean your kids should be too. Kids love the library. Most of you need to spend more time in one. It's extremely apparent.

02-14-2025

Kelsey Adair

I do not support this bill. We need to support public libraries as they are with no restrictions. As a child I needed and used the library constantly to learn about the world outside of myself. Any bill that restricts access is unacceptable

02-14-2025

Jason McIntosh

I'm pretty sure most of the people in support of this have never stepped foot into a library. This is outrage over a nonissue and has gotten out of control. It's going to cause libraries to close because some people have over active imaginations.

02-14-2025

Lacey W

Do not pass this bill. Librarians or staff are not requiring children to read obscene material. The material is there for children, young adults, and others to learn things about their bodies and whats going on within them. As someone who received the talk in school, I was left with so many questions that I was only able to find answers within books. I would rather have the younger generation have access to regulated, approved books in public libraries than go on the internet where almost anything could pop up!

02-14-2025

Stephanie Berlin

Please do not pass this bill. I realize there are comments here asking for more govt intervention. The solution is for parents to parent their children instead of adding government oversight on libraries. Leave this to local communities. Stop intervening in our lives.

02-14-2025

Beth Delvaux

Do not pass this bill. Parents are responsible for determining appropriate material for their children, not the government. Removing material that only evangical Christians think is offensive is ignoring the needs of every Iowan family that doesn't follow that singular religion. Those parents should do their job in parenting their children instead of abdicating their responsibilities and forcing their religious beliefs on others.

02-14-2025

Jonathan Sims

I oppose this archaic bill. School and libraries already have systems in place for choosing appropriate materials for students. They also have systems in place for challenging and reviewing any materials that a parent or student finds inappropriate. Furthermore, these spaces should not be policed based on a small subset's tastes and opinions. No one is forcing students to read or look at anything they don't want to. If a book in inappropriate for you, then don't read it. Censoring what other people read is unAmerican and a violation of our 1st amendment. Punishing teachers and librarians is unAmerican. Lastly, students aren't finding dangerous or pornographic materials in the library, they already have the internet in their pockets and on their laptops. If you child needs to be policed, do it yourself.

02-14-2025

Kim Carson

Well it seems mom's for liberty got a hold of this, based on the comments. What is "liberty" about restricting access to libraries to "protect" children. What happened to personal responsibility? Why shouldn't parents endure their children aren't reading things they deem as inappropriate instead of putting their restrictions on strangers? Why is the "party of small government" trying to govern everything? This is nothing but a week attempt at censorship that'll do nothing but make your kids even dumber than they already are.

02-14-2025

Amanda Torres

I do not support this bill. this restricts the rights of others to access materials. The definition of obscenity is subjective. if there is concern about what a child is exposed to, it should be up to the individual parent to decide what is allowable, not the state.

02-14-2025

Samuel Corrigan

You'd be insane to pass this! You want to protect kids from obscene material? Maybe have a talk with your kid instead of passing some blanket bill. Libraries are a bastion for freedom of speech and a space to learn. I can't believe this is even a debate.

02-14-2025

Alexis Waters

This is incredibly short sighted and harmful to our public libraries. Information, books and references are necessary for a democracy to exist, if we limit the ability for learning I fear for the country's future.Don't pass this bill ever.

02-14-2025

Jon Wilburn [The Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Terrifying Organisms and their Rehabilitation Into Society]

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries should remain open to all ideas and ideologies and should not be the gatekeeping according to the views of a particular group.

02-14-2025

Bobbi Newman

I strongly oppose HF 274. This bill is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and a direct attack on the freedom to read and access information. Obscenity is already clearly defined under existing law through the Miller Test and the Serious Value Test. There is no need for additional, politically motivated legislation that targets books and educational materials.HF 274 goes far beyond protecting childrenit opens the door to government censorship by allowing the state to ban books and materials that have significant educational, cultural, and literary value. This bill threatens the intellectual freedom of all Iowans by restricting access to information and undermining the professional judgment of educators and librarians.Access to a free, uncensored library is a fundamental right. Libraries exist to provide diverse perspectives and foster critical thinking. HF 274 strips citizens of this right by empowering the state to decide what ideas are permissible. This is not about protecting children; it is about controlling information and limiting free speech.I urge you to reject HF 274 and stand for intellectual freedom, educational integrity, and the rights of all Iowans to access information without government interference.

02-14-2025

John VanDyk

Do not pass this bill. It would be an appropriate bill for North Korea. If you are concerned with what your child is doing at the library you should be an adult and parent them. If you want censorship, you can do it in your home library. The public libraries are places that support everyone, not just you. This bill is antifreedom and antiAmerican.

02-14-2025

Jessica Anderschau

Do not pass this bill. Libraries are a cornerstone of the United States and access to resources of all kinds, including those targeted by this legislation, are fundamental to a free society. Libraries are not daycare and the burden of teaching a child what constitutes morality lies solely on the parents as morality is reasonably subjective. Passing this legislation will place excess burden on library staff and may inadvertently affect library events that welcome youth into their facilities. I implore you not to legislate morality and to instead remind parents of freedom of speech in this country, and that books that sit in public library shelves are part of that freedom.

02-14-2025

Lina-Maria Murillo

Do NOT pass this bill. These censorship bills are a way for parents to forgo parenting their children. Everyone should have access to books; reading and literacy are a human right. If people don't want their children to learn that is there individual right. They cannot deny reading to others in public spaces, such as libraries. The government should not be in the business of censoring knowledge. That smacks of Third Reich thinking, rightwing authoritarianism. This is a dangerous bill for our democracy and our children's ability to learn on their own terms. Perhaps parents who fear what their children are reading, should spend time with their children. Get children off of phones and listen to their questions. Be parents. The government should not be a parent.

02-14-2025

Nikki Johnson

DO NOT pass this bill. This is unconstitutional. Its censorship under the excuse of protecting children, but when it comes to protecting children by funding their schools, banning assault weapons, or making sure they can eat you don't seem to care. It is the responsibility of the parent, not the state, to monitor what their child is reading.

02-14-2025

Emily Rust

I do not support this bill. Support of this bill takes away the freedom we have to read what interest us and affects us. If certain people do not agree with a books content and wouldn't like their children reading the content, then they need to better look out for their own individual children. Just because it is a different view than your does not mean it is a wrong view.

02-14-2025

Matthew Yoder

I do not support this bill. The risk of children accessing obscene material online at home is far greater than at a library. Libraries are one of the most valued and effective spaces of public gathering and sharing information and resources, which many children benefit from on a daily basis. This bill will hinder children access to development resources and educational programs rather than protect them from a red herring.

02-14-2025

Mica Doolan

I am writing to express my strong opposition to House File 274, which seeks to repeal obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions. This bill poses a significant threat to intellectual freedom and the accessibility of diverse educational materials in our state.Public libraries and educational institutions have long been bastions of knowledge, providing individuals with access to a wide range of information and perspectives. The current exemptions allow these institutions to offer materials that cater to varied educational needs and interests without the fear of unwarranted censorship. Removing these exemptions could lead to the suppression of valuable literature, art, and educational content, thereby hindering the intellectual and cultural growth of our communities.Moreover, the term "obscenity" is inherently subjective, and its interpretation can vary widely among individuals and groups. Without clear and objective standards, this bill could result in the arbitrary removal of materials based on individual biases, rather than on educational merit or community interest. This not only undermines the professional judgment of educators and librarians but also restricts the rights of individuals to access information freely.It's also important to recognize that public libraries and educational institutions already have policies and review processes in place to address concerns about specific materials. These procedures involve community input and professional evaluation, ensuring that content is appropriate for various age groups while respecting intellectual freedom. The proposed repeal is not only unnecessary but also disregards these established mechanisms that balance protection with access.In conclusion, House File 274 threatens the foundational principles of free access to information and intellectual freedom that our public libraries and educational institutions uphold. I urge legislators to consider the detrimental implications of this bill and to vote against it in order to preserve the rights of Iowans to explore diverse ideas and perspectives.Thank you for considering my perspective on this critical issue.

02-14-2025

Matt Kray

I oppose this bill. Public libraries are for EVERYONE. If you don't like what a book is about, don't read it. If you do not want your child to see/read certain material, be a parent and don't allow them. It is not the library's responsibility to babysit your child.

02-14-2025

Kelsey Hampton

I am deeply opposed to this bill. Libraries are a critical fixture of our community in Iowa and serve as a place of gathering, information, and education. It is a parents job to ensure the content their children are consuming is age appropriate, not the responsibility of the government.

02-14-2025

Lucas Boyle

This bill is a joke. Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-14-2025

April Pearson-Decklever

RESUBMITTED TO ADDRESS FORMATTING ISSUES. PLEASE NOTE THAT DIRECT QUOTES ARE INDICATED BY ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Please do not pass HF 274. Censorship is dangerous for several reasons. 1. Censorship undermines parents. If parents are concerned about the books their kids get at the library, they are welcome to choose what they deem appropriate. For the government to restrict that choice violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which protects the right of parents to make decisions about their children (Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur, 414 U.S. 632). To quote Tiffany Justice, founder of Moms for Liberty, I RAISE MY CHILDREN. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT. WE DO NOT COPARENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT. 2. Censorship obliterates free speech. Banning books goes against the First Amendment, which protects the right to express ideas even if they are offensive. This is the same amendment that protected Moms for Liberty member Melissa Missy Bosch from criminal charges when she said this about school librarians, I AM TELLING YOU, IF I HAD ANY MENTAL ISSUES, THEY WOULD ALL BE PLOWED DOWN BY A FREAKING GUN RIGHT NOW. 3. Censorship hinders critical thinking. It prevents individuals from learning to navigate complex issues and form rational opinions. An example of hindered critical thinking would be Moms for Liberty member Crystal Alonso calling for LGBTQ kids to be put in separate classrooms, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND DOWN SYNDROME. In conclusion, banning books in public libraries threatens the very foundations of a free and open society. Thank you for your time and consideration.

02-14-2025

Shaina Diaz

I do NOT support this bill and I am asking for it NOT to be passed! As a mother, it is MY decision what my child is or is not allowed to read. I strongly feel that what one may consider obscene may not be so to another. As parents it is our job to make that discernment for our own families, but that reach does not extend to someone elses family. The library is there to make resources available to those who need and want them, but no librarian is forcing anyone to check out any material. That is the choice of the library patrons. If you have concerns over the content of materials your child may check out from the library, it is your personal responsibility as the parent to accompany them and approve or deny their choices. It is not your responsibility to say my child, or any other that is not your own, cannot or should not have access to material just because you do not approve of them.

02-14-2025

Sarah Anderson

I support Libraries and Librarians. The wording of this bill disturbs me. Obscenity is a broad term, this term can be interpreted in many different ways. If this passes, I fear for Libraries and librarians. I believe all people should be allowed access to books. Even books that are banned from schools. I fear that this bill could remove books that teach people history. If something makes you uncomfortable it is not necessarily obscene.

02-14-2025

Stephanie Moton

Due to the increasing ideological divisions in modern society, the "average" person is not likely to agree on whether any given work is obscene or not, or whether any given work has or lacks "serious literary, scientific, political, or artistic value." The language around obscenity in Iowa law is outdated and this bill is based on a faulty premise. A great number of the comments in support of this bill seem convinced that explicit sexual or violent material is actively being shown to children at libraries in Iowa, and that this bill is the only thing standing in the way of that; however, this is not something I have ever experienced or seen happening during my (considerable) time spent visiting libraries in Iowa. Children's parents are already free to prevent them from attending library events or going to the library or any other places where the parent feels the material being displayed is offensive to their sensibilities or is simply not something they want their children to see. Parents also have the authority to monitor the specific material their child engages with. If a person is insecure about their own ability to parent their child effectively or their ability to understand library material well enough to decide whether it is appropriate for their child, the solution is not to ask the government of Iowa or library staff to do it for them. This bill will most likely be used to harm people whose very existence the government of Iowa is currently attempting to classify as "obscene," (which will likely grow to include more and more of the population if such efforts become successful), and to excuse legal and public actions against the existence of public libraries (and educational institutions) themselves. More harm than good will come from the passage of this bill. Meanwhile, everyone's children will still be able to find "obscene" material if they care to try hard enough and are not parented thoughtfully, as has always been the case. This bill should not pass.

02-14-2025

Sarah Sheldon

02-14-2025

Jonathan Huber [WWE]

As a dead wrestler and actor, I do not appreciate my name being used by fascists to impose their uninformed opinions. Libraries are beacons of knowledge, which honestly scares these smallminded people. They are too stupid to succeed; they don't want anyone else to either. Leave libraries alone and protect them from ignorant WWE fans

02-14-2025

Lisa Hancox

Just call this what it is. Book banning. Do not pass this bill. Its a parents job to monitor their children. Not libraries. And school libraries are not providing inappropriate content. Do your job as a parent and stop expecting schools and the community to do your job for you. This is censorship at its best and needs to be stopped.

02-14-2025

Kyle Schmidt

I use our public library a few times a week. The staff is excellent. I've never seen anything that kids shouldn't see. More reading is better for kids, not worse. This bill is unnecessary and a giant waste of time. Please pass bills that will actually help Iowans instead of participating in this culture war.

02-14-2025

Sheila Newman

I want to state that I oppose HF 274. This bill is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and a direct attack on the freedom to read and access information. Obscenity is already clearly defined under existing law. This is politically motivated legislation that targets books and educational materials.HF 274 goes far beyond protecting childrenit opens the door to government censorship. Censorship that is determined by a few in office with a political agenda, not the majority. Allowing the state to ban books and materials that have significant educational, cultural, and literary value is a sham to remove facts and replace it with the current fiction. This bill threatens the intellectual freedom of all Iowans by restricting access to information and undermining the professional judgment of educators and librarians. let these people do their jobs and please do yours which is to work for your districts, not your governor or a few zealots. Access to a free, uncensored library is a fundamental right. Libraries exist to provide diverse perspectives and foster critical thinking. HF 274 strips citizens of this right by empowering the state to decide what ideas are permissible. This is not about protecting children; it is about controlling information and limiting free speech.I urge you to reject HF 274 and stand for intellectual freedom, educational integrity, and the rights of all Iowans to access information without government interference.

02-14-2025

Hannah Doerge [N/A]

I am against this bill. If you care about children, protect them against school shootings, homelessness, and hunger. This fake pearl clutching to censor literature and violate the first amendment is the only obscenity I see here.

02-14-2025

Rachael Carlson

Please vote against this bill. It represents government overreach and threatens our fundamental freedoms. In America, the government does not have the right to control what I readnor should it dictate what my child can read.

02-14-2025

E JONES

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL it is nothing more than conservative propaganda. "Obscene material" is a thinly veiled attempt to attack the LGBTQIA+ community. Furthermore, it is not the elected officials' jobs to decide what martial parents allow their children to consume. This is control, not protection.

02-14-2025

Kyle Meeks

I am writing to express my strong opposition to H.F. 274, which seeks to repeal Code Section 728.7. This repeal directly undermines the foundational principles of free speech and intellectual freedom enshrined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.The current provisions of Code Section 728.7 protect the use of educational materials in accredited schools and public libraries, ensuring that minors can access a broad range of literary, scientific, political, and artistic content. Repealing this section would open the door to censorship, restricting access to diverse perspectives and ideas crucial for fostering critical thinking and wellrounded education.This bill does not safeguard children; it imposes a narrow ideological perspective on the entire community. Historically, attempts to control access to information have been a hallmark of authoritarian regimes, not democratic societies. The United States was founded on principles that champion the free exchange of ideas, even when those ideas challenge prevailing beliefs.Religious groups advocating for this repeal are overstepping their bounds by attempting to impose their moral frameworks on the broader public. This runs counter to the teachings of Jesus Christ, who consistently upheld the values of compassion, understanding, and the freedom to seek knowledge. As stated in John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Christ never advocated for the suppression of information but encouraged seeking knowledge and truth.Public libraries serve all community members, not just those who adhere to a particular belief system. They must remain spaces where individuals can explore, learn, and form their own opinions without fear of ideological interference.I urge lawmakers to uphold the principles of free speech and intellectual freedom by rejecting H.F. 274. Let us protect our libraries and educational institutions from censorship and continue to honor the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens under the Constitution.Sincerely,Kyle

02-14-2025

Ben Kelly

Passing this bill will bring us closer to materializing Hitlers ideal view of the world! If you seriously support this bill, you have never been in a public library. If you seriously support this bill, you have been brainwashed by the fascist media. Access to public libraries is part of DEMOCRACY. restricting access to libraries is part of FASCISM. passing this bill will help push Iowa into a Fascist state led by dictator Kim Retnolds (who ofc does whatever daddy Trump tells her to do instead of listening to us, the ones who elect)

02-14-2025

Ross Hughes

Rant. I absolutely do not support this bill. The library offered me a safe place to go and study after school. It helped protect my life and keep me out of trouble as a child. The librarians helped me learn new books based on my specific interests and never once pushed me to read something I didn't. Instead they were my friends in a professional manner, and helped me embrace my love for reading. The books my mom thought were too adult for me were taken by my mother and returned to the library, and I was punished for reading them. That's how you parent your own children, you don't get to make decisions that affect everyone else's children. My child loves the library as much as I did, and I monitor what books he reads as any parent should. I trust my local librarians, they are my friends and colleagues. Librarys are beautiful and need to be open to everyone. It's AntiAmerican to restrict library access in my opinion.

02-14-2025

Molly Towne

I strongly oppose this bill, this protects no one and endangers many, if we limit the access to books it limits peoples worldview, and ability to think critically, especially in a state like Iowa where many diverse opinions are marginalized and vilified. This does not protect anyone, there are still many ways for people of all ages to be exposed to obscene or inappropriate things (that aren't attacked maybe because they make the "right" people money?). This is control and a slippery slope to censorship and prioritizing only voices that are approved by those in power and agree with those in power. (It's an incredibly vague bill likely so that someone in power can fit whatever they want into it.) That is DANGEROUS. We need to be advocating for how to be thinking more critically, for understanding context, for autonomy, for media literacy, for sex education, for how to decide for yourself what is appropriate and true. There is educational value in things we disagree with and those discussions have value. This prevents understanding and prevents connection. Please do not put our community further into a bubble or echo chamber. Remember that there was a significant amount of time when women wearing pants was considered scandalous and obscene.

02-14-2025

Lori Rinehart

Do not pass this bill. This is censorship in its truest form. Parents can decide what their children can read. But other parents don't get to decide for my family. Please, believe in the right of free speech and democracy.

02-14-2025

April Campbell

I am opposed to the passage of HF 274. As a mother, grandmother and Christian, I understand that it is MY responsibility to determine what I deem is appropriate content for my children to be exposed to. It is MY responsibility to have discussions with my children about our families values. Libraries are bastions of free speech (one of the very basic tenets of our democracy) and should remain as such. I remember the words of my mother when she was in a conversation with an aunt who was concerned about books that her children might read. Mom said, "I don't think there are any books that are completely without merit. If I'm concerned about a book my child wants to read, then I'll read it first. If it seems appropriate for their development level, but I still have concerns, I will read it along with them and engage in conversations about where the book differs from our values and beliefs." Please vote NO on HF 274.

02-14-2025

Molly DONAHUE

You should not be banning books in any library not schools not public. Parents have the right to tell a child no to a material that they dont approve of. The libraries have an obligation to provide the materials for readers of all ages, races, beliefs.Banning books is wrongand extremist religious groups should not be dictating what others have available to them. 1Preservation of Free Speech and Intellectual FreedomPublic libraries are spaces dedicated to intellectual freedom, a cornerstone of democracy. Banning books undermines the First Amendment by limiting access to diverse perspectives, ideas, and information. A healthy society requires open discussion and the ability to explore all viewpoints, even those some might find controversial.2Encouraging Critical ThinkingExposure to a wide range of books allows readers to analyze and critically evaluate different viewpoints. Shielding people from certain books doesnt protect them; it limits their ability to think independently and navigate complex issues.Respect for Diversity and Inclusion Public libraries serve diverse communities with different backgrounds, beliefs, and values. What one person finds offensive may be meaningful or important to someone else. Banning books marginalizes voices, especially those from underrepresented groups, and suppresses their stories.Historical and Cultural ValueBooks often reflect the social and cultural climate of their time, even if the content is challenging or uncomfortable. Banning them erases opportunities to learn from history and engage in meaningful discussions about progress and change.Parental ResponsibilityLibraries provide access, not mandates. Parents have the right to guide their childrens reading but should not impose their preferences on others. Banning books removes the ability for individuals to make personal choices about what to read.Dangerous PrecedentOnce books are banned, it becomes easier to justify banning others. This slippery slope can lead to widespread censorship, stifling creativity, education, and open discourse in society. it is unconstitutional because of number 1. Free speech does not just work for the GOP. Its for everybody.

02-14-2025

Eleanore Boomershine

Please do NOT pass this bill. In college and high school I have heavily benefited from materials censored in other areas. These pieces of literature are extremely important to help young people form opinions of their own and grow as human beings. Personally, these have helped FURTHER my education and caused me to learn about topics I would have never interacted with otherwise.

02-14-2025

Katherine Tuttle

H.F. 274 should not be allowed to pass because it threatens the ability of schools, public libraries, and educational institutions to provide ageappropriate, educational materials without fear of censorship or legal repercussions. By repealing Iowa Code section 728.7, this bill removes crucial exemptions that allow minors to access literature, art, and educational content that may contain complex or mature themes but hold significant literary, scientific, political, or artistic value. Without these protections, educators and librarians could face legal consequences for simply providing widely accepted educational resources, leading to unnecessary restrictions on learning, intellectual freedom, and artistic expression. This bill undermines the role of educators and librarians in fostering critical thinking and could result in widespread book bans, limiting access to information that is essential for a wellrounded education.

02-14-2025

Brandie Bushee

Please do not pass this bill. As an educator and mother the censoring of books is up to guardians, not to the government. Our children should be able to read books that fit their ability and maturity under the discretion of their parents. You take all reading imagination and creativity away when censoring books without reason.

02-14-2025

his Moriarty

As a young child, I spent a lot of time at my local library, learning how to use technology safely and reading to expand my understanding of the world. This bill would essentially bar children from this critical resource of their learning, and worsen Iowas already plummeting education outcomes. Parents have to be involved with their children's lives. If parents are worried their children will bot be honest with them, the parents should reflect on why their children are afraid to tell them the truth. owa used to be first in the nation in Education, and bills like this are part of the reason why we aren't anymore. I strongly oppose this bill. No one who supports it is sending their children to the library anyway, they're just trying to destroy this critical public resource.

02-14-2025

his Moriarty

02-14-2025

Brooke Carr

I strongly oppose HF 274.Public libraries are a cornerstone of our communities, providing access to knowledge, resources, and a safe space for all. When a similar law passed in Idaho, it led to library closuressomething we cannot afford to see happen in Iowa.This bill places unnecessary restrictions on libraries and threatens the ability of trained professionals to do their jobs. Librarians are experts in curating materials that serve diverse community needs, and they already have systems in place to ensure content is appropriate.I urge you to vote NO on HF 274 and protect the integrity of our public libraries. Our communities, families, and future generations depend on them.

02-14-2025

Amy Wilder

Please DO NOT pass this bill. Censoring what materials public libraries can have in them is decidedly undemocratic, and has NO place in a free society. If someone is concerned about socalled obscene materials being in a public library, they can talk to their kids about such things in the privacy of their own family system. They have control over that in their own home BUT they don't get to decide for everyone else. If you are a religious person concerned about this, take it up with your church or clergy. Fund your own library and only put in it what you want or think should be there. You have agency to do so. But you should keep your religious view points OUT of our PUBLIC libraries. It's NOT a protection for children to restrict libraries. Teach them critical thinking instead! Banning books and restricting libraries are actions NEVER on the side of freedom or democracy, but historically have been ways for authoritarian regimes to take root and try to control people. This bill is a slippery slope and is UNNECESSARY! Restrictions on public libraries DO NOT keep our kids safe nor keep our democracy functioning. They would do the opposite.Hard NO TO HF 274!!! KEEP LIBRARIES FREE AND DEMOCRATIC!!!

02-14-2025

Audrey Fashimpaur

I am strongly against this bill. It is not up to our government to control the type of media that citizens have access to. It is the responsibility of the individual or the parent to decide what books or media to interact with. It is simple censorship at its finest and ultimately takes away choices from Iowan residents. This bill can easily be manipulated to limit access to many types information to further agendas of people in power. Let the citizens have the choice and the power over what they read.

02-14-2025

Phoebe McNeece

I do NOT support this bill. This is censorship and doesn't actually do a darn thing to protect abused children. Libraries already have adult media in the adult section. If parents want to keep their children from reading things they seem unacceptable, they should be more involved parents. Taking books and media from adults because you can't be a better parent is a failure of this country 's principles of freedom.

02-14-2025

Ian Swett

I support this bill because I feel our children need to be protected. My son brought home a book the other day that was full of murder, rape, and violence. It was called the Holy Bible. It has the most disgusting and vile content I've ever read. Our children are reading about a man being beaten and murdered. This pornography is disgusting and we should not stand for it.

02-14-2025

Cassandra Elton

This bill is governmental overreach, plain and simple. It is up to parents to determine proper reading material for their own children, not for an entire community. Libraries are vital institutions in our communities that provide safe spaces, free information and entertainment, and include materials that reflect not just our local communities, but the broader world as well. Do not vote to support censorship an educated populace is our greatest safeguard against tyranny.

02-14-2025

Star Tammes

I do not support this bill. This is government overreach that does nothing to address real concerns like the cost of groceries. If your politics cannot handle what is written in books, your politics should be dismantled by those books.

02-14-2025

Alice Dahle

I oppose passage of HF 274. Freedom of thought and expression are universal human rights and must not be censored. Librarians are professionally trained to select materials that are of interest to the communities they serve, and they do not use their limited budgets to purchase pornography.

02-14-2025

L White

This bill is nothing more than a part of a larger culture war to censor publicly accessible material.Libraries and schools serve the public, not just the narrowminded alarmists who fear every image of the statue of David or depiction of a chaste lesbian kiss is going to cause their child grievous harm. If history has taught us anything, it is that youth "protected" from "obscene" material are even more motivated seek it out through other means, and that those who demand rigid adherence to reactionary policies disguised as "protecting" children are rarely on the right side of history.

02-14-2025

Rex Connor

Please do not pass bill HF274. The language in the bill is vague and open to interpretation based on what individuals consider to be obscene or of educational merit. As a bornandraised Iowan native, I prize my liberties in regards to open and free access to information. As a parent, I maintain it is my right to monitor the materials my children access as I deem them appropriate or not. The government should not restrict that freedom through the passing of unscrupulously written laws. This bill threatens the ability of schools, public libraries, and institutions to provide access to materials with complex or mature themes that hold significant literary, scientific, political, or artistic value. This bill undermines educators' and librarians' ability to foster critical thinking and provide access to essential information. I urge you to reject HF274 and stand for intellectual freedom, educational integrety, and the rights of all Iowans to access information without government interference.

02-14-2025

Osenbaugh Karen

Please vote no on this bill. Public libraries do not contain obscene material. Obscenity is in the eye of the beholder. If a parent feels an item is not appropriate for their child it is certainly within their right to prevent their child from from accessing, but not to restrict it from all.

02-14-2025

Carmen Gittings

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL. This is censorship. A librarian does not replace a parents choice for their child. We are a Democracy with freedoms to make choices for our children. This bill allows others to make choices for me. Its insane that in 2025 censorship is something we are called to fight against.

02-14-2025

Jonathan Danker

I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL because it promotes censorship. A parent should have the right to parent their kids not the government. We are the land of the free not the land of oppression. Libraries will shut down because of this. Moms for Liberty does not speak for majority of Iowans. We are supposed to be the leader of education not oppression. Please if you truly love liberty and education, you wouldnt want to pass this bill.

02-14-2025

Tamara Crall

It is not up to the state to determine what content is or is not appropriate for the public to view. While there should be age restrictions or parental approval requirements, banning content is not the right approach. Who determines what is obscene? Lawmakers are to serve the public, not to decide what is morally right or wrong. This bill is based in control, not protection.

02-14-2025

Gabriella Vogel

I do not support this bill. Iowans may access or not access whatever materials they choose. If parents are concerned about what their children are able to see, they should supervise their children not only in libraries, but on the internet. It is draconian to take the choice away from us on what we can and can't have access to in a space that's meant to provide a free flow of information and perspectives.

02-14-2025

Allison Uhll

I do not support this bill. Freedom to learn, explore, imagine and storytell are cornerstones of independence and identity. Iowans are not so weak and silly to believe that learning about others different from yourself is somehow dangerous. Access to a full, thoughtprovoking and expansive library is necessary for our society to flourish.

02-14-2025

Rev. Dani Musselman

I agree, it is essential that we protect our children. However, stop asking public libraries to parent for you. Parents are responsible for determining what their child should and should not read. Not librarians. And yet this bill, like many others, puts the job of parenting onto libraries. Enough is enough. Stop criminalizing librarians who make resources available for and to the public. Libraries are for everyone including queer folks who need resources. I may not have my 9 month old check out a book about queer identity. But that book ought to be available for someone else who needs it. I will parent my child and not ask the library to do it for me.

02-14-2025

John Brown

Moms for liberty... more like moms for stupid children. If you don't want your (probably stupid) kids and grown people to have freedom to read whatever, go live in the middle east. Backwards slackjawed chicken brains. NO ON 274.

02-14-2025

Ajda Rojas

Please DO NOT pass this bill. Why is it the governments job to police the materials MY children read? What happened to parents being parents? Instead we expect the government to coddle our children and protect them from free thought? We are not a free nation if we ban thoughts and ideas that oppose our views. Please help ensure we continue to have free speech and protect our libraries as a safe space for freedom of speech.

02-14-2025

VaLinda Parsons

I strongly oppose this bill. Literacy is a highly prized privilege and our libraries are precious repositories of information. Minds and imaginations were made to SOAR! Librarians are professionally trained heroes, not villains. Our country's founders so treasured free speech that it was put into the First Amendment. Let's keep it that way.

02-14-2025

Ashley Howard

As a mother of bookloving children and a lifelong library patron, I am against HF 274. Libraries are magical places. They are places open to all and for all. With ample programming, computers, and afterschool snacks, libraries are invaluable community resources. Libraries meet people where they are or where they want to be, providing a wealth of information, for novice and expert alike. By limiting access to certain books, based on the capricious and misinformed perspectives of a few, we all suffer. Libraries are a fundamental cornerstone of democracy, and should remain free spaces of open inquiry.

02-14-2025

Nicole Clausen

STOP TRYING TO LIMIT FREEDOM IN THIS COUNTRY VOTE NO on HF274! If you don't want your kid to read something, that's on YOU, the PARENTNOT the government. If you aren't mature enough to have normal discussions and set boundaries with your kids about what you deem appropriate content, maybe you shouldn't have kids!

02-14-2025

Becky Jones

Wait, I thought we all wanted personal responsibility and not the government ruling every aspect of our lives. Parents/guardians should be in charge of what their children borrow from any library. There is no porn by legal definition at any library; so this is all about personal preference (yet again). Please stop making laws that affect everyone with your own narrow ideological views. This bill should not be passed and is a waste of time.

02-14-2025

Erica Johnston

Do NOT pass bill HF 274. Libraries are for the everyone, and it is the job of individual parents to determine what their kids do and don't read.It is not the job of libraries and librarians to parent other people's children. If parents do not want their children to read material they deem inappropriate, then the parent needs to enforce that restriction. Not the library and librarians. Nobody is shoving materials into the hands of children. Enough with the fear mongering and censorship.

02-14-2025

Emmaly Riesberg

I oppose this bill, Parents need to be parenting their own children, if they don't want their child to have access to certain material then they need to go with their child to the library. Public libraries are for everyone not just children.

02-14-2025

Christopher Jimerson [Citizen]

I'm opposed to the elimination of the First Amendment. U.S. Supreme has ruled that students have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else in even in school libraries. Removing books from any library based on content is unconstitutional censorship.I'm opposed to this bill.

02-14-2025

Matthew Parker

Please remove this bill from consideration as it seeks to solve a problem that doesn't exist, violates freedom of expression, utilizes nanny state tactics to correct absentee parents, promotes a "thought police" environment, and is uniquely unAmerican (antifreedom / liberty).The majority of the population is aware that libraries already exercise common sense and the state should not support a loud, tiny, minority who wants to control the thoughts and beliefs of others. Furthermore, this is a problem only in the hypothetical. In reality, children are not going to libraries to access adult content in books. Any anecdote that implies otherwise is a case of poor parenting, which the state doesn't need to be involved in.Other commentators in support of this bill offer vague or grossly inaccurate notions, such as it needing to pass to provide a "safe environment to minors". Have these people ever been to a library? We take our children regularly for various programming, and there is no safer environment. Library staff do an excellent job of ensuring content is age appropriate and fun for children. There is nothing remotely true in stating otherwise.One commentator even tried to make the claim that "Karl Marx was an avid book reader" somehow implying that book reading leads to communistic thought?! Guess who else was avid book readers? Nearly every well respected leader or philosopher of our time. These people are profoundly disingenuous and absurd, and so is this bill. It is absolutely an example of the proverbial cure worse than the disease, and I urge lawmakers to actually visit a library and understand the absurdity that this bill puts forth.

02-14-2025

Elijah Stines

It is important for these decisions to be made by librarians and local library boards rather than statewide mandates.Additionally, parents should be the final arbiters of the materials their children are consuming.Small government principles dictate this bill should not be passed.

02-14-2025

Niki Smith

I do NOT support this bill. This bill would jeopardize the core values that support our nations strengthfree thought, individual liberty, and the preservation of personal responsibility. By restricting access to certain materials in libraries and educational institutions, it opens the door to unnecessary government overreach into personal privacy. It would limit the free exchange of ideas and could even inadvertently push taxpayers and local governments toward a more centralized, onesizefitsall approach that undermines the traditional autonomy of parents, educators, and community leaders. Protecting the freedom to choose educational resources allows parents to make decisions that align with their values, while ensuring that our schools and libraries remain spaces for learning and independent thought. Passing this bill could dangerously set a precedent for more overreaching legislation, undermining the trust we place in local institutions and parental rights. We must stand for freedom, not censorship.

02-14-2025

Wendy M

Please do not pass this bill. It is outright cencorship and in violation of the 1st Amendment. It is up to parents to monitor their children. It is a parent's responsibility to be aware of the child's social media activity, movies they watch, video gaming, etc.etc. If you don't know what your kid is up to, that is on you not on librarians or teachers. Vote no on this bill.

02-14-2025

Karen Cyndari

Much too vague. Must specifically make sure any material related health,sexual education, health education are exempt. For example, puberty, positive vs negative sexual experiences, erectile dysfunction, vaginal health, circumcision etc. Everyone in Iowa deserves access to these resources as not everyone has access to a doctor to ask these questions. Everyone deserves to be able to find this literature and take it home later than having to rely on poor internet quality sites. Unless these items are explicitly exempt, this broadly written bill will be over interpreted, removing access to these vital materials.

02-14-2025

Luis T

By Jonathan's reasoning below, we need to ban the Bible, Quran, Torah, etc., to protect innocent children from obscene content. This is a ridiculous bill. Public libraries have always been a bastion of free speech, which Republicans proudly say they support. Call this what it is, fascism.

02-14-2025

Brittany Burkard

Do not pass this bill. Public libraries are a gift and a public good and should be treated as such. This is less about protecting children and more about controlling how others choose to interact with the world. When a similar law was passed in Idaho it shuttered libraries. If someone has specific books they would prefer their own children not read they are capable of having those conversations with their own children and they do not have the right to restrict other families from enjoying specific works or the library as a whole.

02-15-2025

Megan Klein-Hewett

I am writing in opposition to HF 274. This bill amounts to statewide censorship, removing the right of a community to have a broad variety of materials available to them through their locally funded public library. Public and school libraries across the state already have policies in place that allow for reconsideration of materials, and this bill would unnecessarily override this process, removing local control from our communities. This bill provides a broad sweep and overgeneralization of obscenity, unnecessary when there is an existing definition of obscenity, and when libraries are not offering obscene materials to begin with. Passage of this bill would cause broadscale censorship in our communities due to fear criminal charges, and unnecessary, expensive, and protracted legal battles. Do not move HF 274 forward.

02-15-2025

Sara Merritt

I vehemently oppose this bill. Libraries are necessary because they provide free access to information, resources, and services that are crucial for education, literacy, and community engagement, especially for those who may not have access to these resources elsewhere. Requiring removal of any written or artistic work infringes on the constitutional freedoms of speech and expression, and does nothing to protect children from real harms they face; rather, providing educational materials that address all facets of human existence better prepared youth (and all of us) to engage in critical thinking and interact in the world.

02-15-2025

Julie Good

DO NOT PASS THIS BILLI absolutely do not support this bill. It is up to parents to decide what they want their children to read. Libraries are here for everyone.if you don't want your kids to read something, its up to you to what they read and what they check out!!!

02-15-2025

Sherri Hutchcroft

I do not support this bill! Why are you going after public libraries? We have a wonderful library with a very knowledgeable Director, and state government should respect this. Our libraries have been open for all my life with no book bans and this censoring of what we can read is wrong!

02-15-2025

Jessica Hubbard

I implore you to NOT pass Bill HF 274. As someone who has utilized libraries my entire life not only for the free, educational programming for families and children, but also for the variety of books and other media that opened my eyes to a whole world I might not have otherwise been able to explore, passing this bill would mean a restriction on my rights and others rights to access educational and informative resources. Having access to a variety of resources at a library or educational institution has never been harmful or caused me to become delinquent or an unproductive member of society. In fact, it has done the opposite. Passing this bill would be yet another way to suppress individuals rights to access a variety of educational reading materials. If someone doesnt want to look at a book or read a book to their child they feel is offensive, they can choose not to do so. It is completely unfair and unjust to make that decision acrosstheboard for everybody. Libraries have always been a welcoming and inclusive space, lets keep it that way. As for educational institutions, the same applies the opportunity to explore a variety of reading material can only help expand a persons view and understanding of the world around them. Passing this bill would seek to take away those freedoms and rights and the opportunity to learn.

02-15-2025

Jessica Hubbard

02-15-2025

Amy Rutenberg

This bill is a horror. People who ban books are never the good guys. If individuals dont want their kids reading certain books, they can act as parents should and parent their kids. Restricting my kids freedom of access is nothing the opposite of free speech.

02-15-2025

John Cahill

I strongly oppose HF 274! When restrictions were being placed on what could be included in a school library, those in favor argued that those materials could be found at a public library. Now they want to put restrictions on what can be found at the public library, completely negating their earlier arguments. Public libraries are an incredibly important community resource. They need to stay a place where anyone can come and access materials they otherwise couldn't, whether that be because it was removed from their school library or because they cannot afford to purchase new books. Public libraries offer and add so much to their communities. As the father of a toddler, I am proud of our public library!

02-15-2025

Claire Matthews

I opposed this bill.This bill is redundant state overreach after the passage of SF496 last year. This law assumes that educators and librarians are responsible when parents do not supervise their children or communicate their values to their children.

02-15-2025

Sarah Seigfried

Please do not pass this bill. Our public libraries dont need to be censored by people who believe that anyone who disagrees with them is obscene. I have never in my life seen pornography in a public library, and I dont believe the people who say that they have. If you dont like the ideas being put forth in a book, dont read it. And if you dont want your kids to read it, then go to the library with them and dont let them check out the book. But dont start censoring our public libraries.

02-15-2025

Laurie B

I strongly oppose this bill. Theres already a system in place if someone disagrees with a librarys choice of materials. Its not about protecting anyone. This is censorship and trampling on others rights. Libraries are for every single person in the community.

02-15-2025

Julia Skinner

This bill has nothing to do with protecting children, which is the parents responsibility, and everything to do with censorship. Those supporting it may think theyre helping to make libraries safer, but all theyre doing is undermining the librarians ability to do jobs they spend years training for, and removing materials (whether or not theyre obscene: undoubtedly this will include other material that citizens who support this bill actually could use themselves). I am a proud former Iowan and am still very committed to the state, and I dont want to see it fall into ruin because of overreaching legislation like this.

02-15-2025

Laura Carlson

Please pass this bill so we can stop the gaps in security for minors attending our schools. The ability for minors to obtain pornography through the schools relationship with public libraries must be stopped to protect our children.

02-15-2025

Justine Cahill

Please do not pass this bill. Public libraries serve all members of society, and should contain books to support all viewpoints and identities. As a parent of two, I want to reserve the right to help guide my children towards books that help them understand the diversity in the world around them.

02-15-2025

Katie Stines

Not in favor of this bill! Books can be the only place where children and adults can see viewpoints that are not their own, which is very important. They also should be able to see themselves as characters in books. Books should be available to read and for all. It's a choice whether you would like to read it or not. It's not your choice to decide if another person cannot read it.

02-15-2025

Tom K

No! This bill is being promoted by Holy Rollers who have lost their way. If it is their belief that their children are made of spun sugar then it is on them as parents to be responsible for what their precious babies consume. Stop trying to make librarians your personal nanny! Go to the library with your wunderkind and help them find a good book. Perhaps while there the parent can also find a book to read so they can learn that legislating morality is a morass, not a good idea.

02-15-2025

Rose Nodland

Please do NOT pass this bill. This is insane. There is nothing that obscene in the library. Definitely nothing more obscene than what is on the internet for your child to find much more accessibly! Are we not seeing the parallels to the Nazis?? If you dont want your kids checking out obscene material then make them use your library card! Be responsible! This is oppressing access to learning, art, and entertainment and its absolutely ridiculous to restrict it to adults!

02-15-2025

Teddi Yaeger

There are already systems in place at public libraries if anyone wants to challenge a particular book. This is extreme overreach. On the one hand were being told by Republicans that parents should make decisions about what is appropriate for their children, but on the other, they want to regulate what is accessible in a public space and decide for ALL children, including mine. Why is it the parents choice and responsibility if they want to allow their child to operate a gun, but not when that same child visits the public library? Then the government has to regulate what they have access to (in the adult section of the library)?

02-15-2025

Emma Mackey

Please do not pass this bill, the affects of removing and censoring literature have been well documented in history and the repercussions of these kinds of decisions would be felt throughout our communities. If parents do not want their children to engage with certain forms of media or stories, that is their personal prerogative to uphold. The same way limiting access to websites is that parents decision. Books are vitally important and to proceed with any form of censorship would be a truly unwise decision

02-15-2025

Julie Schmidt

I am against HF 274 because this is a nonproblem and we have better things to focus our time on. Public libraries are spaces for ALL citizens to find material they wish to read. Librarians are not in the business of handing out pornography to minors. If parents are concerned about the materials their children are checking out at the library, they can discuss this with the librarian who is happy (and wellqualified!) to assist with finding appropriate materials. Banning books from the entire population is NOT the answer.

02-15-2025

Clarice Schmidt

No! Do not pass this bill. Censorship has no place in America. Parents need to take personal responsibility instead of expecting teachers and librarians to raise their children. Libraries serve the whole community, no one has the right to censor information access to other individuals.

02-15-2025

Debra Kumar

I oppose this bill. This bill is completely unnecessary! Librarians are not giving kids obscene material to suggest so is completely misleading and wrong. There is no pornographic material in libraries! If you are worried that your kid is going to check out an adult romance novel, then go with them to the public library, pay attention to what they're reading, talk with them about it. Be a parent. Realize that the Internet also exists and your kid is going to be learning and seeing lots of things there, probably much moreso than from the library. This bill would open it up for parents to challenge or restrict access to educational materials in schools and libraries based on obscenity claims, based on their definition of obscenity, which of course is going to be really broad and include anything that contains mention of sex or LGBT. It will lead to terrible effects like what has been seen in other states, where libraries had to switch to 18+ only, so children were no longer able to access all the resources of the library. That would mean teens couldn't go hang out in the teen room after school, or kids who are advanced readers wouldn't be able to go check out a book upstairs. Libraries are one of the most beloved resources and gathering places in our communities. Keep your proselytizing to your own families and don't try to force your beliefs on others. The library is a public good, to serve the whole public, not just people of your faith.

02-15-2025

Amanda Cunningham

Do NOT pass this bill. A librarian is not your child's parent. If you are concerned about what is in the library that might offend you, then step up and be an active parent. A librarian's job is to cultivate expansive collections based on an entire communities interests and needs. We need no more money or time wasted on legislating morality when it is simply a parent's lack of due diligence that is the problem. Parent your children. Leave libraries in the capable hands of librarians. Access to education should not be your enemy.

02-15-2025

Pat Hicks

Do NOT pass this bill. Its another overreach by a small group of adults who think they can decide what is best for everyone elses children. Public libraries are important community centers in Iowa towns. Its up to parents to individually make decisions about their childs book selections, not the library staff or some unrelated adult.

02-15-2025

Michelle Bell

I'm not for book bans. Freedom of speech(books)is one of our American rights but Repugs don't believe rights pertaining to all. I haven't lived in Iowa to see it ransacked by Republicans. Stop this attack on freedoms. Your behaviors are obscene.

02-15-2025

Leanne Williams

I strongly oppose this bill. Books open minds and hearts and ideas and creativity. There are lots of books that I think are foul, but I defend anyone elses right to read them. There are lots of books that I vehemently disagree with, but Im glad libraries are a place where diversity of thought and opinion is respected and encouraged. Maybe one of those books I think dangerous will teach me something, too. Critical thinking skills, freedom of speech, encouragement of learning and discussion these are all values I hold dear, and I am grateful for public libraries and educational spaces that give life to those values. Please stop this bill.

02-15-2025

Stacy Volmer

I vehemently oppose the proposed repeal of Code Section 728.7, which currently protects public libraries and educational institutions from baseless censorship. This repeal is an assault on intellectual freedom, an attack on education, and a dangerous step toward governmentcontrolled thought policing.By eliminating the exemption for schools and libraries, this bill would allow vague and arbitrary definitions of obscenity to dictate what books, art, and educational materials can be accessed. It would empower extremist censorship efforts to strip students and the public of their right to knowledge, banning books and suppressing ideas under the false pretense of protecting minors. In reality, it is a blatant attempt to control what people can read, learn, and think.Lets be clear: This repeal does nothing to protect children. Instead, it paves the way for ideological groups to impose their beliefs on everyone, deciding which books and subjects are acceptable. History tells us where this road leadsbook bans, suppression of science and history, and the erosion of democracy itself. Schools and libraries exist to educate, not to cater to political agendas that fear knowledge.The current law already prevents truly obscene material from being accessible to minors. The only thing this repeal would accomplish is silencing perspectives, erasing important literature, and gutting intellectual freedom in our communities.Legislators must reject this dangerous and unconstitutional overreach. Public libraries and schools are pillars of democracy and enlightenmentnot tools for censorship and fearmongering. Vote NO on this reckless repeal.

02-15-2025

Stacia Thorpe Thompson

Please do NOT pass this bill. Public libraries are vital to small rural comms communities. Librarians already help young people to pick appropriate books for their age. If parents are concerned, they can go with their child to the library to help them pick appropriate reading materials.

02-15-2025

Michele Patrick

Please do not pass this bill. This bill only has the support of a loud minority. Public Libraries serve their whole community, not just a select few. I think you'll find that most Iowans believe that the parent is the best judge of what their child should and should not read.

02-15-2025

Anne Kistler

If you don't like books, stay out of the library. Stop forcing your agendas on our children. I want my child to read books with a variety of content and without filters. Setting boundaries for children isn't for the library to do, it's for the parents to do. As a parent, I'm capable of setting appropriate boundaries for my child without government interference. I want my child to have a real education with real books. Do not pass this bill. Please.

02-15-2025

John Sens

I am vehemently opposed to this bill. Libraries are important sources of information that serve the whole community and librarians should not be worried about being prosecuted because a few fanatics think a romance novel or passage in a book is tantamount to pornography. Parents worried about their kids should talk to them about issues and not try to shield them from anything they might consider offensive. Libraries need to remain protected.

02-15-2025

Elizabeth Helmick

I do NOT support this bill and culture war the US is inciting. This has nothing to do with pornography available to children and everything to do with silencing voices, censoring DEI, and repressing those who hold identities differing from the majority.

02-15-2025

Barb Wheelock

I am adamantly opposed to HF 274. Are you expecting librarians to have to ID patrons? Next I suppose you'll make it a felony if they accidentally accept a "fake" ID. Or do you suggest that libraries have a separate "locked" room for adults only? This is censorship, plain and simple. If parents don't want their children to read or see certain things, then they should be involved what their children are doing. I believe that is called "parenting"

02-15-2025

Ella Kistler

Do not pass this bill. The current exception in 728.7 allows for the use of appropriate material for educational purposes. This bill would have the ability to remove books like the Diary of Anne Frank and Uncle Tom's Cabin from libraries and school curriculum.

02-15-2025

Jennifer Mavin

I do not support HF 274 as a parent or member of the broader Iowa community. Libraries and schools are run by trained professionals whose strive to help community members of all ages navigate the vast ocean of information we have available in the modern age. As a former public school employee, including 6 years as an elementary library instructional associate, I can assure you the process of selecting materials is extensive, prioritizing both educational value and engaging, age appropriate content. The vague wording of HF 274 threatens to allow censorship of materials based on little more than that some individuals might find content offensive for a wide variety of reasons. Someone being personally offended by content does not equal said content is pornography or inappropriate. I do not believe that parental choice or freedom are reflected in the purpose of HF 274, 2 values I do believe individuals on both sides of the political isle hold dear.

02-15-2025

Christi Olson

Do NOT pass this bill. The role of public libraries is not to parent other peoples children, but to provide free access to information and materials. Weve had enough of this type of legislation. It takes us away from the good and important work we do for our communities!

02-15-2025

Emily Randle

Why are we spending time trying to parent other people's children. Parents have the ability to choose what their children read and check out from the library. Who chooses what is obscene? There are obsencene things on many movies and shows that aren't being discussed or banned. Let's focus on making Iowa a leader in education again instead of policing what may or may not be in a library

02-14-2025

Isacc Davis

This bill broadens government beyond its proper authority. The section being repealed already specifies that material given to students will be for an appropriate, educational purpose. The section being repealed limited government authority to what was appropriate to regulate. By repealing a limitation to government authority, you are inappropriately broadening the authority of the government. I OPPOSE INAPPROPRIATE BROADENING OF GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY. I OPPOSE THIS BILL.

02-14-2025

Medeja Donlagic-Yanqui

Say no to this bill! Censorship in education, libraries, and art is detrimental to free expression, critical thinking, and the diversity of ideas. We cannot let it lead to conformity and the silencing of the less powerful. The government shouldnt have a say in what we teach our children.

02-14-2025

Jess Krob

I do not support passing HF 274. It is my job as a parent to guide my children to select appropriate materials at a public library. I want there to be a variety of books on a variety of topics availableTo all readers. Do not pass bills that censor the reading materials available in our libraries.

02-14-2025

Scott Van Horn

I do not support this bill without extremely clear cut wording of what will and won't be banned. We do not need high schoolers who don't know how to take care of themselves and their partner should they decide to do the bird and the bees dance. By letting this bill pass as is, all accessible information regarding "obscene" material will be blanket banned, including those that are purely for educational purposes to keep oneself healthy, and educate oneself on when to speak to a doctor and seek medical help. Without clearcut exemptions, I can not, and do not, support this bill. Please do a revision.

02-14-2025

Carl Schneider

Can we please think about the possible consequences of passing this bill? How would library restrict childrens access to possibly seeing these books? Would libraries get funds to make sure kids can still enter a library that has some of this obscene material? What if a child is mature enough to enjoy these books? Would this require some libraries to restrict access to only adults and then taking away childrens ability to easily access reading through the wonderful public facility? Just curious if anyone has thought about.

02-14-2025

Kristen Johansen

I oppose this bill. All it will do is result in library closures and censorship. Libraries have functioned just fine until now, let them keep doing what they have been doing. The public is greatly enriched by this resource. Parents with concerns always have the right to manage what they allow their children to view or not. But they should not have the right to impose their views on everyone else.

02-14-2025

Kristen Johansen

02-14-2025

Susan Harper

I oppose this bill because shifting definitions of obscenity (often created in bad faith) will encompass an increasing body of literature that people find offensive for personal, religious, or political reasons. Public libraries and educational institutions should not be held hostage to the moral and religious compass of a specific group. Rather, these institutions exist to provide access to a wide variety of literature, scholarship, and other media without weighing in on the moral content or artistic merit. Parents who want to protect young children from material they deem offensive to their family's values have not just the right but the responsibility to do so by engaging with children about what they are reading and consuming. It is not the job of the government or library professionals to play this parental role. What one family finds offensive another finds to be an important issue to talk about and engage with, and both of these families have the right to be respected. Parents of young children can work with librarians and teachers to find literature that is age appropriate and aligns with the family's morals, religous convictions, and more. Parents who are very concerned should cultivate their own family libraries with materials they find appropriate. This bill is attempting to solve a problem that does not exist, with an eye toward a form of censorship that flies in the face of Iowa's past track record of both inclusion and educational excellence.

02-14-2025

Stuart M

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries are a place for exploration and learning, not a place to go to the most conservative viewpoint on what is appropriate. If people are so concerned with what their children are reading, the parents should be a little more involved in parenting their children. The libraries should provide books and resources for everyone, it is up to parents to make sure their children are looking at appropriate material.

02-14-2025

Cole Alleman

Horrific bill. As someone who grew up in a troubled home, I spent a lot of time at the library, using it for reading, school work, being safe from the elements, and meeting other kids. I went to events every month at the library. I would not be the person I am without it, and to imagine a country where a kid cant walk into a library is a country I dont want to live in. Being the slogan for Iowa now is choice, why take away the choice to go to the library to our future generations?

02-14-2025

Olivia George

Do not pass this bill. Censorship is against our first amendment right. Most of the time people who take issues with these books, dont know the content and are acting in part of a large organization. If you dont want your child reading a book then dont allow them to read it. Learn how to parent rather than policing the entire state.

02-14-2025

Frank Beard

Folks, what are we even doing here? Your job is to focus on improving the quality of life in our state, not to waste time with weird culture wars and "obscenity" laws. (Speaking of which, "obscenity laws" sounds like something you'd have in Iran or Saudi Arabia, not the United States) I'm a 39yearold millennial who normally doesn't both with local politics because I'm too busy working and trying to get a new startup off the ground, but I am telling you that THIS kind of overreach is exactly what's going to motivate people like me to get involved politically. Do your job and work to improve our quality of life economicallyor step aside so real adults can step up.

02-14-2025

Kristin Fulton

I do NOT support this. The public library is a bastion of free speech and no restrictions, despite how nicely worded, should ever be placed on it. This bill is purely harm disguised as public good. Parents need to start taking responsibility for their own children's exposure instead of always expecting everyone else to raise their kids.

02-14-2025

Ali H.

DO NOT pass this bill. Im a mother of a young child, but I dont think that public libraries should be censored. Have the explicit or book considered obscene placed in a location where children wont have easy access to them. Its your job as a parent to supervise your children, not the librarians. If you dont approve with whats in the library, go buy the books you are okay with your children seeing. Dont take away the rights of adults who may not be able to afford to read what they would like, because parents dont want to keep an eye on their own children. Are you going to pass a law next not allowing any of these items to be stored on shelves in stores? Kids will find a way to get these type of materials regardless of what is or isnt in the library. Keep our public libraries censor free!

02-14-2025

Eric Thomas

I do not support this bill. Book banning is against the first amendment. This takes away rights of parents and children. Parents should have the choice to let their children read what they want. These books in question are not porn. Librarians are professionals and I trust them. They should allow any book they please

02-14-2025

Michael Byerly

Please DO NOT pass this bill. Do not mess with our public libraries and the excellent librarians that run them. This is a fake problem, and this law will only harm our kids and our communities. Librarians and public libraries are not forcing anyone to read anything. Leave it up to parents what their families can read.

02-14-2025

Lindsay Wierson

Vote no on this ridiculous bill. Not only is it completely hypocritical (parents choice) its a waste of time. Libraries are safer than schools. Do something productive like protecting our children from guns not books. If you dont want your child to read something, parent them. This fear mongering of the libraries are putting obscene material right in front for all to see is absurd. Do better.

02-14-2025

Stephanie D

Do not pass this bill. Public libraries and schools do NOT carry pornographic or obscene materials. If a person does not want themselves or their dependents to have access to specific subjects or books, THEY are responsible to explain and enforce that with THEMSELVES/DEPENDENT. They do NOT have the right to control everyone else. What is "obscene" to one person is not always obscene to others. This is a bill to CENSOR free speech and the right to access ideas that contradict their PERSONAL beliefs, NOT to protect children.

02-14-2025

Kim Bunce

I do NOT support this bill. Censorship of materials is not the same for every person. Public libraries are for everyone if all ages. Parents need to get involved in their own children's lives & decide what their children should or should NOT read. The minds of the few do not represent the majority. Librarians are not buy or pushing pornography on anyone. If materials deemed inappropriate for minors, then those same materials will not be available for adults. Where do you draw the line? All medical materials need to be removed because the information is deemed inappropriate? Just like you don't want me to say your parenting is wrong I don't want others telling me how I raise my children. I have common sense & don't let my children read or watch inappropriate materials. Look at world history...book bans lead to book burning in Nazi Germany!

02-14-2025

Elizabeth Rodrigues

Please do not pass this bill. If a parent is concerned about what their child might see at a library, they need to take responsibility for close supervision, and I certainly hope they are closely supervising the phones, computers, and streaming video services in their own home as well. Unlike the open internet, public libraries are curated collections of material deemed to have intellectual and cultural value, whether or not the materials are popular or liked by everyone who reads them. Further, libraries clearly label sections of materials that are ageappropriate for children and young adults. This bill is an encroachment on free speech and Iowans' ability to pursue lifelong education and enrichment.

02-14-2025

Jill E.

Please support common sense by NOT supporting this bill. The use of the word obscenity in this bill is fear mongering and misinformation. The wording of this bill would have you believe that pornography and material of no educational value are freely available to your children in a library, which is not true. Librarian are trained in the unbiased selection of ageappropriate materials. The word "obscenity" is not defined and leaves this open to anyone's interpretation, which will vary from person to person. In some libraries, parents have been offended by toilet training books for young children. One parent might find the introduction of religious materials, such as the bible, to be obscene. Another might find a health book a teenager might be using to study for anatomy or a health class "obscene". If books will be selected based on the values of any given parent, rather than national standards and the expertise of hardworking professionals, then there will be no more libraries for anyone to access needed information. You might not eat mushrooms, and just because they are available in the grocery store doesn't mean you have to buy them. You might disagree with some content you see in a library. You don't have to check it out and you, as a parent, can decide that your child can't either. Next, will we decide as a society, that physicians should not be allowed to be the experts for providing medical diagnoses? Perhaps police should not be allowed to make "judgements" of citizens? When society decides to legislate everything professionals can and can't do to keep those in the society informed, healthy, and safe, we cease to be a free society.

02-14-2025

Dana George

Please vote no to this bill. We do not need censorship. The library is a place to learn and receive information for all individuals. Parents have the responsibility as to what materials their children have access to and are viewing.

02-14-2025

Emily Bartekoske

This bill is yet another attempt to circumvent the 1st and 14th amendments. Curtailing free speech is unconstitutional. Access to information is essential to a fair and free society. As many others have said, libraries providing access to the materials that would fall under this ban does not mean that children will access them. The parents or guardians of children have the responsibility to ensure that the children are not accessing things they shouldn't. Removing materials that deal with racism or lgbtq issues means that no one will have access to them including adults. These books save lives and provide a foundation of acceptance that will keep queen kids alive, kids of color alive, and help people in harmful situations learn how to protect themselves. These materials MUST remain accessible in our public libraries.

02-14-2025

Zaebian Machande

Queerness is not an obscenity. Queer people have and will always exist, whether you want to acknowledge their existences or not. I do not support this bill, in fact I find it extremely damaging. Removing queer literature from libraries will not stop children from learning about queerness. Anyone who supports this bill should recognize that they struggle with expanding their minds and stepping out of their comfort zone. Leave queer people and our stories alone.

02-14-2025

Matt Hall

I dissent. This is bill is pure christofascist censorship. Christofascist parents can already control what propaganda they want their little Trump Youths to read and normal parents should have that same freedom to access material for their child with a viewpoint from someone other than a white cis protestant male! This will further fuel the brain drain in Iowa as the next generation of young professionals will seek opportunities where they know their children will be safe to be themselves.

02-14-2025

Anita Christensen

I oppose HF274 and ask you to oppose it as well. All libraries are important institutions for the communities they serve and they serve a diverse population. For a while, it was being said these kinds of bills were about protecting parental rights. Now its about telling parents how to parent. You cant have it both ways. Please do not pass this bill.

02-14-2025

Chelsea Toppin

Please do not pass this bill. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. Please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-14-2025

Jayna Niblock

This bill will be detrimental to the abilities of individuals to learn about healthcare and other areas of science.It violates the First Amendment and the protections needed to keep these things from being viewed by others in the public spaces are already in place.Parents are responsible for parenting their children to protect them from choosing to look at things they are not ready for, not removing them from the public.

02-14-2025

Kathryn Hall

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a Jew.Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me."Martin Niemller Vote against censorship before YOU are the ones being censored.

02-14-2025

Lexi H

Please DO NOT PASS this bill! As a library director, and a parent of small children, a library is the safest place for people to get information. They can find answers to questions they have without judgement and libraries are NOT actively purchasing obscene materials for children. A public library already has a childrens section, teen section, young adult section, and adult section. Libraries are for everyone, from every type of background; EVERYONE. Libraries are not responsible for what anyone checks out. We cannot act in loco parentis. We have information and reading materials available and its up to the parent of each child to determine what is appropriate. No two families are exactly the same. What is obscene to some families may be okay to others. The word obscene is too vague, and can be interpreted in ways that are detrimental to a public library. The word artistic is also too vague, how as a public librarian, am I supposed to look through thousands of books to determine if they meet the artistic guideline? What political views will be allowed? All types of political views, or just the ones that are okayed by one group of people.

02-14-2025

Jill Johnston

VOTE NO! This is absolutely ridiculous, it is a public library's responsibility to have things that interest the public. I do not understand why people are so afraid of books on the shelf. Why are parents not held accountable for their children? Why do we need to have a law? If you don't want your child to read something, monitor what they are doing. Be the parent. If they have questions about the world, growing up or their bodies changing. Answer their questions. Be the parent. This is not the responsibility of the librarians or the educators. Parents have the right to decide what their children read but they expect everyone else to do it for them so they can scream foul instead of parenting. It is becoming very obvious that our elected officials are afraid of diverse opinions. That is how we learn and become educated. Stop the blame game, and stop trying to hold other people responsible when it should be the parents who monitor what their child is doing and reading. Just because you don't want your child seeing something or reading something doesn't mean you have the right to make that decision for other people.

02-14-2025

Arianna Wills

While I do not live in Iowa, I am in the state often to see relatives.This bill opens the possibility for censorship and the removal of our first amendment rights.I know Moms For Liberty are a far more organized group that tries to get bills like this passed. PLEASE for the sake of everyone, DO NOT pass this bill. It opens the flood gates for so much censorship.This bill is similar to one passed in Idaho. Libraries no longer allow kids inside because of the limits this bill causes. It will deprive children of valuable resources for their education. Please please vote against this bill.

02-14-2025

Lori Lovstad

This bill is a clear violation of First Ammendment rights and a gross overreach by the morality police in this state. No one is being forced to read books they find offensive. And it is the parents job to monitor what their children read. And as a fully sentient adult, I DO NOT want or need the deep state telling me what is acceptable to read, or listen to, or watch. Mind your own dang business.

02-14-2025

Jessica Lovera Matter

As a parent to school age children, I do not support this bill. It is up to parents to be involved in what materials their children are checking out from the library. In schools and now in libraries, Iowa wants to put the burden on the professionals to do the job parents should be doing at home. Have conversations with your children, be involved in their lives, including in what they read. That is what needs to happen. Not ridiculous, archaic censorship laws.

02-14-2025

Shalar Knupp

As a librarian (both in schools and public) it is very clear to me that the people commenting to pass this bill have not been in a library. Them libraries are for everyone, not just those with your narrow worldview. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to guide their OWN children toward materials they feel suit their family. You do not walk in any shoes but your own. Those who tell you that the materials in discussion are smut have misled, you to achieve their agenda, I guarantee you. Educate yourself. As a parent, Im disgusted and furious at the notion that someone else wants to make choices for MY OWN FAMILY. The hypocrisy is staggering if you do not want me to decide for you, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DECIDE FOR ME. People talk about not wanting government to decide for them yet support this type of bill that does just that. You cant have it both ways. Please trash this bill, that goes against democratic ideals.

02-14-2025

Minnie Richardson

I DO NOT support HF 274. It seems this bill intends to block access to 1st amendment rights. As a 58 year old, I have been a life long library patron in each Iowa community I have lived. Our public libraries, many of which were funded through Carnegie grants, offer Iowans a space to learn, develop, explore, and grow. They are free and accessible to all who want to enter. I am very thankful for the wide range of materials our local libraries offer! Please visit and support your local library and experience all that is available inside. Even in the brutally cold weather, Iowa libraries serve as a warm space to seek refuge.

02-14-2025

Michael Hippleheuser

This bill is cloaked in the term obscenity to try to hide that it is an infringement on free speech which can be used to ban all kinds of books under the banner of obscenity. These libraries and curriculums do not have obscene materials for children to read. Massively influential books, like 1984, allude to sex. This makes them in no way obscene. These books r not porn. Teens and pre teens have already seen more on the internet than any book in the library is going to show. Encourage reading about new ideas and to gain greater cultural competency and understanding, not silencing other perspectives and worlds they dont know about in order to create more compliance like they did in Germany, and are doing in places like China, North Korea, and Russia. Information and knowledge is the only path to equality, freedom, and a bright future for America.

02-14-2025

Allie Dince

02-14-2025

Sarah Rushton

Do not pass this bill. It is the decision of each individual library to decide what to carry (or not carry) and the parents' decisions regarding what their children may check out. I don't have a problem with a librarian deciding, for instance, that a book is not appropriate for a gradeschooler but is OK for a teenager; that is not censorship.

02-14-2025

Andrew Kubicek

I oppose bill hf 274, our public libraries are fine as they are we dont need to pass restrictive laws that bar access to certain areas or material based on someone elses purview. Kids have been dealing with things non age appropriate forever. Its up to parents to police their own children and answer questions every once and awhile, raising a child isnt easy. Peoples access to information or art shouldnt be constricted by those that lack the insight to see the material for what it is for and who it is for.

02-14-2025

Thomas Savage

I stand against this bill. If the "Obscene" stories in the Bible can made into life lessons to teach children how to and how not to behave/live the parent/guardians can use any obscene material a child may see and turn it into a lesson. Librarians do not lead children by hand to offensive materials. Any librarian worth their salt will only show materials appropriate to the child's age. Parents should be more mindful of what their children are reading and looking at if they are worried. Not have our elected officials enact laws to take away freedoms on what they may deem offensive.

02-14-2025

J Clark

Please DO NOT PASS this. Reiterating: This bill is cloaked in the term obscenity to try to hide that it is an infringement on free speech which can be used to ban all kinds of books under the banner of obscenity. These libraries and curriculums do not have obscene materials for children to read. Massively influential books, like 1984, allude to sex. This makes them in no way obscene. These books r not porn. Teens and pre teens have already seen more on the internet than any book in the library is going to show. Encourage reading about new ideas and to gain greater cultural competency and understanding, not silencing other perspectives and worlds they dont know about in order to create more compliance like they did in Germany, and are doing in places like China, North Korea, and Russia. Information and knowledge is the only path to equality, freedom, and a bright future for America.

02-14-2025

Desiree Dahl

Please oppose this bill. It is a parent responsibility and only a parent's responsibility to determine what is appropriate for their child. It is a librarian's job to provide equal access to information. It is imperative that we set a precedent that as Iowans, we support free speech and access to literature, which is essential for a healthy and balanced society.

02-14-2025

Robin Vanderhoef

Please do not pass bill HF274. Let librarians, who are the professionals, determine the age appropriate books. Librarians do not place pornography on the library shelves. What one parent finds educational another parent may determine is inappropriate and vice versa. Access to books is critical. Parents should have the right to determine what is appropriate for their children. People who dont wish their children to read a book can withhold that book from their child. People who prefer to have the book available to their child can let their child check out the book and discuss the story with them. DONT TAKE AWAY THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE. Section 728.7 of the Iowa Code provides important protections of our freedoms.

02-14-2025

Amber Boone

Do NOT pass this bill. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine what children can or cannot read. Parents have that responsibility. Restricting access to books is not the answer. I would encourage parents to be actively involved in helping their children with their reading choices. HF 274 restrictions would hinder libraries from fulfilling their mission, limiting access to information and stifling the freedom to read. Please vote against HF 274 and protect our rights to read and think freely.

02-14-2025

Cid Mcmillan

This law is absurd. Banning books or anything of the sort is the thing nazis did, and the khmer ruge did. Any sort of book banning or laws that will intentionally lead to book banning has never been on the right side of history. This is another law intended to have a chilling affect and shut down libraries. These libraries serve our communities, including adults. The books that moms for liberty keep talking about being in libraries are in the ADULT section and they are dishonestly moving them to other locations. Any simple research on the location information on the side of the book will prove the worries they have unfounded. If youre really concerned about our children then focus on the Catholic Church or other entities with an history of child abuse.

02-14-2025

Erika Binegar

Please do not pass this bill. Free people read freely, and children are people. If you dont want your child reading a certain book, it is your job as their parent to tell them. You have no right to tell my child she cannot read a book that you deem inappropriate. Libraries use professional review journals to purchase high quality literature for children. It is their job, not yours. Please also keep in mind that children have access to the Internet what sort of content do you think they will encounter there? Ultimately, this bills attempt to legislate what libraries can provide for their patrons is an attempt to control peoples access to information. Free people read freely.

02-14-2025

Jennifer Frice

I do not support this bill. The library is a place for all people to learn and grow and not be controlled by the religious right. If you are a parent you definitely want to have a sense of safety and awareness to guide your child accordingly which means being proactive in observing your children's choices. This does not mean that you have the right to infringe your choices on the rest of society. Do your due dillagence as a parent instead of requiring the library to do it for you. Please keep in mind that the public library is available to the community and is a conduit to knowledge and information for everyone!

02-14-2025

Amy Mohr

I do not support this bill. This is censorship and prevents access. Parents have always been in control of what their child reads and/or checks out from a library. This does not protect children it restricts access to all and that is censorship.

02-14-2025

Alan Vazquez

Absolutely not. This is a slippery slope that will end in further erosions of our freedoms. This isn't about kids, parents need to be parents. This is about our freedoms. NO ONE on the right or the left should be in support of further eroding freedom of speech. This isn't North Korea! Get this garbage out of here.

02-14-2025

Linda Dedecker

Our libraries have professional staff that have for so many decades continue to select appropriate books for our public libraries. We need them to be able to spend their time running the library instead of having micromanaging the libraries. Libraries have boards & ways to address issues with books. I do not support this bill.

02-14-2025

Bethany Oliver

Please don't pass this bill. The same kind of bill was passed in Idaho and as a result, multiple libraries were closed because people didn't want to deal with the law. Access to books is incredibly important. If parents don't want their children reading about certain topics, then those children should be accompanied by the parents and supervised. Don't punish everyone else or approve of censorship.

02-14-2025

Karen Grigsby

This bill is about censorship, plain and simple. This bill will mean libraries and schools will not be allowed to have medically accurate and age appropriate health, human anatomy, and sex education materials. This will prevent free and equitable access of information for everyone about their bodies.When we look at history, the people trying to censor information are never the good guys. This is not about "protecting children" from obscenity, because obscenity is subjective. Parents must parent their own children, and we cannot allow ourselves to live in a society that limits free speech and access to information.

02-14-2025

Amy Moore

Do not pass this bill. No library is providing Playboy or Xrated movies. It should be the parents monitoring their childrens reading materials, not the (taxpayer funded) public library, an extension of the government. If you as a parent do not approve of a childs reading materials, that is a discussion that parent/child should have about selecting age appropriate selections. No one wants MORE regulations. Our public library staff are underpaid to be police to the whims of families who allow their children to be unsupervised while exploring shelves books. If one thinks a library has too much inappropriate materials, you have not been on the internet much! Thats where children are easily accessing materials more than a physical visit to a library. Do not pass this out of committee. Thank you!

02-14-2025

Elizabeth Arnold

This bill is absurd and should be discarded. Librarians must complete a masters degree program. This is rigorous education. As part of that education, we learn about proper collection development, including analyzing the library audience vs the item. Libraries have standards and policies, and just because you dont care for them, it doesnt give you the right to deny others. Please allow the trained professionals to do their job without state interference.

02-14-2025

Tyler Pyle

02-14-2025

Brittany Deever

Do not pass HF 274. This infringes on our first amendment rights and the rights of individuals to exercise free will, parents and children especially. No one should be able to impose their morality on anyone else. If anyone finds something offensive, then simply mind your own business. "Your rights end where mine begin." If you don't like how someone is parenting their child, mind your own business. If you don't like the material that is being offered to your child in a public setting, then you have the option to leave that public setting (isn't that why Governor Reynolds supposedly pushed for private school vouchers so hard?). Censorship simply has no place in a public library, no matter where that library sits.This is America, where we believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How is telling us which books we can or cannot read in service of our country?

02-14-2025

Andrew Frana

I do not support this bill. This is an obvious backdoor for christofascists to legislate their preferred morality while silencing opposing beliefs. Libraries have always been an apolitical public institution where curious minds can research and learn to their hearts content. They should stay that way if only to preserve the knowledge that is being banned across the state in other places.

02-14-2025

A T [State of Iowa]

I am not sure why the legislature needs to remove this section of the code. It seems to me that access to these materials in public spaces is something that parents should be monitoring, not the state. I cannot understand why certain individuals refuse to police their own children and ensure that their children are not accessing information that the parents do not wish them to access. How will this repeal fix the issue at hand? Why is the state being charged with monitoring and punishing staff who work at public facilities for the failures of parents to actually raise their children. The parents of today are the product of failed parenting and the evisceration of the middle class that caused the aforementioned failure. Greed is the culprit. Every tax cut, every loophole, every broken strike that took money from working families and passed it upwards with the promise that every boat would be lifted. It turns out that was a lie. People can't parent because they don't have the time or energy to parent; they're too busy worrying about how they're going to pay for everything so that their kids don't die.I guarantee that most of you in support of this bill do not interact with children on a daily basis. If you did, you would understand that children are not in need of any encouragement from adults, especially docents, teachers, librarians, etc., to search out and find "obscene" materials. No adult told me that looking at the scrambled cable channels was a good time. Not one adult ever told me in my childhood to go and look at the Mapplethorpe books. I SOUGHT THEM OUT BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS AND PEOPLE TOLD ME NOT TO. WHEN I WAS TOLD TO NOT LOOK AT PORN I DID IT EVEN MORE. Children are learning about what it means to be an adult. So perhaps this is a good bill it will teach them how to be wily and devious. Educate them on how to hide things from people and break rules so they don't get caught. They will do well in the jungle.

02-14-2025

Linda Schneider

Fett did a most excellent job getting all of her moms for liberty oppressors to enter their comments without actually knowing what this will do.Please do not pass this bill. Public libraries are for everyone and people should be allowed to choose their own books for their families.I thought the Legislature and our governor trusted Iowans? This bill doesn't appear like it.

02-14-2025

Sarah Purcell

I oppose this bill strongly! There is no cause to make public libraries the parents of children, who can very well keep an eye on what they are exposed to. The PUBLIC good is in favor of open information, literature, and expression, and public libraries uphold that good. I am NOT in favor of big government state control of what is available to the public in libraries. Families can exercise their own values.

02-14-2025

Jackie Chow

I DO NOT support HF 274. This is a solution in search of a problem. I feel like anyone who supports this bill doesn't spend any time in a public library. Libraries have policies set in place that help parents to safeguard their kids without infringing on freedom of access to information. It is a collective effort, parents have responsibility as well. Adult material is usually placed far away from the children's sections. If you little children are finding obscene material, it is probably because they are not being supervised by their parent or guardian per the library policy. And be realistic, libraries contain thousands and thousands of titles and do the alarmists who introduced this bill think that one book with the obscene material is going to jump off the shelf and open up to the right page for their little child? The detriments of this law far outweighs any benefit (which is zero imo). Stop catastrophizing. It is not the books. If you really, really care about preventing kids from seeing obscene material, pass laws that hold tech and social media companies accountable for allowing minors on their platforms. Hold them accountable for how they have intentionally hooked kids on apps and social media by exploiting their vulnerabilities. Force these billion dollar companies to provide protections and parental controls that safeguard our youth from accessing obscene material on their smartphones. That is where the harm is being done. That is backed up by research. Research does not support that it is because of the books. Support phone free schools and more unstructured, in person play and recess. Blaming the books is diverting our attention and time from the real problem which is hurting our young people. Legislators, quit pandering and do your job.

02-15-2025

Lindset Scott

Parents want choice, put the choice of responsibility in their hands. This law is nothing but fearmongering, making people think librarians are putting pornographic materials in their small childrens hands and we know thats the farthest thing from the truth. Please believe me librarians are NOT putting "porn" on library shelves. Librarians are professionals with Masters degrees. A book with sex in it is NOT automatically pornography. A book with nudity is NOT automatically pornography. Porn is defined as something intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings. This material is not in the kids sections. We have romance novels in the adult section, but not for kids. We are not out to corrupt your child. We are here to help them and make them feel welcome.Public libraries are open for everyone. We offer access to all. We offer materials for all. Minors come into the public library and yes, have access to adult materials. If you are concerned about your kids seeing certain books in the library, come with them. Stay with them. Have conversations with them about the world, even if it is a simple answer such as, Thats something well talk about when youre older. Tell them what you dont want them watching or reading so they know to stop if they come across anything like that. We do not take the place of a parent. If you have limitations for your child, thats between you. I trust my librarian colleagues more than the haters commenting on this bill. It is disgusting that some of you liken librarians to groomers, perverts, and pedophiles. We are here to provide reading materials for all ages, all walks of life, all people in our communities.

02-15-2025

Alison Holt

I do not support this bill because it makes it possible to criminalize librarians and teachers who are trying to teach. If you dont want your kids to read certain material thats fine but we dont need to essentially ban books for everyone and then punish those who care most about our kids. I am a parent of two and I want my kids teachers and librarians to feel safe to do the jobs they were trained to do. This bill creates fear and will eventually run high quality teachers and librarians out of our state.

02-15-2025

Katie Privitera

I am strongly opposed do not pass this bill. Parents need to be responsible for what is or isn't appropriate for their children, not the government. I trust our libraries and librarians to be responsible stewards of the materials in their care. This bill is clearly censorship. Please protect free speech!

02-15-2025

Jody Benz

Do not pass this bill. Parents should have the ability to decide what their children read, not the government. Who is deciding what's inappropriate? And, then parents must choose from a limited amount of reading material?Leave it up to the parents! Quit using outdated thoughts and behavior.

02-15-2025

Elizabeth Brenneman

I do not support this bill. I do not support censorship at my public library. Libraries are places of knowledge, learning, and freedom of ideas. They should not be places where people are scared to share ideas or worried about censorship. For that matter, I would like my country to be a place where I don't have to worry about censorship.If you don't want your child reading a romance novel and they are young, keep them in the kids area. If they are older, explain why you don't want them reading certain things. Do you have a relationship with them? Trust them and then verify that they are not breaking your rules. If you can't trust them with library materials, I sure hope they don't have a cell phone either. And even if they don't have a cell phone, the kid next to them on the bus does.

02-15-2025

Jen H

Please do not pass this bill. Censorship is not okay. Public servants are not responsible for parenting the youth. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-15-2025

Akia Taplin

Do not pass this bill. There is no reason to police knowledge. It is not a librarian's job to police what information children or others have access to. It is in the best interest if the public to leave libraries as they are: a place for discovery and knowledge.

02-15-2025

Akia Taplin

02-15-2025

Cary Siegfried

Please do not advance this bill. Public libraries do NOT contain materials that meet the legal definition of obscenity, but the language in this bill is vague and we're all aware that what is being commonly called "obscene" these days is not anywhere near the legal definition. Public libraries do have many mechanisms in place to encourage and support parents to be involved in their child's reading choices. One way to do that is to simply GO to the library with your child and as a librarian, I see MANY parents doing a wonderful job of that, raising intelligent and wellread children who understand their family's particular value system but are still allowed to question and discuss those values. That's how its supposed to work. When SF 496 passed, we heard may people say: oh we're not banning books in Iowa, if a family really wants their kid to read THOSE books they can get them at the public library. And here we are maybe we really DO want to ban books in Iowa?

02-15-2025

Amy Johnson

Please do not pass this bill. Public libraries are for the public, which includes people other than children. Librarians are not allowed to act in place of the parent. Library staff are responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same. If these materials are picked up by a child, the parent must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. It comes down to knowing what your child is doing and parenting them according to the way you want them raised. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community. In the history of the world, have the good guys ever been book banners? Finally, lets look at a couple verses from the most violent, obscene book Ive read: Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. Bible : Ezekiel (16) : 28.And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. Bible : Genesis (19) : 33 36.Something tells me you wouldnt have any issue with this being displayed in the library. Some might even want these in the classroom.

02-15-2025

Nicole Schaefer

I do NOT support this bill. This is a blatant lie from this government about what is actually happening in schools. No one gives children obscene books. What is appropriate or not is not for a government to decide, this is a parenting issue. Talk with your school about what kind of books they ACTUALLY have in the library. Stop believing these lies.

02-15-2025

Christopher Chase

Libraries by definition DO NOT carry material that lacks serious literary, scientific, political, or artistic value. This bill is unnecessary and a blatant attack on Iowa libraries and educational institutions. This is a naked attack to threaten and prosecute those who do not agree with the Reactionary Culture War agenda that distracts Iowans from the failure of the Legislature to deal with problems such as job losses, economic flight of companies, the cost of groceries and water quality. Reject this bill.

02-15-2025

Sue Koehrsen

DO NOT pass this bill. It is unnecessary! Libraries and educational institutions have clear guidelines for selecting appropriate materials for public use. Parents can prevent THEIR OWN CHILD from reading specific books if they wish. That's how democracy and public libraries work.

02-15-2025

Lindsey Pepper

I disagree with HF274 and trying to ban books. Libraries and schools are not trying to indoctrinate children, nor do they provide X rated materials to minors. Public schools follow state standards which are listed on the state website. Iowa at one time prided itself and was top ten for education. Instead of focusing on things libraries and schools arent doing you should focus instead on the terrible 2% funding that is going to the schools this year. Additionally, libraries are great resources for communities. This proposed bill is a waste of time and resources. Disappointing.

02-15-2025

Mary Murphy [Self]

Don't pass this unnecessary bill. 728.7 simply states "Exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions.Nothing in this chapter prohibits the use of appropriate material for educational purposes in any accredited school, or any public library, or in any educational program in which the minor is participating. Nothing in this chapter prohibits the attendance of minors at an exhibition or display of art works or the use of any materials in any public library." The key word is the use of the word "appropriate." 728.7 does not need repeal. Further, our public libraries in Iowa are excellent institutions and worthy of respect. Iowa law already provides for a board of trustees for a library that can exercise local control. Legislators should turn their focus to the real problems of Iowa like making sure elderly Iowans in nursing homes are well treated. HF274 should not move forward.

02-15-2025

Emily Schulz

I am deeply opposed to this bill. It is horrific that a state once celebrated for education is sinking so low as to censor reading materials. A person may decide what they and their child read, but they do not have the right to dictate what other adults and other peoples children read. Please do not pass this extremely vile bill.

02-15-2025

Lisa Parker

Don't pass this bill. Libraries do vital work providing information, resources and reading materials for their communities. Librarians are educated to do their work efficiently and with an eye to the needs of their communities. Parents can be at their child's side to review and monitor the reading their children are doing.

02-15-2025

Anthony Spoerl

I am absolutely opposed to the passage of this bill. This is the antithesis of education and free thought. This repeal would continue a trend of allowing governmental bodies regulate what it deams fit for the public to see. If you think this is a good idea, I challenge you to consider how you would feel if someone you considered your political position had that power over you or your children.

02-15-2025

Katherine B

I am not in favor of this bill, and strongly advise against passing it! Libraries are for the public good, and intended for the public comfort. Librarians already work hard to ensure students and patrons have a wide variety of ageappropriate books. If parents want their children to avoid certain topics, or themes within books, that is their choice. However, it is not up to their neighbors or the state to make this assessment. This bill is is aiming to eliminate "offensive" material but this is entirely subjective and will be misconstrued. Nobody is placing porn, explicit books or other materials, etc in the children's section or within school libraries. But "Offensive" materials may range from history books highlighting uncomfortable truths, inclusivity, stories with minority characters, and classic literature. To gain support for this bill they are using social manipulation tactics, please think critically about the ramifications of supporting this bill and vote NO!

02-15-2025

Anneliese Kistler

I remember going to the library while waiting for my parents to finish up at work. It was safe, calming, and it was free. As a child in severe poverty, having no expectation to spend money was very rare and very wholesome. Those were some of the best days of my life, and I want that for my children. Furthermore, reading books helps kids in every aspect of life. Other countries are laughing at us because of smallminded bills like this. There is no reason taxpayers should spend money on this bill. Libraries did nothing wrong. Libraries have age appropriate books in age appropriate sections, so kids of any age can easily pick age appropriate books. If parents have any worries about what their children are checking out of the library behind their backs, then parents can look at the record of what their kids checked out and respond accordingly. I don't see any problems coming from the library, I only see problems from select few parents. **I do not want kids to suffer because of other parents' lack of parenting.**The library never gave my family any problems. The library only gave my family and the community solutions to problems. This bill isn't helping our children at all; it only hurts children, especially poor children and poor families. Plus, there is absolutely no book in the library that is more obscene than the Bible, or what kids see on the internet, or hear from friends, etc. In fact, a library is a safe place for children to go when they want to escape from their phones, escape abuse, or simply just study in a quiet place. Taking away the vital services that a library provides is crippling to children and families. This bill is oppressive, unnecessary, and harmful. If you want to support children, then please do not pass this bill.

02-15-2025

Courtney Collier

Vote yes on SF 274. Obscene materials are not appropriate for minors. They should not be permitted in any facility in which minors have access to them. It is our duty to protect children from harm. Seeing and reading obscene materials causes life long harm to a child. We must not permit schools or libraries to provide obscene materials and call it educational or literary value. We know the difference. If we continue to allow schools and public libraries to provide obscene materials, we cannot be surprised when we have predators found to be grooming and abusing our children there. Pass the bill. The innocence of our children is on the line.

02-15-2025

Margo Nall

Please do not pass HF 274. It promotes unnecessary government censorship. Public libraries are always organized into sections, and children's sections are already curated by librarians to ensure that all materials within are age appropriate. Also, the definition of obscenity in this bill is vague, depending on what the "average person" would deem obscene. How could that possibly be decided fairly?

02-15-2025

Athena Moad

Do not pass this bill. I am not in favor of this bill. Especially to include public libraries in this and all of the people crying for the censorship of the material in a public library: Do you think children are the only people who use public libraries? Do you just let your children and grandchildren run around unsupervised in the adult sections of libraries? Do you allow them to run amok and pick up any book they find? Have you no sense? Do you really think society revolves so much around you? And you believe that, in order to properly rear your own children, everyone must censor public spaces used by over a million Iowans, many of whom are not children? Are you so incapable of monitoring your childs content intake that you must pass that off to the masses? Shame on you.

02-15-2025

Sydni Hilton + Kamryn Heron

Please dont pass this bill. We dont need censorship to protect our children. My 5 and 3yearold spend a lot of time at our local library and never once have I felt uncomfortable or like theyve been exposed to obscene materials.

02-15-2025

Anita Jorgensen

Do NOT pass 274. Parenting belongs to the parents not the government. This, as well as book banning of any kind is censorship & removing another of our Freedoms. It is my business, not the governments, to decide what my kids read. If parents need the government to parent their children, they arent doing their job. This is not 1930s Germany! Stop interfering with the freedom to parent as we choose. And in truth, the internet & social media formats provide all forms of obscenity without restrictions by the govt. so why restrict books? Vote NO.

02-15-2025

Jedediah Moore

As a parent I want my kid to have access to libraries. My child, and many others, are extremely lucky to be enriched with wonderful libraries and wonderful staff. I am shocked and dismayed at how many parents are willing to endanger one of the most important institutions in this country, libraries. This bill uses deceptive language to hide what it's really doing, getting rid of libraries. That is this bill's intended purpose and I am disgusted by it.

02-15-2025

Rick Phillips [PELLA PAC]

When parents attempt to protect children from reading inappropriate material for minor children, the gay lobby alleges censorship or book banning. This is a red herring argument. Protecting children in a public place for minors does nothing to censor or ban their ability to find material suitable to their sexual proclivities. This is the purpose of adult bookstores. Current Section 728.7 allows librarians and educators to countermand parental rights of their children. Repealing Section 728.7 will protect children and allow them access to ageappropriate material as is expected in a family friendly setting such as a public library. This bill protects minors from having access to reading material that are used by adults to sexualize children. It is reasonably expected by parents that public libraries and schools are kept safe from adult material that is proven to be harmful to their young minds. Parents have the compelling interest of their childrens education over librarians working for the American Library Association or teachers with National Education Association memberships. Repealing Section 728.7 will strengthen the compelling interest of Iowa parents. PELLA PAC supports passing HF274 to protect children and parents rights. Thank you!

02-15-2025

Janis Comer

DO NOT forward this bill. Public libraries exist to serve their communities in their entirety, and the librarians therein do so with professionalism and care. A small, though aggressively and obnoxiously loud, minority should have no power to censor what is available to the community at large.

02-15-2025

Vanessa Kokoszka

I do not support this bill. Banning books which are, by Code Section 728.7, "appropriate material(s) for educational purposes" is backwards and wrong. This is a dangerous slippery slope. Parents are (or at least should be) functional adults capable of monitoring the media their children consume. It is a basic duty which parents from time immemorial have seemingly fulfilled without issue.

02-15-2025

Nathan Nall

I do not support this bill. So much for small government and government efficiency with all this wasted time on these dogwhistle "protect children" policies. We know that you people just want to ban books that references LGBT materials. Reminds me of 1930s Germany! Maybe read a book or two on that!

02-15-2025

Deb Symonds

Please do not pass this bill. I have been in most of the libraries in Ds Moines, and librarians are not wasting what little money they have on junk porn. Parents who are concerned will be in the library with their children. Or they should be.

02-15-2025

Katherine Beydler

The state should not censor public libraries. Our public librarians are dedicated experts who love what they do. Let them and their communities choose what books to offer; let parents guide their kids in libraries. I am against this bill.

02-15-2025

Laura Baumhover

Please do NOT support this bill. Public libraries are vital local resources and must be protected. I urge anyone with concerns to spend some time at their local library and see the care and compassion and quality education offered to children and other community members. There is no obscenity being provided to minors at public libraries. This is a ridiculous attempt to limit access to an important community resource.

02-15-2025

Brenda Smith

I SUPPORT HF274!!Please take away the rights of perverts to abuse the orginal awful law! In its orginal form this law allows perverts to expose inappropriate images to children that they will never forget and further the perverts agenda!

02-15-2025

Michelle T

Do not pass this bill. Parents should be parenting their children if theyre that concerned about what their kids are reading at the library. Public libraries are not purchasing or promoting porn for crying out loud. The fact that this bill even exists to be commented on is a travesty.

02-15-2025

Michelle T

02-15-2025

Tiffany Antone

Do NOT pass this bill. Public libraries serve the publicand parents already have the ability to guide their own childrens book selections. Art is subjective, and this bill takes agency away from citizens to seek the art they desire/for artists to reach the public the hope to inspire This bill is just fascist censorship in disguise of protecting children.

02-15-2025

CJ Williams

If we're defining "obscene material" as "patently offensive" and "lacking value", this bill is "obscene". I oppose this and think that you should use taxpayers' time and money on more pressing issues that actually matter to everyday Iowans.

02-15-2025

Rachel Walker

Library staff are not a replacement for parents. Parent your own children, limit their reading as you wish. It is zero percent anyone else's job to do that for you. Do not pass this. Iowans are becoming more ignorant every day, and limiting their access to free educational resources will help no one.

02-15-2025

Mira Boyce

Please do not pass this bill. It is our job as parents to protect our children from literature and media that is above their level, no one elses. If we censor past/outdated/mature literature, we will repeat history and mistakes. These materials all have lessons in them and should be accessible. Let me raise my children how I see fit.

02-15-2025

Jessi Vickers

Do NOT pass this bill. It clearly violates our first amendment right and censorship is a form of oppression. If others do not like what is in the library they can choose not to read it. Do not take away my freedom to read what I choose. Librarians are heroes, they work hard and deserve our respect.

02-14-2025

Katie Roche

I am a against HF 274 and consider it to be against the 1st Amendment and AntiConstititional.A bill that removes obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions could be dangerous to access to information and freedom of speech for several reasons:1. Chilling Effect on Libraries & Schools If libraries and schools could be held liable for providing materials deemed "obscene," they might overcensor to avoid legal trouble. This could lead to the removal of books, educational materials, and even databases that contain any controversial or mature content.2. Subjectivity of "Obscenity" Obscenity is a legal term with strict criteria, but its interpretation varies. Without clear guidelines, content deemed educational, artistic, or culturally significant might be misclassified as obscene, leading to censorship based on subjective opinions rather than legal standards.3. Suppression of Literature & History Many classic literary works, from The Catcher in the Rye to Beloved, contain content that some may find offensive. If schools and libraries fear prosecution, they might preemptively ban books that address complex themes like race, sexuality, and history.4. Impact on Intellectual Freedom Public libraries and schools are meant to provide broad access to diverse ideas and perspectives. Restricting certain materials under the guise of obscenity laws limits individuals' ability to explore, learn, and form independent opinions.5. Targeting of Marginalized VoicesHistorically, censorship disproportionately affects books by and about marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color. Without exemptions, books discussing gender identity, sexual orientation, or racial injustice could be unfairly removed.6. Legal & Financial Consequences for Educators & LibrariansIf educators and librarians can be prosecuted or sued for providing access to materials deemed inappropriate, they may selfcensor out of fear, even when materials have clear educational value. This could also deter professionals from working in these fields.7. Slippery Slope of CensorshipOnce exemptions are removed, laws could be expanded or misused to suppress broader categories of speech, including scientific, artistic, and political discourse.Ultimately, such a bill undermines the foundational principles of intellectual freedom, open inquiry, and access to information that are essential for a functioning democracy.

02-14-2025

Kate Dale

Do not pass this bill. Every person who visits a library has choices to borrow or not borrow. That puts the power in parents' hands to choose what their children read and watch, solely within their control. If a public library is expected to parent thousands of children from unique families there will be very little left for adults to read, and children will be restricted to nearly nothing. This is a slippery slope where the government dictates what an entire community can read. Librarians have upper education and there are processes to address concerns without removing the rights of the rest of the community to choose what they can read.

02-14-2025

Crystal Harrell

Although parents may choose to restrict and monitor what their children consume, public libraries serve the broader community. Another parent does not have the right to choose what is appropriate for me and my family. This bill is a gross overstepping into my and my family's right to determine what is appropriate or obscene. Public libraries are a vital resource to everyone. It is the parents' job to monitor what their children consume, not the government and certainly not library employees.

02-14-2025

Cory Young

I urge you not to advance this bill. The Iowa State Constitution identifies the pursuit of happiness, liberty of speech, and access to common schools as rights belonging to all Iowans. To me, this suggests that the framers of that document placed a premium on education. Children should be able to access information in consultation with their family members, public school teachers, and community librarians. There is no compelling government need uniformly ban books.

02-14-2025

Lindsay Fabritz

Nobody is worried about the children here, theyre just bored and trying to judge others the only way they seem to think they can. Leave the libraries alone and worry about yourself. Libraries are full of other also important resources for alll kinds of individuals and families. If its your kids youre worried about being corrupted at the library? Then dont take them to the library. Leave everyone else alone. None of your business.

02-14-2025

JoAnna Springsteen

It violates my civil liberties to decide what is right or wrong for me to read. I am an adult and I trust that I can decide for myself what is obscene. I will decide for my family what is or is not obscene. I do not need or want the government to censor information, especially at a library where folks of any income have access to information.

02-14-2025

Lily Kime

I do not support HF 274. As a proud Iowan, I reject the premise that we cannot be trusted to make the right choices for ourselves, our families, and our community. We are a strong and smart people, and we can make decisions without the government doing it for us. I look forward to seeing how my representatives respond to this bill; the results will strongly influence my vote in elections to come.

02-14-2025

Jessica Monday

Please remove this bill from consideration. This would take the state in a direction towards censorship that I cannot in good conscience support. It will place an extraordinary burden on our schools and librariesinstitutions which already face a great deal of strain. Schools and libraries should have the decision on the materials they choose to circulate. Parents should have the right to make the final decision about what their children read and watch at home. If you support parental rights, do not pass this bill. If you want to make teaching more desirable and address the educator shortage, do not pass this bill. If you support freedom of speech and the press, do not pass this bill.

02-14-2025

Deborah Cronin

I vehemently oppose this bill. If a parent doesnt want their child reading about a particular topic, the parent should monitor their childs library checkouts. Further, I have serious doubts the opinion of the average person will be considered when weighing the materials challenged by this bill. Rather, the opinion of a vocal, puritanical minority, who happen to be the proponents of this bill, will dictate what counts as obscene.

02-14-2025

Denise Warzak

I do not support this bill. Parents should be able to decide what is and is not considered obscene for kids. This is a First Amendent violation as are many of these bills targeting minority groups. I dont know why you wouldnt be keeping an eye on what your kids are reading to begin with. Honestly, all librarians that Ive ever known are also more than capable of choosing books for their library that are also appropriate. This is clearly all coded words to prevent kids from reading about LGBTQ+ and racial minority topics lets just be honest here. Whether a child has access to a book about queer or racial minorities doesnt mean that will protect them from eventually learning about different types of people in the world. There is nothing inherently obscene about any book geared towards kids that moniker is only placed there by the adults who choose to see it that way.

02-14-2025

L. Mack

I strongly oppose HF 274. This bill is an unnecessary infringement on individual rights, particularly the First Amendment, and it undermines the role of librarians, who are highly trained professionals. Libraries should be spaces that foster intellectual freedom, where people of all ages can access diverse materials without fear of government censorship. Parents have the responsibility to monitor their childrens reading, not the state. If parents have concerns about specific books, they can guide their childrens choices, but that should not extend to restricting access for everyone. This bill could result in overcensorship, where libraries avoid offering valuable educational resources out of fear of legal consequences. Libraries are vital for a democratic society, and they must remain free from political interference. Let librarians and parents work together, but keep the government out of this process.

02-14-2025

Robin Hubbert

I DO NOT support this bill. This is censorship and alarmingly similar to what was happening in Nazi Germany. People know about book burnings, but this type of government bill was also a part of what went on in 1933 and after. Here are some relevant quotes from Dr. James McSpadden in "How the Nazis Banned Books:""Nazi book banning was not so much about burning all the copies of books but about taking them from some libraries and restricting access to books that were seen as dangerous ... Texts on sexuality were locked away in restricted sections in Nazi libraries, and books on democracy were moved out of the reach of the general public." "Today, if someone assures you that all they want to do is move library books out of general circulation and make them available only to adults to 'protect the youth,' while swearing that this is not like Nazi Germany, be wary. Historically speaking, this looks awfully similar to how the Nazis really banned most books"(McSpadden)Please, if you want to protect this country from going down an evil route do not support or pass this bill. It has nothing to do with children and everything to do with power, control, and censorship.Citation: McSpadden, James. "How the Nazis Banned Books." Washoe County Library System, 2023. https://www.washoecountylibrary.us/newsletter/articles/bannedbooks.php

02-14-2025

Allison Haack

It is not the job of the government to determine what materials people are reading. The government is not a parent figure to say which materials are "suitable." Individuals in an open and free democracy get to make these decisions for themselves. This bill is nothing but censorship against LGBTQIA+ materials.

02-14-2025

Taylor Fertig

02-14-2025

Ava Irving

Do not pass this bill! The library is a safe place for kids. Absolutely no one is letting their children see "obscene materials" at a library. Libraries are where learning happens, are we forgetting that? This bill would likely shut down libraries in places that need them the most. I vote no!

02-14-2025

Diana Jones

I strongly oppose HF 274. It is not the job of the government to decide what books should and should not be on library shelves. This is a disgusting act of thought police and will only serve to hurt people and make our country more uninformed and uneducated.

02-14-2025

Margaret Doerge

The definition of obscenity is subjective and there are cultural warriors who characterize anything that offends them as obscene. I believe in freedom of speech and intellectual freedom. I believe young people grow intellectually and spiritually when they are introduced to a variety of ideas and experiences. I strongly recommend rejecting this legislation as it would only impede the growth of our young people and make them less prepared for success in the real world.

02-14-2025

Aaron Labertew

This bill is yet another step towards censoring legitimate public works. The problems it claims to solve are made up culture wars and have no basis in reality. This bill will irreparably harm our public libraries and should be voted down with prejudice.

02-14-2025

Elizabeth Fosmark

Libraries should be a place of freedom to choose what to read or not read. There should be freedom of thought and information. It is the parents choice to allow or not allow their children to read certain materials. Censorship is a dangerous practice and I strongly oppose this bill.

02-14-2025

Laurie Elliott [Private citizen ]

Vote no on HF 274. Censorship has no place in public libraries. Parents are responsible to determine what they will allow their children to check out. Lewd pornographic material is much more likely to enter their home through the internet than our public libraries. This is a poor excuse to ban opinions the right leaning legislature does not approve of.

02-14-2025

Billie Wilson [BRASS Acres]

Please do not pass this bill. Every parent has the choice as to what their child reads but not the right to choose what other parents allow their children to read. Librarians do not provide pornography for their students! If you believe in parents being in charge of their children's education you need to reject this bill.

02-14-2025

Tanner Hagen

This is a hard no from me.It violates the first amendment.But I do wonder, what exactly does "obscene and offensive" even mean? I really need to know, because the definition in this bill is the single most ambiguous definition I have ever read. Who decides what most people's even think is offensive, I am reminded of the old statistics joke "Statistics are always right, it's the people interpreting them who are wrong.". Also, a book banning of any kind requires "a very specific and compelling reason". Based on this definition, absolutely anything can be removed. It is very unspecific.

02-14-2025

Tierney Steelberg

I strongly oppose this bill: families and individuals can already choose what books to read or not, and there is no need to enact censorship and force public libraries and educational institutions to remove materials from their collections based on criteria dictated by politicians.

02-14-2025

Tom Rocklin

Please do not pass this bill. Public libraries do not collect materials as defined in code, but will be mired in complaints from Illinformed activists if this bill passes. Families are in the best position to guide their childrens reading.

02-14-2025

Quanda Hood

I vehemently opposed this bill. As a parent it's my job to regulate what my children read. Not the government. Not folks who parrot Moms for Liberty talking points. Not religion. 99% of the time, when books are challenged, when pressed, it's clear the individual did not read the book nor take it in the context in which the author intended. What are you so afraid of? That you might have to have a conversation with your kids? Or is it they'll learn something about the world we live in, the horrible things humans have done to each other and continue to do. Or that they learn about and question their own sexuality. You have every right to say this book isn't for your child but you have ZERO right to tell me it isn't for my child in a public or public school library. I don't think guns should be so readily available but I understand the second amendment. Perhaps you should read the first. If you are naive enough to think kids aren't exposed to much worse online and from their peers, you need to spend some time at a school.

02-14-2025

Becky Ballard

I do NOT support this bill. This is not going to protect anyone. Right now there is already protections in place to keep minors for seeing obscene. This is government overreach and does not show any actual benefits from this bill. Where is the parents in all this? It is their job to decide what they want to see. Everyone should not be restricted by a few.

02-14-2025

Dounia Sareini

This is ridiculous and a waste of time. There are sections in a library for a reason. Never when my children were younger would i take them into an adult fiction section. Censoring what we can and can not read is insane. We should be free to read as we please, and if you have such a problem with things being obscene your it's something you don't want your child to read or see, then maybe just pay attention to your child!! You can control what happens in your home and what is read there, but that does not mean everyone needs to suffer.

02-14-2025

Grant Schnoebelen

As someone who frequently uses the public library I ask our legislators to vote against this bill. It is a continuation of misinformation that has duped many Iowans. There are not mountains of obscene materials being forced on to kids. If a childs parent has even a modicum of oversight over their child then this should never be an issue. Vote against this bill.

02-14-2025

Will Bamber

I strongly disagree with this bill. This is another infringement on parental rights. Parents are responsible to monitor what media their children consume, not the government. There has never been a time in history where the people banning books were the "good guys". PLEASE DO NOT PASS THIS BILL.

02-14-2025

Amanda Aswegan

I vehemently oppose this bill. Stop taking away freedoms. The public library is for everyone. If you dont want your child to read this, police them at home. Dont take away MY rights because you are choosing not to parent.

02-14-2025

Drew Cruciani

This is ridiculous no one in history who burned or censored book were right or "the good guys" this is gross and if your worried about what your kids are reading how about you try being involved and parent your kids. Have a conversation with them instead of restricting their right to free thought.

02-14-2025

Leah Highly

Considering HR 274 allow parents to be parents and make choices for their children librariesshould be able to choose what books, etc. are to be offered not government or vocalminority groups pushing personal views. If a book offends or concerns you OK but others may disagree its a personal decision there are other more equitable means of meetingthe problem.

02-14-2025

Nicole Stiles

If you pass this bill, you hate children and free speech. The right to choose what you read has been established, by SCOTUS (Island Trees Sch. Dist. v. Pico by Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982), as a first amendment right to freedom of speech/freedom of expression. This law will be challenged in court wasting taxpayer dollars on things that one extremely vile and hateful group of people (and NO ONE ELSE) want done. The library is a gathering place for kids after school, a refuge for moms with young kids and the last place on earth where you can be and exist without having to pay money to be there. Leave the libraries alone and focus on actual issues, like feeding children over the summer.

02-14-2025

Ruth Comer

Iowa libraries and librarians do an outstanding job curating materials that are educational and appropriate for children. Our communities do not need the heavy hand of state government butting in to local matters. People should parent their OWN children and let everyone else have the FREEDOM to decide for themselves what our children may or may not read!

02-14-2025

Kerry Moore Kroneman

I do not support this bill. What happened to parental choice? If you dont want you kids to check something out, go to the library with them. Do your parental oversight. You have no business telling me what I or my family can have access to. Our public libraries carry literary materials selected by educated people with library degrees. Not everyone will choose every book but everyone should have the right to make their own choices. Keep in your own lane.

02-14-2025

Grace M

I do not support HF 274. Libraries provide materials for all members of their communities. This bill will be used to impair the ability of libraries, their staff, and library boards to acquire and provide diverse materials, resources, and programming.

02-14-2025

Olivia Becker

The reading material for children is separate from all other reading material so taking away any books is absolutely ridiculous. Plus anyone should know if they take away from the library kids will just go online and that will lead them to things way worse than any book in a library. So not ideal but as a parent you have way better chance of keeping track of what books your kid gets from the library over what they look up on the internet

02-14-2025

Maddison Rath

Please, do NOT pass this bill! This will lead to a slippery slope of banning far more material than the government has a right to dictate over. Children should be allowed and encouraged to read material that challenges them and their preconceived views in order to foster a wellrounded view of the world. This bill would rob them of that opportunity, and inevitably would be used to push propaganda in their faces. The word 'obscenity' is far too loose of a term to only be used in reference to pornographic or explicit material. Anything can be labeled as obscene. This won't protect the children like you think it will. Do not pass this bill!

02-14-2025

Amy Cook

I do not support this bill. People should be able to read what they want. The things these kids will read in a book are mild compared to what they see in movies, on TV and even video games. If you want to start banning books because of this, then you need to look at movies and video games too.

02-14-2025

Sara Parris [Annie's Foundation]

As the leading organization in Iowa fighting book bans, Annie's Foundation stands firmly OPPOSED to this bill.Senator Sandy Salmons proposed bill, SF235, aims to remove legal protections for teachers and librarians, exposing them to complaints and lawsuits under Iowas obscenity laws. Currently, these protections safeguard educators from frivolous claims by groups like Moms for Liberty, who argue that schools are distributing pornography. Salmon equates "pornographic" with "obscene" and contends that Iowa's exemption for schools and libraries allows socalled "pornography" to infiltrate classrooms. Newsflash: There is not, nor has there ever been, porn found in a public school library in Iowa. Senator Salmon has been on a crusade since at least 2021 to remove these protections from Iowa law. In a newsletter she distributed in 2021, she claims that Iowa schools house obscene or pornographic books and that they are only there because the law protects teachers and librarians from being appropriately punished. To support her claims, Salmon references the Florida Citizens Alliances "Porn in Schools Report." This list, however, absurdly includes respected works such as The Hate U Give and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, along with childrens board books such as And Tango Makes Three, ABCA Family Alphabet Book, and Worm Loves Worm. None of these titles meet any legal definition of pornography or obscenity. Nonetheless, Salmon and her allies cite these examples to justify censoring educational materials and targeting educators.By eliminating these protections, the bill would allow parents and activist groups to file complaints or lawsuits whenever they deem a book inappropriate. This opens the door to politically motivated censorship, creating a chilling effect on education. Teachers and librarians may feel pressured to remove important but controversial books related to race, gender, sexuality, or history to avoid legal risks.Salmons efforts are part of a coordinated movement to reshape school curricula and limit intellectual freedom, driven by Christian nationalistaligned groups like Moms for Liberty. .

02-14-2025

Ryan Dotson

All Iowa libraries are overseen by a Board of Trustees. It is part of their duty to create and review the library policies regarding materials. This law is redundant and unnecessary. If you truly have an issue with your local public library, talk to the staff, the trustees, or even local elected officials, as libraries are city departments.

02-14-2025

Andrew Hughes

Say no to big government, let local boards decided these issues and keep censorship of material out of the state of Iowa. If you have any issues with material talk to your local library staff the state government do not need any involvement in this.

02-14-2025

Emily Harris [Annie's Voice for Change]

Annies Voice for Change stands firmly OPPOSED to SF235/HF274. This bill, championed by Senator Sandy Salmon, seeks to strip legal protections from teachers and librarians, exposing them to politically motivated complaints and lawsuits under Iowas obscenity laws. Lets be clear: this bill isnt about protecting kidsits about empowering extremists like Moms for Liberty to harass, intimidate, and even criminalize educators for simply doing their jobs.And weve already seen exactly what that looks like. Right here in Iowa, a West Des Moines school board candidate contacted the county attorney to demand criminal charges against librarians for carrying books she didnt like. This is the kind of weaponization SF235 would encouragewhere activists dont just demand books be banned but seek to prosecute the people who provide them.There has NEVER been pornography in Iowa public school libraries. But extremists like Salmon and Moms for Liberty push this lie to justify their attacks on education. They scream porn and obscenity while targeting books like The Hate U Give and And Tango Makes Threestories that challenge their narrow worldview.SF235 isnt just about booksits about power. If passed, it will embolden badfaith actors to threaten, sue, and even attempt to jail educators into silence. Iowa students deserve better than politically motivated censorship.

02-14-2025

Chad Brewbaker

After listening to Warren Democrats and Moms for Liberty I propose the following to make both sides happy:1) Warren Democrats want a signing statement clarifying every Iowan is free to distribute art under Iowa Const Art. I Section 1 and the repeal is an application of Iowa Constitution uniform application.2) Moms for Liberty want Iowa Code 708.7 vague criminalization of "annoying" speech repealed in accordance with President Trump's MLK Day 2025 Executive Order against weaponization as Polk County risks funding loss in ongoing weaponization by $300k Soros bribed prosecutor Kim Graham.3) I would defer to Iowa Linux User Group member Rep Eddie Andrews but there needs to be disability accessibility language so blind parents can set child controls in their kid's web browser. See https://www.rtalabel.org Iowa risks losing billions of data center tax revenue if it does the Orwellian move by Nebraska forcing billions of costs onto web hosts, instead of forcing Google/Microsoft/Firefox to make parental controls so easy even blind parents can set them.Attached is the obviously nonassaultive speech that corrupt Kimberly Graham had me arrested for during my Iowa House 28 primary where they embezzled $$$ to Justice Waterman's bag woman for Bruce Rastetter, his daughter Dana Waterman at Nyemasster, to fraudulently prosecute without Iowa Code 331.757 authorization.

Attachment

02-14-2025

Jennifer Delperdang

I DO NOT support passing HF274. While the argument from several comments is that we need to 'protect the children', this bill will have ramifications far beyond this rallying cry. "Obscenity' in common understanding, has a very broad definitition, often referring to something that shocks or offends propriety or morality. There is a long legal history for'obscenity'relative to various periods of cultural politics. Many books once viewed as 'salacious' are now considered classics. Librarians do not act 'in lieu of parents'this is not their role. I believe the argument is the same from both sides herethat parents need to be the ones to decide what is right for THEIR children. The STATE should not define what a public library can have in their collections. A public library provides materials for the community as a whole, often based on what people in their community have requested. Will minors (which I assume will be defined as those persons under the age of 18) no longer be allowed in public libraries because they could be exposed to salacious and 'dangerous' literary works? This is certainly one way to remove the opportunity for critical thought, but it won't 'help' our children or our communities in any way. HF274 doesn't explicity state that it aims to kill the public library, and remove the freedoms that generations of Iowans have had in accessing information, but I challenge you all to think critically about what the ramifications would be in passing this legislature.

02-14-2025

Alicia Denman

I oppose this bill, and the movement to restrict access to information. There is no obscene material in libraries. Information about sex and gender is NOT obscene. It is simply information. Libraries are for all people of all ages to enjoy, and that means having the freedom to learn about other cultures and religions and ways of life. The Bible has obscene passages according to the standards of bills like these. What if there was a law that prohibited libraries from having any information about Christianity? Would you be upset about that? Then you should oppose this bill. Freedom means freedom for all viewpoints.

02-14-2025

Andy Sutton

This bill is nothing but censorship. Rather than censoring legitimate materials in a public space, we should be expecting parents to parent their kids. The more we censor the less we know. There is an illusion of mass pornography taking over our state and this couldnt be farther from the truth. If parents go to the library with their own kids they can determine whats appropriate and whats not. Why should my kids be punished for someone elses lack of parenting skills. We cant shield children forever. But from birth to adulthood we can be at their side helping them make the right choices. Telling kids no typically encourages them to seek out the very thing you want them to stay away from.

02-14-2025

Katherine Klus

I strongly oppose this legislation. Public librarians are not responsible for making decisions about what children read or borrowthat duty lies with parents or trusted guardians. Library staff are simply tasked with providing a wide range of materials that reflect the diverse interests of the community, from religious texts and health books to novels and comingofage stories. Just because one person may not approve of certain content for their child doesnt mean others share that perspective, and public libraries must serve everyone, not just a select few.The idea that librarians are "grooming" children by providing informational books is dangerous and misguided. Studies show that 93% of sexual offenders selfidentify as religious, often using places of worship to target victims. Yet, no one is calling for the removal of religious books from libraries or accusing religious leaders of grooming children. In fact, 60% of sexually abused children are abused within their own families by relatives or close family friends. Comparing a librarians educational role to the actions of child predators is offensive and diminishes the severity of real abuse.Librarians are professionals who invest years of education, training, and personal resources to better their communities. They are not motivated by a desire to corrupt children, but by a commitment to providing diverse, helpful resources to everyone. We cannot allow censorship to limit access to information or lead us down a path where books are banned, as depicted in Fahrenheit 451. Please oppose this harmful legislation and stand up for the freedom and diversity that libraries represent. Thank you.

02-14-2025

Mary Darrow [NA]

Please do NOT pass this bill. Public libararies work very hard to have high quality information and programming for ALL not just the most vocal. Parents need to parent their children the way they see fit and allow others to do the same. PLEASE leave these decisions to locally elected library boards, local parent input, and highly qualified library staff and NOT Mom's for Liberty and other loud groups.

02-14-2025

Rebecca Flint

I strongly object to this bill. It is unAmerican. I do not trust the state government to decide what is and is not obscene, and I am deeply concerned that this bill i attempting to ban reasonable books from public libraries.. An "average" person might reasonably find the Bible obscene. Should we punish librarians who want to keep the Bible in libraries? An "average" person might find any mention of homosexuality obscene, even accurate, scientific information. Should we punish librarians because they seek to keep accurate scientific texts in libraries? We have many great libraries here in Iowa. Libraries are important public resources, and they should be accessible to all. If parents do not want their minor children to access certain kinds of books, they are already free to monitor the books that their children are accessing and prevent access to any kind of books they personally object to. So the *only* reason for this kind of a bill is to prevent these books from being in the libraries at all for people who *want* to access those books. I understand that some people are uncomfortable with there simply being books about LGBT issues or sexual health in public libraries. It's okay to be uncomfortable with some of the books in the public library you are entitled to your personal feelings. It's okay to be uncomfortable with some of the books in the public library you are entitled to your personal feelings. It is okay for you to not look at those books. It is okay for you to keep your children away from those books. But you are not entitled to restrict other peoples access to information in order to make you more comfortable. It is unAmerican to ban books, which is what this legislation is clearly intended to do.

02-14-2025

Concerned Citizen

Do Not pass this bill. It is not the job of the Iowa Legislature to tell local libraries how to act. Please allow local control, and let local city councils, library boards, librarians, and parents decide what their children read. We do it at home as we monitor what our kids watch on TV and encounter on the internet. We are capable of doing it at a library. Please do not infringe on the autonomy of local libraries. You have other things to worry about. Leave this one to the experts closest to the issue. Thank you.

02-14-2025

Sara Allen

Do not pass this bill. As a teacher and library worker, I strongly opppose this bill. It is already a fight to get kids to enjoy reading. You are further limiting the availability of books based n arbitrary guidelines. It is a slippery slope in the road to dismantling freedom of the press. As a parent, I can choose to block books from my children, but I should not be blocking books from other peoples children.

02-14-2025

Molly Embers

I do not support this change. This is not a bill designed for 'protecting children', and it is disingenuous to imply such. This bill is about censorship and control. Libraries especially are a place for free speech, sharing knowledge, and accessible public resources. Limitations like this bill is proposing have closed libraries in other areas for not being able to comply.This bill is about limiting access, information control, and (as stated before) censorship. Parents who are concerned about what their child/ren might come across should act like a PARENT and monitor what their child/ren are up to. This should not be on the state, government, or library. It is a parent's responsibility. I will leave you with statements from Andrew Carnegie, a republican in the 1880s who built over 2,500 libraries (a few of which I have had the privilege of visiting):A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.Carnegie deeply valued the public library, and he believed it gave people the opportunity to educate themselves and lift themselves up. Every Carnegie library has stairs leading up to the front door because he believed access and knowledge was something which raised people up and he wanted that physically represented. Knowledge, education, and the access to those are democratic values. Bills, like this one, only intend to limit options, opportunity, freedom, and democracy. Do NOT allow this to pass.

02-14-2025

Tawnua Tenley

Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. A parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest in, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child.Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-14-2025

Jane McCormick [Norwalk Easter Public Library Foundation]

Please do not pass HF 274. This bill will remove existing protections for accredited schools and public libraries. It is the duty of responsible parents ,guardians or caregivers to determine what a child may read or see in any given setting. We do not need to substitute censorship for the lack of parental supervision. Must you demonize schools, libraries or any form of public education? These institutions have been underfunded and attacked for no reason. Please return to common sense government.

02-14-2025

Emily Dieter

I do not support this bill, and anyone who values free speech should not support this bill. Banning books in any form is censorship. A public library is meant to be for the PUBLIC. Anyone and everyone should be able to benefit from it. If parents have a problem with specific books the simple solution is to not allow YOUR kids to read it.

02-14-2025

Sam Turk

The educated do not want this bill to be passed. The same people shouting "protect our children" have always been the same people causing our children harm. This isn't the church and as such, oppression and censorship on public institutions should not be allowed.

02-14-2025

Ris Labertew

I do not support this bill. Book banning is the first step all Nazitype organizations start. What they term as indecent for children is so loose that it could cover and ban almost anything. We cannot let our next generation be closedminded sheep!

02-14-2025

Sam Turk

02-17-2025

Oliver Bardwell [Iowans 4 Freedom]

As an Iowa resident and concerned citizen, I strongly support HF 274. This bill is a necessary step to close the obscenity loophole in our public and school libraries. Parents deserve to trust that taxpayerfunded institutions are providing children with ageappropriate materials, not exposing them to explicit content.HF 274 will help restore that trust by ensuring libraries are held to the same standards as other public spaces. Protecting the innocence of our children is not censorshipits common sense.I urge the subcommittee to vote YES on HF 274. Our childrens safety and wellbeing must come first.

02-17-2025

Ericka Raber

Please Do NOT support this bill. Library staff already see to it that childrens sections of public libraries have appropriate materials. This bill will cause unnecessary lawsuits and challenges, especially for small libraries, which are a much needed resource in their communities.

02-17-2025

Julie Aschenbrenner

Libraries are an important source of information and community. By limiting what patrons have access to, you stop the flow of research and information. We need a better educated society, not one that hides behind dis/misinformation. Libraries support that mission. As always, if you don't want to see/read something, don't check it out! We all have that freedom for ourselves and our children. A free society doesn't support censorship!

02-17-2025

Megan Henson

I do not support this bill and am concerned that state legislators want to dictate what I read and what I choose for my family to read.I believe that reading choices should be left to parents and I understand that libraries carry a wide range of reading materials that reflect the lives and experiences of a multitude of Americans.I also understand, as a responsible parent and citizen, that if I find a book to be inappropriate for my family, I have the opportunity to choose a different book from the millions available through our nation's public and school library systems.I support the rights of other parents to choose books that are appropriate for their families. I do not believe that any level of government should dictate or censor the reading materials available to citizens of the United States.

02-17-2025

Kate Rader

This bill will hurt the people that need it most. Diversity is not a dirty word. As an educator & mother, public libraries are such a wonderful place for kids to explore and learn. Dont take that away. To imply kids are reading smut is absolutely ridiculous and tells me those people saying that spend very little time in the library. I strongly oppose this bill.

02-17-2025

Matt Rollinger

Please support this bill. It is beyond disturbing that for so long, public libraries and educational institutions have been allowed to expose minors to materials that could be considered obscenematerial that blatantly caters to a grooming agenda. House File 274 is a crucial step in protecting our children from being subjected to this harmful content under the guise of education or art.Anyone who peddles pornography to children, whether its in a school, library, or educational program, should face severe consequences. There is no justification for placing inappropriate, sexually explicit material in the hands of minors, especially in institutions that are meant to guide their growth and learning. The idea that such material could be exempt from legal scrutiny just because its presented in an academic or library setting is outrageous.By repealing Code section 728.7, Iowa is taking a strong stand for the protection of children and upholding the fundamental duty of educational institutions to safeguard the wellbeing of their students. We cannot, and should not, allow any loophole that would permit the exposure of our children to harmful content. Anyone who tries to justify the inclusion of obscene material in a school or library should be held accountable for the damage it does to young, impressionable minds. This bill is a vital step toward making sure that our public institutions are focused on education, not exploitation.Lets ensure that our childrens safety and innocence come first. Those who seek to corrupt that should face the full force of the law.

02-17-2025

Gabrielle Kouri

There is no need to pass this bill. Our public libraries (in and out of schools) are NOT full of smut. If children are being groomed etc it is more likely online than by reading a book. The legislature should be more concerned with providing students resources not taking them away. Our teachers and librarians choose books for students and children that ARE age appropriate, this billWill not remedy the concerns expressed in the comments. Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our society, parents have the right to prevent their children fromReading books at any time. They can doThis and should its called parental supervision. Its as if these people have NO idea that schools are educational environments that reflect modern life, including the reality that our world includes many perspectives and experiences. This is an extreme bill that moves us backwards.

02-17-2025

Mathew Kelly

I DO NOT support this bill as removal of the so called obscenity exceptions which is inaccurately named to begin with, would make this law so vague that medical books could be considered obscene, artwork including Classical Greek sculpture, and paintings recognized as masterpieces the world over could be included. This is not protecting our children in any way. It is keeping them ignorant. The internet is where kids are more likely to encounter truly obscene and dangerous content. No one evaluates that material for artistic, educational, or cultural value. Our librarians evaluate the merit of every book included in the library. Stop attacking our libraries!

02-17-2025

Lacy Laughton

I do NOT support this bill. Please do NOT pass HF 274. Protect our public libraries and librarians from illegal censorship. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the freedom of speech and expression against all levels of government censorship.Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored.

02-17-2025

Joan Taylor

Do not pass this bill. This bill is spreading misinformation. It is unnecessary as there are already child protections in place in public and school libraries. The exemption does not mean libraries offer materials that would violate obscenity laws. It means they can offer information for educational purposes and that all citizens have a right to under the first amendment. Parents, when they accompany their children to the public library, should assist them in choosing what is right for their child and family. It is not the government's place to decide what my child can read.

02-17-2025

Brian C

Please don't pass this bill. Just because moms for liberty, aka klanned karenhood, has decided to brigade this comment section, doesn't mean they're right. Their fearmongering is tiresome at best, and dangerous to the health of our nation at worst. Do they think libraries are just filled with maxim's and playboy's? Because they're not. Kids have the ability to choose on their own what they want to read. No librarian is forcing them to read anything they don't want to. Librarians, and libraries in general, are people and places of safety and comfort to millions of kids who yearn for both. Don't pass this bill.

02-17-2025

Carla Welch

Free speech must not be censored! Parents must decide what is appropriate for children's reading material, not the government. Why is it that the movement seems to be for parents having the choices for their children except for this? Definitely a double standard. Censorship is wrong.

02-17-2025

Victoria Aden

I utge you to vote no to this bill. I trust librarians, in concert with parents, to provide appropriate materials to children. Many of you purport to be for parent's rights. So use your parent's rights to restrict what your child has access to at the library don't restrict other parent's choices for their child to read books like "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "The Kite Runner" or "The Color Purple" or "The Bluest Eye" or "The Handmaid's Tale" or "1984" and so on, because you do not think it is appropriate for your child. Or just don't take your child to the public library if you so choose (I feel sorry for the child, but it is your choice).Again, please vote no on this bill.

02-17-2025

Jeremy Flaming

I write to strongly oppose HF 274. I believe parents should be allowed to make decisions about what's best for their children, not the state legislature. There are much more important issues for our government to focus on than policing media in public libraries. I encourage the legislature to focus its efforts away from banning books and limiting access to education. In 2022, more than half of Iowa 4th graders were below proficient in reading. Banning books is not the solution to a literacy crisis. Parents, not the government, should make these decisions for our children.

02-17-2025

Christopher Carman

I strongly oppose this proposed legislation. First, the definition of obscenity is so elastic that the Bible itself would be banned from all public libraries in Iowa. Second, this is implicitly aimed at LGTBQ adolescents who may simply want to read a book that somehow reflects their daily life and experience this doesnt mean hard pornography, but simply books that say you are not an abomination, you deserve the chance to lead a full life as the person you are and be happy as yourself. We wouldnt deny this access to a conservative Christian youth and we shouldnt to other young people.

02-17-2025

Samantha Ferm

I STRONGLY oppose this bill. It leaves it open to criminalize libraries, librarians, and effectively allowing banning of any and all books deemed bad bywho, exactly??? I have a toddler AND I support public libraries as safe spaces to learn, grow, challenge yourself and connect to others.

02-17-2025

Sarah Cady

Please do not pass this bill. This bill allows for the exclusion of a wide variety of materials considered "obscene" by some groups. For example, important classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird that feature violence or sexual assault could be considered obscene. Local libraries currently have wide latitude in deciding which materials are available to their patrons. If parents do not want their children to have access to such materials, the onus is on them. The power should remain with local libraries to decide which materials to house in their facilities.

02-17-2025

Jillian A

Do not pass this bill. Obscenity has already been defined by law with the "miller test" and the "serious value test". This is a complete overreach on the first amendment and promotes censorship. If people are unhappy with a book in their public library, the very simple solution is DON'T READ IT. And if you're upset your child is reading something you disagree with, then be a parent and TALK TO YOUR CHILD.

02-17-2025

Dorothy White

The public library is for everyone, not just kids. Parents should be actively monitoring their own children and take responsibility for what their kids read and the media they consume. There's a reason libraries have adult, teen, and child sections. When a book or other material gets added to those sections, it's because that's what rating the publisher gave it. It's not like library staff are arbitrarily adding adult materials to the kid's area. Why should the material adults enjoy be censored just because it's not suitable for kids? Library staff can't stop kids from going into the other areas of the library if their parents aren't around, so why are we expecting staff to police what kids are checking out just because their parents don't want to? I've always gone to the library with my kids to help them pick out books and movies and never had an issue saying no to something I didn't think was appropriate for their age; there's no reason any parent can't do the same so that people of all ages can continue to enjoy the variety of things a library has to offer.

02-17-2025

Charlotte Brookins

1. This bill is unnecessary, because obscenity has already been defined by Law with the Miller Test and the Serious Value Test.2. This bill restricts free speech and access to information, and allows the state to ban books and other materials from libraries and schools that have educational and cultural value. 3. This bill strips citizens of their right to a library free of censorship.4. The current exemption is not a blanket exemption, it only covers educational purposes, meaning that the only time a library would be able to claim the exemption is for educational purposes. If a library was distributing pornographic material, it would not be exempt.5. State Law already requires every school district to have a policy in place to allow materials to be inspected and to provide a process for book concerns and reconsideration. The state of Iowa would be overriding and deeming this requirement unnecessary by implementing laws that skip this process. Skipping this required process, suggests other motives when they are brought to court.6. These legal battles will cost our state and will create a chilling effect of selfcensorship and overcensorship at multiple levels due to fear of criminal charges without any sort of notice or process in place. This is already happening as a result of SF496.

02-17-2025

Lauren Roberts

I do not support this extremely vague bill that would take away free speech of materials at public libraries. This open ended phrasing would give claim to anything an individual person deemed obscene and would be used to silence minority voices, support for these groups, and educational opportunities for the larger community. This bill will hurt Iowans across the state and cannot pass.

02-17-2025

Jocelyn Krueger

No not pass this bill. As a parent in a smaller Iowa community that also happens to work in a museum, passing this bill would decrease access to information and educational experiences for everyone. The museum in our town hosts countless student groups from our local schools and early education programs and provides resources for learning about and making art. This bill would have schools in our town decide not to send their kids into the museum, no mater what is on display or how it is organized or not, depriving them of an opportunity they would not otherwise have in our community. I do not want that for my kid, and neither do many others in our community. Is it not enough to let those parents who would like to opt out rather than force the choice for all parents?

02-17-2025

Kendra Eckheart

As an Iowa native and an enthusiastic reader, I DO NOT support this bill being passed. We need to trust in our librarians to do their jobs, not regulate them even more. Censorship is not the answer, PARENTING IS. For many children libraries are a safe space to learn, rest, and build community. This will not be possible for them if we continue to pass bills like this.

02-17-2025

Katy P

Please do NOT pass this bill. This bill strips citizens of their right to a library free of censorship. Libraries are a public place for all public people. Passing the bill would be censorship against our freedom of speech. It is up for the parents to talk with their kids and actually parent them about which books they check out and interact with, not the libraries' responsibility. If you don't like a book, don't read it. Don't take it away from those who do like it. I don't like violent, shooting/fighting video games, do I ban them? no. I just don't play them. Don't ruin it for others.Libraries are a safe place for all people to go. School libraries are already following curriculum rules for what they can purchase and carry in the library. Public libraries are meant to be open and available to anyone. Please do NOT pass the bill.

02-17-2025

Joe Monahan

The schools responded to SF496 by linking their school libraries to their local public libraries. This made the problems sf496 tried to address much worse. Suddenly even the youngest kids had immediate access to the most explicit, violent, rrated, graphic novels, streaming videos, including adult videos, audio books and other material. Many libraries linked their school library to our AEAs and to private, outofstate providers of digital media like ebooks, audio books and streaming videos. These sources are not available for the public to review. They can only be accessed by students and staff with login IDs. This makes it impossible for any of us to see what is being provided to our students even those in grade schools.What is every bit as destructive as these sexually explicit materials are the racist materials. School libraries and public libraries are not only packed with racist material, but consistently fail to provide material from a conservative perspective, even when that perspective is composed by highly respected black authors. Just one example: A readaloud book for no kidding 2 year olds called Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race. Amazon reviews for this book make it very clear it informs 2 year olds that blacks are oppressed by white, that whites are the bad people, and blacks their victims. This is one of dozens of examples of heavily biased, racist books, films, etc that we are using to form our Children's World View. It is not fair to them, and its not fair to our society.I hope this bill will be amended to restrict any media source that can not be publicly examined, and to include prohibitions against racist material informing our students. Public libraries, by the way, should be retired to balance their collections to fairly represent both sides of these social perspectives.

02-17-2025

Lauren Constable

Please do not pass this bill. As a mother of 3 children in public schools, and a graduate of a private school; I believe this bill will cause negative repercussions for our children. We are already given opportunities to allow and refuse material in school and libraries for our own children. As a parent, I do not want learning to be stunted for our children due to others' opinions that do not align with mine. Please do not support this bill. Thank you for your time and service.

02-17-2025

Mari Redington [Iowa City Public Library]

Please do not pass this bill, parents should be responsible for what materials their children have access to, not libraries. Libraries are for everyone, and only a child's parent should be deciding what they deem obscene, and take full responsibility for the raising of their children instead of blaming libraries or "society." I have worked in a school and public library, and we are not talking about porn on the shelves, we are questioning materials that provide a different perspective than what the most conservative and religious may want to offer their children. Well let's let them keep that choice and allow the rest of society to keep theirs. I plan on raising my child with an open mind and kind heart, please don't take that right away from by desecrating the sanctity of libraries for all. It's not that complicated, do better.

02-17-2025

Susan Corbin-Muir

Do not pass this bill. Libraries are places of learning. Parents must help their children select books that they approve of. No one forces any book on anyone. I would like examples of the books people are calling pornography. I visit my library regularly and have not experienced anything Id label as pornography.

02-17-2025

Sandy Opstvedt

We oppose HF 274. Public libraries are vital to those from early childhood through senior citizens. Someone from our household utilizes public library services at least once a week. Reading choices are important in that most prefer to select from different genres. When my mother was in the nursing home, it was such a joy to see the pleasure among the residents when a public library representative arrived with the book cart. We often saw residents reading to others who were unable to do so themselves. The enjoyment for them was incredibly heartwarming. Libraries are filled with enthusiastic children with wide eyes and excitement as the learning opportunities for them inside the covers of a book are vast. Libraries offer public services far beyond the books they house. This Bill creates a situation where not only people's right to read what they want is obstructed but also one in which librarians will shy away from those positions due to potential liabilities. HF 274 is harmful and absolutely unnecessary. Please vote against passage of HF 274 and its related provisions. Thank you.

02-17-2025

Grace Haney

Do not pass this bill. The library is for everyone and it is responsibility of parents to guide their children on appropriate levels of reading material. Librarians are never pushing inappropriate material on a child. Library patrons have the right to choose their reading material. Instead of restricting materials, encourage parents to have an active role in their childs reading habits! This is censorship and it is absurd!

02-17-2025

Susanne Kennedy

Please do NOT pass this bill. This is not about protecting children this is about censorship, kids see worse on social media and the internet, if a parent doesn't want a kid to read a book they should monitor not the library's job. All books should be available to the people who do want Access. Also remember the 1st amendment, do t infringe on others right to have these materials available.. Do not pass this bill.

02-17-2025

Amy Tagliareni

All through COVID, we heard parents yelling, "We dont coparent with the government!"yet now, those same parents are begging the government to step in because they apparently cant handle the responsibility of deciding what their own children read or see. If you dont want your kid to read a book, dont let them read it. But dont you dare try to control what books, artwork, or history other parents allow their children to access.This bill is nothing more than an attempt to censor educational materials and limit access to literature, science, and art under the guise of "protecting" minors. Repealing these exemptions will open the door for extremists to challenge anything that doesnt align with their narrow worldview. Schools and libraries already follow ageappropriate guidelinesthis bill is about control, not protection.Let teachers teach. Let librarians do their jobs. Let students learn. Oppose this attack on education and intellectual freedom.

02-17-2025

Lacey Travis

I oppose this bill. It is censorship in its clearest form to try to dictate what literature is available by punishing the people who dare to provide valuable support to those seeking information of any kind just because you disagree with it. This bill is pulled from the fascism 101 playbook or project 2025 in current terms, historically its straight from the Nazi regimes playbook. (And I quite literally mean STRAIGHT FROM IT) I WANT my children to have access to libraries and all of the important works in the world. I WANT them to have intelligent librarians who feel safe and who create safe spaces for those who need it. Clearly many of you couldve benefited from a great deal more time in a public library. If you think what your child is reading is inappropriate then I think you, the parent, is very clearly the one to blame as its your thinking that is so perverse and cynical.

02-17-2025

Aaron W

Please do not pass this bill. This is just the first step towards censorship. Censorship of anything the ruling republicans do not like. Weve already seen them attempt to limit discussion of scientific facts like climate change, whats next? Stop it now before its too late.

02-17-2025

Melissa C

Please do NOT pass this bill. Libraries are for everyone. They are making content available for the whole community and not a select few. This is scapegoating libraries and librarians. Parents need to be the responsible party with what our children read and have access to. I will not force my views on other people or children and no one else has that right either. All people need to be able to determine what is good for them and children need to be able to develop that skill as well with the help of their parents.No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down.

02-17-2025

Anne McCullough Kelly

I ask that you NOT pass this bill. Public libraries do not have pornographic materials available for checkout. The job of librarians and library workers is to curate a diverse collection that represents the interests and identities of a diverse range of patrons. Broadening the definition of obscenity allows people to object to books that are not actually obscene (when considered as a whole) but simply dont align with peoples personal values. And holding librarians and library workers criminally responsible for checking out library materials to children that their parents might find objectionable is an injustice and absolves parents and legal guardians of children from their own responsibility to be involved in and informed of their childrens interests and behaviors. I do not want a librarian to have that kind of responsibility over my child, nor do I want a librarian assuming they know what our familys values are and making decisions that are mine to make. Im asking that parents accept the responsibility bestowed upon them when they decided to have children: know what your child reads, know what your child looks at on the internet, know what media your child consumes. People need access to materials and information (as guaranteed us by the First Amendment) and cost should never be a barrier (addressing the click and buy argument that promotes restricting library collection content).

02-17-2025

Halane Cummings

Please do not pass this bill. Parents should be accompanying their children to the library and assistingthem in choosing what the parent believes is appropriate.You parent your child and I will parent my child.These are the same parents that wanted Harry Potter banned.Will Grapes of Wrath be considered pornography as it talks about breast feeding?

02-17-2025

S. David Pullara

Do NOT, repeat NOT pass this bill. The idea that public libraries distribute obscene materials to minors is absurd and a lie designed to evoke an emotional response. If this bill passes the definition of "obscene" can be so subjective as to effectively become discrimination.Banning books is not the answer and only leads to ignorance.

02-17-2025

Amanda Sand

Reject HF274. This bill is an unnecessary attack on Iowans rights to intellectual freedom under the First Amendment.Legal obscenity is determined through the Miller Test, which has been codified in Iowa law. Legal obscenity can only be determined by a court of law, not individual community members, library workers, or other officials. The current exemption for libraries only protects library workers when materials serve an educational purpose, which adheres to the Miller Tests criteria, or when an individual is utilizing the librarys materials for their own purposes. This bill is a solution in search of a problem, as libraries are not collecting and making available materials which are legally determined to be obscene. The courts have regularly rejected attempts to label library materials as obscene according to the longaccepted legal standards. Libraries exist to support free inquiry, not to dictate what individuals or families can read. Iowa law already provides a clear process for addressing concerns about materialsHF274 removes protections for those public workers who are required to meet the varied information needs of Iowas citizens, and will create a chilling effect that leads to overrestriction of legal content, and censorship.

02-17-2025

Tilly Woodward

Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc and it is the responsibility of the parent or trusted guardian to make choices for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same. Public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few, or those with a particular religious lens. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. If their child is curious about the materials because they've seen videos on their phone, their friends are talking about it, or they feel like they relate to it, that is a conversation between the family and the child and has nothing to do with the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to spark sexual feelings, to encourage sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Libraries are important repositories of information that all people have access too, and like democracy, should include a broad range of ideas for citizens to explore. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-17-2025

Ashley Jennings

I vehemently oppose this bill. This is not about protecting children. Libraries have always been and should always be places where people can find books and information on a variety of topics and interests. Not all books at the library are for children, nor have they ever been. This type of bill paves the way for further book banning which is the part and parcel of this fascist takeover of our government.

02-17-2025

MICHELLE VEACH [MOM OF 2]

I am in support of HF274. In 2019 I asked the Johnston Public library to remove Gender Queer from its Adult Fiction shelves. The book contains pictures of sexual acts, and suggests gender dysphoria is a common, casual lifestyle choice. My 13 yr old daughter loved graphic novels, and I wanted to make sure she would not check it out. I met with the JPL Director and was told:1. There are no restrictions on what titles children can check out. In addition, I could NOT as a parent put restrictions on what she checked out. Kids CAN check out titles from any adult section. 2. JPL would not directly address the content of "Gender Queer" but would instead defend the collection as a whole. 3. I was the FIRST book objection the Director had received during his 10 tenure at JPL. Libraries are no longer a safe place for kids. Please remove the obscenity exemptions so parents can protect their kids, and use the libraries our tax dollars pay for.

02-17-2025

Leslie Noble

This bill is unnecessary and restricts free speech and access to information. This bill allows the state to ban books and other materials that have educational and cultural value. Please do not move forward with this bill.

02-17-2025

Thomas Carsner

Public libraries and educational institutions are places for personal growth. I urge the committee to NOT pass this bill for it would remove the ability of Iowans to learn for themselves what life is about. Iowans need to have the freedom to develop as they choose without government censorship.

02-17-2025

Leah Huston

Please do not pass this bill. It should not be in the governments power to decide what content the people have access to in our public libraries. Libraries are important and they stock all different kinds of text. Parents should be the ones to decide what text their children have access to. This bill takes that power away from the parents and gives it to the government.

02-16-2025

Lori Lovstad

Please do not pass this bill. The US was built on individual freedom. That means the freedom to choose, or not to choose, things. It is only wrong to force someone to read or be exposed to something against their express will, not for those items to exist. A book being available at a library may not be to someones particular taste or morals, and that is ok. It is not the governments role, or as particular religions role, to determine what the morality of me and my familys is. No one has the right to tell me that their personal moral code supersedes mine when it comes to how my children are raised and what they are exposed to. And the current legal definition of obscenity has worked just fine since it was determined by the US Supreme Court. Parental Rights For ALL, not just Republicans

02-16-2025

LeAnn K.

Do not pass this bill. Librarians are not responsible for what children read and view. Parents are responsible for what their children read and view. The entire "public" world is filled with millions of viewpoints that children will be exposed to, every day, every minute. Parents are responsible for teaching their children discernment in all of these situations. Public libraries should never be censored. That is instilling prejudice and bias.

02-16-2025

Lori Stiles

Please support this bill's passage in so far as it seeks to protect the sweet innocence of CHILDREN. 'The Child OnlineProtection Act of 1998 makes it illegal to knowingly send obscene commercial communications to minors. Offenders may face imprisonment, fines, and registration as sex offenders.' It seems that providing such materials in print would have the same effect on minors and should be treated similarly. Thank you.

02-16-2025

Carolyn Pulver

Passing this bill would be detrimental to our public library's. They are supposed to be homes of knowledge and art, on every subject and for every person. As a parent, it is our responsibility to protect our children from content that's not age appropriate. You do that by being involved in what they are doing, not by dictating which books can and cannot be viewed in a public library.

02-16-2025

Wendy Phillips

As a retired public librarian, I am, like thousands of others in my profession, passionate about the power of books to educate, inform, and inspire. Books are a vital source of information and diverse perspectives, allowing readers to learn about cultures, experiences, and ideas beyond their local community. This introduction to a vast world of ideas is crucial for critical thinking and for a wellinformed society. Librarians are trained professionals in the selection of a broad range of materials to appeal to a diverse clientele. While some materials might not be appropriate for certain ages, or might be found offensive to certain individuals, that alone does not call for them to be excluded from the collection. In the case of minors, parents are the authority for what is appropriate for their child. It is right that they exercise their responsibility. It is not, however, appropriate for them to dictate what is appropriate for others. Book banning leads to broader censorship, where individuals or groups try to control what others can read or view based on their own personal beliefs. No librarian willfully selects materials they deem harmful. Who is to be the judge whether or not a book or visual depiction is patently offensive or lacks serious literary, scientific, political, or artistic value? To hold honorable persons responsible if someone objects to, or finds offensive, a particular item is unconscionable. This threat of retribution will have a chilling effect on librarians and educators, leading them to play it safe and avoid any possibility of offending someone. This, in turn, will mean a much poorer choice of materials for the very people who need them the most.

02-16-2025

Renate Bernstein

This is another unnecessary bill, because obscenity has already been defined by Law with other Tests.As noted many times over, current state law already requires every school district to have a policy in place to allow materials to be inspected and to provide a process for book concerns and reconsideration. The state of Iowa needs to adhere to this current process. Skipping this required process suggests other motives when they are brought to court.Finally, public libraries have never collected pornography, so there is no need for this bill.

02-16-2025

Allison Strickland [Sepsis Alliance]

02-16-2025

Jessica Gumm

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries should offer a wide range of educational material and books for all to read. It should be a place of inclusion for kids to find books they can relate to. Libraries are not forcing agendas on anyone. Libraries are not parents. If you dont want your child reading a book, dont let them check it out. We are AVID visitors of public libraries and have visited many across the state. I have never encountered material I feel is offensive for my child. Please stop the censorship.

02-16-2025

Gregory Phillips

Criminalizing teachers and librarians for doing their jobs as trained professionals is lunacy. This would brand Iowa forever as backward and hostile to the legitimate needs of people to think and say and read what they want. With a war on personal freedom, Iowa will increasingly be shunned as an ideological backwater that would be unattractive as a place to live and work and raise a family.

02-16-2025

Shawna Riggins

Please DO NOT pass this bill. This bill will limit education and growth in our communities across the state. Please do not limit our freedom to learn in libraries. To ensure a strong future for our children with diverse ideas, we need to NOT pass this bill.

02-16-2025

Sue Gerth

Please do not pass this bill. Public libraries are for everyone and they do not have pornography in their collections! Adult titles are kept in adult areas and not the childrens collections. Public libraries support your freedom to read.

02-16-2025

Gabriel Basile

I strongly oppose this bill, as I simply believe censorship of art and libraries to be wrong. Children deserve an honest, fostering dialogue concerning all facets of the world, not to be turned away from their last great public institution. To enact this bill would be a mistake.

02-16-2025

Jane Robinette

I oppose HF274. The exemption for libraries and educational institutions should remain. Repealing it would open up libraries and schools to abuse by those with a discriminatory agenda. Librarians know how to do their jobs and they know their communities; let's let them continue to do their work without fear or censorship. Vote no on HF274.

02-16-2025

Randall Johnson

Do NOT pass this bill. It is the responsibility of the parents to actually look after their children and determine what is appropriate for their children to read. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine that. Rather than restricting access to books, we should encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's reading choices. HF 274 is too vague. How many people determine what the community standard is? Is it a certain percentage, or may one person filing an objection be considered representative of the community? There are no safeguards to prevent malicious objections which cause the libraries to spend time and resources responding to them. Librarians try to purchase books that will meet the needs of the community. HF 274 imposes unnecessary restrictions that would hinder libraries from fulfilling their mission, limiting access to information, and stifling the freedom to read. Please vote against HF 274 and protect our right to read, learn, and think freely.

02-16-2025

Timothy Gardner

Please affirm this bill for our children. Iowa parents have voted for more control over what their minor children are exposed to. The legislative super majority is proof of this. This bill gives control back to parents and takes it away from the progressives who are currently pushing their agendas inside our public libraries and schools. To those who cry "but it's art" or "this is censorship"...impressionable children are not able to discern the difference. It is the job of parents to decide if/when they want their children exposed to potentially obscene displays and materials. Yes...these materials should be available in the library but only on higher shelves in the adult sections. Children under 18 should not be able to check these materials out w/o parental consent. To the progressive naysayers...please go ahead and corrupt your children but leave mine alone.

02-16-2025

L Roose

Please pass this bill and protect my students, children, and myself from seeing unwanted observe (pornographic) images which would forever be in our minds. I have a great appreciation for public libraries and free speech and thus am fully in support of free access to written text found in books and public and school libraries.I am absolutely against free public access to visually obscene materials, those that should be rightfully be considered pornography. Books with this visual material have been accepted at my local public library and it keeps me from regularly visiting with my children.

02-16-2025

Thomas Dean

Please do not pass this bill. Our public libraries should offer free and open information to the public based on professional librarians' skills at choosing and appropriately offering materials. Governmental interference with libraries' goes against freedom of information.

02-16-2025

Caroline Jens

I am writing to express my strong opposition to this proposed legislative bill This bill is not only unnecessary but also detrimental to the intellectual and personal growth of our youth.Libraries have long been bastions of knowledge, freedom of thought, and safe spaces for exploration. Restricting access to these vital resources under the guise of protecting minors from "obscene" materials is a misguided approach. It undermines the trust we place in our librarians, who are trained professionals capable of curating ageappropriate content and guiding young readers.Moreover, this bill imposes undue burdens on families and caregivers, many of whom may not have the time or resources to accompany their children to the library. It effectively limits the independence of young people, stifling their curiosity and hindering their educational development.Instead of imposing blanket restrictions, we should focus on empowering librarians and educators to provide guidance and support. We should trust our youth to make informed choices and foster an environment where they can explore diverse ideas and perspectives.I urge you to reconsider this bill and its implications. Let us work together to ensure that libraries remain accessible, inclusive, and supportive spaces for all members of our community, especially our young learners.

02-16-2025

Donna Arnold

Please DO NOT pass this bill. It makes it sound like libraries are seeking out pornographic and obscene materials and prominently displaying them in the children's section! We know this is not true. This bill restricts free speech and access to information, and allows the state to ban books and other materials from libraries and schools that have educational and cultural value. State Law already requires every school district to have a policy in place to allow materials to be inspected and to provide a process for book concerns and reconsideration. The state of Iowa would be overriding and deeming this requirement unnecessary by implementing laws that skip this process. Skipping this required process, suggests other motives when they are brought to court.

02-16-2025

Elizabeth Jackson

I thought we were for free speech and limited legislation in Iowa. Has that changed? In my experience if you keep these things from young people they are more likely to seek them out in nefarious ways. It wont protect anyone from anything and really parents please have smart, insightful, open discussions with your children and grandchildren you might find out they are smarter than you give them credit and your respect of them as human beings will go a long way toward a strong life long relationship with them. Also since education on these matters is severely lacking it will help them to navigate the actual world in which we live.

02-16-2025

Stephanie Hughes

It is the right of every parent and guardian to monitor their kids' reading materials as they see fit. The library, however, needs to serve its public. All of its public. While the right to monitor your own child's reading is there, libraries have to serve their whole community, including those whose standards for what is considered inappropriate are different. Each family is unique. Each child is unique. Therefore I cannot support a bill that would place libraries in the position of having to restrict access for one family to a book when another family finds it objectionable. This responsibility is one that belongs to each family. If parents/guardians aren't willing to shoulder the personal responsibility of what their kids are exposed to, that is their own problem and is not to be placed on the public at large to do their parenting.

02-16-2025

Laura Teske

Please do not vote for HF274. Public libraries are not choosing books, or other media, for children to check out. Children choose what they are interested in consuming and then it is up to their parents to decide whether or not it is appropriate for their child. Parents should be monitoring what their children are reading, downloading and watching. This is both the right and responsibility of parents. However, this is a right and responsibility that belongs to individual families. It is not up to another adult, or the legislature, to determine what families can and cannot consume. In the spirit of parental choice, please reject this bill. And in the spirit of community choice, as children are not the only people using our public libraries, please reject this bill. I think it is good to remember that when we look at world history, groups who have banned books have never been on the right side of history. Please choose wisely and reject this bill.

02-16-2025

Sue Tuttle

Please do NOT pass this bill. The censorship it will cause is HARMFUL to children and parents and communities. How do you legislate what is obscene; what is unacceptable to one person is acceptable to another. Genuine and fair freedom is to make materials available and anyone who is not comfortable with them is not required to check them out; this serves everyone's needs. It is NOT genuine/fair freedom to arbitrarily prevent materials to be available; this only serves part of the population and takes away the rights of many.

02-16-2025

Leslie Schwalm

Please DO NOT pass this bill. It is not the job of librarians to decide what children read. Nor is it the job of librarians or state legislators to presume that what one person finds pornographic overrides another person's deeply appreciated coming of age story. No library is purchasing obscene books for children to read! Our libraries must reflect our diverse population. Please do not insert conservative evangelical politics into a SECULAR community institution. It is up to parents to decide what their kid reads.

02-16-2025

Laurie Haag

I strongly oppose this bill. It opens the door and paves the way to book banning, a shameful and cowardly act. Never in my life would I have thought the state of Iowa, once offering one of the best and most admired public education systems in the country, would engage in book banning.

02-16-2025

Paul Uzel

OF COURSE I dont want obscene materials freely available to children of any age. BUT who gets to determine what is obscene? The Bible has some passages which easily could labeled obscene. The Declaration of Independence would save been considered obscene by King George. The Beatitudes would be considered obscene by many haters in our society. Shakespeare wrote a lot of material which could considered obscene. In 1936 Adolf Hitler determined what was obscene in Germany and books were burned. This bill is nothing less than license to censorship and is in direct contradiction of the Bill of Rights guarantee of Freedom of expression.

02-16-2025

Emily Dolan

Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. Parents can choose what is appropriate for their childs maturity and comprehension. This opens the way for wasted time and legal expenses for libraries, which are already under resourced. Librarians should not be subjected to constant scrutiny when parents can control what their children check out.

02-16-2025

Andrea Schuster

Please do NOT pass this bill. Parents must determine what is ageappropriate for their own children. Unilateral censorship of "obscene" material is arbitrary and is a disservice to us all. No librarian is trying to groom or indoctrinate your children.

02-16-2025

Gloria Vermie

CON. Historically libraries are centers of public communication & learning. At the local level, libraries support city hall deliver services & keep residents involved in the community. Librarians, library boards & the public know best what and who are safe. HF 274 is a threatening invasive mechanism to control public information.

02-16-2025

Matthew Rossler

Dearest Members of the Iowa Legislature,Benjamin Franklin, a man known in history for the title of "The First American", had many talents and passions throughout his life. Chief among those passions, was Franklin's irrepressible thirst for knowledge and education. Chief amongst his talents, was Franklin's ability to organize. Franklin began one of the first libraries in the United States, which was born out of a small group of tradesmen and skilled artisans, pooling money together to purchase books to share amongst one another, to discuss the topics of the day, for selfbetterment. Franklin, as did many of his cohort, recognized that to have a functioning society, all men, all people, must also be educated, and knowledge must be shared equally amongst those who similarly share a passion for knowledge. This amendment that has been proposed, directly opposes that great spirit that Franklin had, that many of the Founding Fathers had. Libraries, sources of education and knowledge, cannot be contained or willed to hide away knowledge that could be used to educate future generations. To try and to do so, would be a slap in the face to all future Iowans who would learn of our great nation's heroes, but would be unable to live out the ideals that they worked so tirelessly to ensure. Please, think of the future of Iowa, the future of the United States. Is it to be one that is stripped of knowledge, where the common person cannot think, learn, or comprehend for themselves? Or would it be a future that the founding fathers would have striven for, a place of equity, of sharing of thoughts, ideas, and struggles. Only you can act on this, but know that future generations will be the ones who reap the outcome of your decision.Your fellow Iowan,Rev. M.Rossler

02-16-2025

Ellen Rasmussen

I do not support this bill. It begins to chip away at our freedom of speech. Like all others, I do not want inappropriate materials in the hands of impressionable children and I trust public librarians who are trained in such matters to make those decisions. I suggest anyone that is truly concerned about what is in their public library to go to their library, talk with the staff, talk to the director of the library, ask how they make decisions, ask how they decide what is displayed and where it is displayed. Do that before you are so sure that there is problem that needs solving.

02-16-2025

Megan Franks

Librarians are highly trained to filter books in libraries. parents can sensor their kids too. This is a violation of speech. How many people have complained about their kid being a victim of reading a bad word in a book? This is unnecessary legislation .

02-16-2025

Sonja Spear

Do not pass this bill! I took my child to the library every week until she grew up. It was my job as a parent to decide if what she read was inappropriate, not the job of the legislature. Speaking personally, I did not see any pornography. I certainly saw many books that I hoped she would not read. For example, I would have been dismayed to find her reading Bill O'Reilly's "Killng" series of history books. Horrible books! They would have poisoned her young mind! Does that mean that I have the right to force the library to take them away so that no one can read them? Absolutely not! To the supporters of this bill: Censorship is a doubleedged sword. Use it against people you disagree with today, and the weapon you forged is always there to be used against you in the future. Let's try trusting librarians to do their jobs, trusting parents to raise their children, and trusting citizens to decide what to read. Say no to the nanny state.

02-16-2025

Sarah J

I am a new resident to the state of Iowa & I strongly oppose HF 274. The first thing I did with proof of address was walk to the nearest library branch & get a library card. Living here for the past 5 mos (after living in a blue state for 10 years), Iowa is sadly, everything I was warned about. Quite frankly, get your sh*t together. What is obscene is that communities around the state even need to come on here to oppose book banning, fascist ideals, & the obliteration of our first amendment rights. Leave libraries, librarians, teachers, & Iowa youth alone. As others have mentioned (actual librarians & educators, no less), librarians do not have secret agendas & do not distribute porn to children. Providing content that allows children to learn about their bodies, gender identities, alternative cultures, & difficult historical events can be approached in age appropriate ways that encourage curiosity & questioning vs. inflict trauma. Passing this bill would be a gross assault on Iowa youth inflicted by the uninformed & illiterate legislators in favor of it. Truly cant wrap my head around wanting to ban children from access to knowledge. Parents & guardians reserve the right to choose the material their children read in libraries without government intervention. In addition, as others have mentioned here too, Iowa has SO MANY OTHER pressing matters such as: the criminalization & dehumanization of a homeless population that needs rehabilitation & community support, a severe lack of mental health & affordable community health resources, high substance addiction rates (shoutout to the Kim Reaper! (sorry, Reynolds*)), the grossly misguided attacks on Iowas queer & immigrant communities, child starvation & hunger issues, atrocious water quality, high rates of cancer, defunding of public education do I have to go on? Do we really have to beg you to allow children to read books or spend our tax dollars on improving the lives of all Iowans? Im embarrassed to have moved here.

02-17-2025

Jena Talbert

02-17-2025

Macey S

Please do not pass this bill. This will be used to censor and control our libraries. It will be used with prejudice to censor anyone who is different from the status quo. This is a detriment to the first amendment and our freedom to consume what wed like.

02-17-2025

Dana Sanders

Leave this decision in that of the library as no one else has the ability to make this decision for my children. Those comments saying that they need to protect kids really dont have any place trying to protect those that are not yours. Theres no protection, youre just trying to censor and take away the right to choose.

02-17-2025

Bill Gardam

Vote NO on this bill. Do NOT pass this bill. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine what children can or cannot read, that responsibility belongs to parents. Rather than restricting access to books, we should encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's reading choices.If I come across a book I don't want to read or a news channel I don't want to watch, I simply choose not to engage. I dont ask that that channel have its broadcast rights removed. Thats the beauty of intellectual freedom and choice that we have in the United States right now the ability to decide for ourselves. HF 274 imposes unnecessary restrictions that will hinder libraries from fulfilling their mission, limiting access to information and stifling the freedom to read. Our communities thrive when libraries are empowered to serve without unnecessary political interference. Please vote against HF 274 and protect our right to read, learn, and think freely.

02-17-2025

Amanda Rink

There is already a bill in Iowa that holds those who show children obscene materials accountable in the court of law. Why do we need another bill? Parents need to go to the library and review what their children are reading rather than trying to place cuffs on librarians who cannot tell a child yes or no to checking out material that isn't age appropriate. Parents are also able to ask for other materials at schools if they disagree with content their children are being taught I know this because I did it! "Iowa law prohibits the dissemination of obscene material to minors. Under Iowa Code 728.2, it is illegal to knowingly disseminate, exhibit, or offer obscene material to anyone under 18. Violating this law is considered an aggravated misdemeanor.Additionally, Iowa Code 728.3 makes it illegal to allow minors access to premises where obscene material is displayed, and Iowa Code 728.5 restricts businesses from showing obscene material where minors could view it."

02-17-2025

Chalsea Roder

I do NOT support this bill. Please vote against this bill. Parents have the responsibility to monitor what their children watch, read and are exposed to. Libraries are a vital part to communities and should have a diverse selection for all ages.

02-17-2025

Julie Kruse

Do not pass this bill! I trust the librarians and staff, as experts in their disciplines, to make wise, just, and researched decisions about what they offer to children and adults in the library. Leave the decisionmaking about libraries to those who know what they are doing, not uninformed politicians who likely have not been inside their local library for any reason other than a public meeting in years.

02-17-2025

Ethan Atwell

I oppose this bill. The larger implications of such a bill need to be taken into account. Also libraries are meant to be open for all Iowans and this infringes on the rights of Iowans. People are allowed to decide what they will and will not access in libraries.

02-17-2025

Shelley D

I am vehemently opposed to this bill. Libraries represent freedom of speech which (I thought) is the foundation of our countrys constitution. This bill is tampering with basic human rights and will only lead us down a very dark path. Please please do not vote for this bill.

02-17-2025

Michael Roberts

Vote No on HF274! It is inappropriate for the state to censor content in public libraries. A political party that claims to support small government and local control should not substitute the state's judgement for that of the professional staff and boards of libraries, who are most qualified to manage library collections. Parents should be responsible for supervising the content their children read, not the government.

02-17-2025

Raina Fagans

Do not pass this bill. Libraries are a public resource for all, even adults, and should be protected. It is the parents responsibility to keep an eye on their child in public spaces and make sure they are ready age appropriate books. I fear this will allow for too much government overreach and censorship.

02-17-2025

Amanda Caraballo

Vote NO on HF 247Public Libraries are not responsible for monitoring what each individual child reads. A parent or guardian should be involved in the reading choices their child makes, and has conversations with them about what age appropriate material is for them.The library staff, however, are responsible for providing reading materials for ALL MEMBERS of their community. That means any thing from the Bible to comic books to coming of age stories to dystopian novels. Appropriateness is very subjective and should NOT be defined by our legislators in this context. What one parent may feel is appropriate or inappropriate may not match what another parent thinks. It is important that everyone has access to the information that they need to be healthy and happy.Libraries are one of the best places to educate yourself about new topics and ideas! This bill would jeopardize that and the whole purpose of a library.This bill would allow unnecessary censorship in our public institutions, and that only harms our communities and children, it does not make them safer.Vote NO on HF 247

02-17-2025

Molly Mitola

Our public libraries must be protected as free access centers of information and media. Free societies read freely. Legislative control of public library content is not necessary for these reasons: public libraries are already required to employ highly trained librarians who are well versed in selection and management of the library collection, including how sections are designed and maintained and which audiences they appeal to. Additionally, parents are invited to visit the public libraries with their children and guide them through the library space and materials as they see fit. Parents already have the right to restrict what their children have access to within the public library space by accompanying them while they browse and access materials, providing parental guidance and instruction on what they deem appropriate for their children. There is no one size fits all definition of what is age appropriate and there never will be. It is far too subjective. Give the control over what kids can and cannot access to parents (where it currently resides). Placing legislative restrictions on what patrons can and cannot access in the public libraries removes this control from parents, who need to be the ones to guide their own children. Do not trust legislation to guide what your children can and cannot read. Let public librarians use their extensive training to select and market materials for their patrons. Let parents guide the use of those resources for their children. There is no need for legislative intervention, which will only take away free reading for our free society and restrict and censor access to media that are a public good. Please reject this bill. Signed, an Iowa Teacher Librarian with a MA in School Library Studies from the University of Northern Iowa.

02-17-2025

Samantha Hartley

Do not pass this bill. As a mother to a toddler it is my responsibility to monitor what my child reads, we go to the library and pick out childrens books for him. He has never seen anything obscene in a library(or otherwise). Libraries should be able to choose what books they want to keep in stock, this should not be up to a bill.

02-17-2025

Chris Stoner

Please do not pass this bill. This bill goes against core library values by encouraging censorship, and would create a similar chillingeffect environment in our public libraries that Iowa's school libraries are already experiencing as a result of SF496. SF496's unclear guidelines have created an environment of selfcensorship and overcensorship on the part of school libraries for fear of being hit with criminal charges without any sort of notice or process in place. Public libraries already have robust collection development policies that determine which collection an item should be placed in in the library, as well as processes for appealing for the reconsideration of materials that members of the public take issue with. The only purpose this bill would serve would be to make it easier for the state to ban books and other materials from libraries and schools that have educational and cultural value, but that the state takes personal issue with. Concerns about content and age appropriateness of materials are all excellent conversations for parents to have with their children and to negotiate boundaries with each other regarding what materials are right for their family.

02-17-2025

Brooke Dearborn Huston

Please do not pass this bill! Libraries have materials for all people and for all purposes. Children can be shielded from age inappropriate things by their guardians I'm not sure why others are acting like children are freely running through libraries without supervision. Censorship is fascist!

02-17-2025

Gale Banks

As a retired librarian Im absolutely appalled at the idea of book banning! We as a public library welcome all genre of reading materials! Some of the books that are being banned were books in High Schools! Not elementary levels! Screaming hysterically that liberals are exposing children to porn is just a dog whistle to incite fascism and hysteria! This is Germany all over again! Chipping away at our first amendment rights is exactly what Hitler did! This is not the Iowa I grew up in! Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain? Really??

02-17-2025

Beth Schaben

Please DO NOT pass this bill. The beauty of public libraries is that everyone who visits has a choice to borrow or not borrow. That puts the power in parents' hands to choose what their children read and watch, solely within their control. The right to read materials of choice SHOULD NOT be within the control of the government. We are not living in Ray Bradbury's world where the government controls the books and thereby the people. That would be called something other than a democracy. Parents have always had the right and the opportunity to decide what their children can read or not read. That right belongs to the parents, not the government.

02-17-2025

Adam Coats

I am strongly opposed to this bill. I do not agree with any state law that censors books in our public libraries based on the highly subjective definition of 'obscene'. Frankly, it seems to me that efforts such as these are attempts at exerting domination over others at the expense of the children it claims to protect. Why was this bill even put forth? Are we so bereft of problems that we must entertain and terrify ourselves with imaginary monsters?

02-17-2025

Theresa Pagliai

I do not support this bill. I find it ironic that in 1938 an Iowan authored the original Library Bill of Rights in response to the growing intolerance of free speech of the time, now 87 years later we find our state legislature considering a bill that supports this same intolerance of individual freedom. The freedom to read is essential in our democracy. In the United States we have the right to freely access books, information, and ideas without prejudice. While the bill's author and supporters may like to think they are"protecting children" what they are actually doing is taking away parents right to make the best choice for their children. This bill is nothing more than pushing an agenda of intolerance under the false flag of protecting children. Using innocent children as shield to hide behind seems rather cowardly to me. Please vote no.

02-17-2025

Jessica Pauling

Please do not pass HF 274. Public libraries are for public citizens and not just children. The materials available in public libraries do not meet the definition of obscene as sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the United States. Further I trust our educated librarians to honor our first amendment rights and further the advancement of our species by curating diverse collections for all citizens and shelving books in the appropriate locations. This is not a matter for our government to waste time and resources legislating. This is a matter of respecting individual rights and parents parenting their own children.

02-17-2025

Laura D

Vote NO on HF 247. Parents have the responsibility to monitor what their child reads not the library. Each parent has the freedom to determine what is appropriate for their children. What your family needs are may not be that of your neighbors. It is the libraries responsibility to provide reading material and other sources of information for the community that they serve. This is censorship pure and simple. Appropriateness is very subjective and should NOT be defined by our legislators in this context. The availability of independent information is a cornerstone to our democracy. This bill jeopardizes that. This bill only harms our communities and our children by restricting what is available. It does not make anyone safer. Vote NO on HF 247

02-17-2025

Cody Sand

The bill creates operational ambiguity by removing established protocols without providing alternative guidelines. It relies on "contemporary community standards" while simultaneously eliminating the institutional frameworks that help establish those standards. Critical implementation questions remain unanswered: Who determines educational value? How should institutions evaluate existing collections? What processes should replace current protocols? The bill creates a legal vacuum that could inadvertently impact standard educational materials and research capabilities while providing no framework for transition or compliance. Without clear metrics, implementation guidance, or specific objectives, the bill introduces more procedural complications than it resolves and should not be passed.

02-17-2025

frances clark

please do not pass this bill. it is in violation of free speech and if you want books banned from your household that's a personal choice. if you're afraid of your kids hiding what they're reading from you, that's a household issue. the current administration might uphold your beliefs but that could change at anytime and leave the door open for government banning of book such as the bible. libraries are a treasured community space and they should not be infringed on.

02-17-2025

Heather Hintermeister

Please do not pass this bill. Parents should be responsible for their childrens literature. I believe this bill creates unnecessary fear and could lead to censorship, limiting access to books and resources that foster critical thinking, creativity, and a wellrounded education. Libraries should be spaces of learning and intellectual freedom, not places where staff must fear legal repercussions for providing diverse materials. Instead of restricting access, we should trust our libraries and their staff to guide young people responsibly, ensuring that all Iowans, regardless of age, have the right to explore a broad spectrum of ideas and knowledge.

02-17-2025

Cecilia M

While I agree that children are our future and should be protected, I believe that freedom of information is an extremely important right for US citizens and enacting censorship laws makes us no better than countries that hide truths from their citizens like China. I think its up to parents to discern what material is appropriate for their children to consume and since libraries serve entire communities, libraries have an obligation to make all materials free and accessible to the public.

02-17-2025

Andrea Janssen

I support HF 274, because I have found pornographic material in our library. Not in pictures but in vivid description and it was in the youth section. Many have said that it's the parents job to monitor materials from the library, but yet when I needed to pay a fine for my daughter's late book, the library refused to tell me which book it was for because that is confidential between the library and my child. No governmental or private agency has any standing to interfere with a parent's right to parent.

02-17-2025

Chris Joens

I oppose this bill, and the movement to restrict access to information. Libraries are a source for information. Information about sex and gender is NOT obscene. It is up to parents and guardians to teach and monitor what their children learn and access to, and not ostracize subjects to which they do not personally agree with.

02-17-2025

Chels M

I dont support this bill because it would make it harder for schools and libraries to share books and information with kids and adults. Right now, teachers and librarians can choose books that help people learn, even if some topics are a little complicated. If this bill passes, some important books might be taken away just because a few people dont like them.Libraries and schools should be places where everyonenot just kidscan find stories, facts, and new ideas. Additionally, librarians are not parentsthey cant decide whats right for each kid, only parents can do that. If a family doesnt want their child to read something, thats up to them, but other kids and families should still have the chance to learn from those books.Taking away books would make learning less fun and stop kids from discovering different ways to think about the world. I hope lawmakers say no to this bill so kids and adults can keep learning from all kinds of books!

02-17-2025

Marta Ferguson

I oppose this bill. I trust our librarians to do the work they were hired to do and select quality, ageappropriate content for all our children. Censorship laws and other supposedly moral fetters keep libraries from being able to provide ageappropriate content on a wide range of sensitive topics. Please trust in the education, training, and dedication of our librarians and oppose this bill.

02-17-2025

Jennifer Norum

I am miffed that you are promoting policing libraries for obscene imaging when the majority of children, if not all, have access to the Internet. Now there they can view obscene but disturbing images. Making a librarian accountable is sadly showing your age or lack of social media truths. Worse is the news. That isn't being policed. Yet. How can you shield a child from anything when they perform drills and practice in their schools what they need to do if there is a person shooting students. The imagery in their minds has to be worse than seeing a picture of male penguins sharing a sunset. The library does not promote pornography. That is the GOP mind having a torrid field trip.

02-17-2025

Neil A.

This bill is a clear violation of the First Amendment; it surprises me how many people wish to pick and choose the parts of the Constitution they would uphold. Eroding protections for free speech, particularly in public libraries, is something out of the Chinese Communist Party playbook and should not be entertained in the state of Iowa. This is not small government this is fascist overreach.Librarians serve all members of our community. The pendulum swings... what you celebrate today can be declared obscene and banned tomorrow.

02-17-2025

Katie Linder

I thought this legislature was for parent choice? Our libraries and books are not the place for censorship. If you are truly worried about exposure to obscene content, please consider spending your time on legislation from the federal and state levels for age limits and verification for social media and pornography websites. This is just SILLY to censor libraries when most kids have access to whatever they want at their fingertips via smartphone and tablet.

02-17-2025

Curtiss Hanson

I am OPPOSED to HR 274. Censorship of free speech is a very dangerous road to travel especially with something as vague as the term obscene. I am opposed to limiting peoples rights with vague and undefined terms. You should be more careful when stepping on the constitution. I find it ironic that people who support this bill probably havent even read Fahrenheit 451 and probably think any option different from theirs should be censored.

02-17-2025

Sara Montgomery

I oppose this bill. Restricting books related to race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities is a travesty. Students who find books similar to their own experiences, lives, or that offer alternative perspectives have better educational outcomes than when censorship is rampant. Limitations on viewpoints are not acceptable and dangerous.

02-17-2025

Seth Chadwick

I do NOT support this bill. This is censorship dressed in "protecting our children". I'm the father of a 5 year old, and we are at the library at least twice a week because we homeschool. I am so grateful for the wide and varied collection that supports my son's learning and development, of an enormous range of topics, peoples, places, and cultures. bill isn't about protecting children, it's about stifling entire communities' access to information.

02-17-2025

Nancy Geiger

Stop banning information and trying to erase the existence of people who DO YOU NO HARM. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF! If you want to raise ignorant children, including those that ARE LGBTQ+ that is your right. Dont interfere with my right to raise kind and informed children. Dont take away my right to read about everybody that interests me without having to buy everything myself. The percentages say you have relatives, friends and coworkers that arent straight, they deserve and pay taxes to have the right to see themselves in the public libraries books just like you do. Im an OLD STRAIGHT LADY that supports public libraries being able to provide the books that my community wants.

02-17-2025

Elizabeth Crooks

I implore you, DO NOT support this bill that will undermine our wonderful PUBLIC LIBRARIES. Book censorship laws are being used to impose the values of a small group of people on all the rest of us, despite their claim that they support family values. Supporting family values would mean allowing each family to decide what books they and their children will read. Librarians are trained educators who work with their advisory boards and community groups to build their collections and to offer thoughtful guidance about what books are appropriate for what ages. After offering informed advice, they welcome parents and kids to decide what books they wish to read. Iowa used to be a leader in education, and we are falling badly in national rankings due in part to laws like these. Vibrant public libraries are critical to having a strong and knowledgeable community. Please, please do not weaken our state further by passing this vague law. Let's go back to being the state that believed in intellectual freedom, back to giving individuals and families the ability to make their own decisions about their reading and learning, and back to having the best public library system in the US.

02-17-2025

Laurel Davis

Libraries are places of learning, not censorship. If you don't want to learn about a topic, you simply don't check out that book. Others should not be prevented from reading and studying based on another's preferences or beliefs. Vote against this terrible bill!

02-17-2025

Riley Miller

I OPPOSE this bill. Parents should be parents of heir own children. The existence of literature I dont prefer or let my child read is my business. Under no circumstances should the state of Iowa impede my free speech or access to the free speech of others. Public library employees should not be allowed to behave as de facto social police for my child.

02-17-2025

Kelly Gee

Our libraries are meant to be a microcosm of our society. Librarians take their jobs seriously and sensitively in their selection of materials that reflect the many viewpoints that exist and should exist in a free society. Please trust the system that was established by Benjamin Franklin to ensure an intelligent population capable of choosing understanding and compassion of ones self and others over fear and vote against HF 274

02-17-2025

Emerson Cram

Vote no on this bill. Obscenity is a vague term, historically and currently used to justify overreach of government. Rather than rely on spreading fear through disinformation, parents can use common sense when going to the library? Librarians are public servants who devote years of their life to making public libraries places where diversity of viewpoint can exist. We should trust that they know how to follow existing laws and norms about age appropriate material.

02-17-2025

Kathleen VanTieghem

Please strike this bill down. Censorship like this bill does not bode well for the sanctity of our first amendment and our governing freedoms. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc., but instead, a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for the child. It is a parents responsibility to decide what they deem is appropriate or not. To make this decision for all parents and children is a denial of freedom. This is not a governmental responsibility to determine what information people have access to.

02-17-2025

naomi greyser

Please DO NOT support this bill that will undermine our wonderful public libraries. Nobody is in favor of exposing children to harmful materials, certainly not librarians. Our librarians work hard to help people of all ages find books that enrich and nourish them, and are trained to do just this. The suggestion that we use public money to buy "garbage" is a way to drum up moral panic to defund and drain our beautiful libraries. TRULY supporting family values means allowing each family to decide what books they and their children will read. Again, librarians are trained educators who work with their advisory boards and community groups to build collections and to offer thoughtful guidance about what books are appropriate for what ages. After offering informed advice, they welcome parents and kids to decide what books they wish to read. In addition, book bans like this one use AI to detect words and exempt books from library lists. Many books that include 'banned words' are the opposite of garbage. The Bible includes banned words. Shakespeare includes banned words. Please let human beings with expertise and care for their communities do the jobs they love and serve our towns. The word "obscenity" makes it seem like everyone should be for this law to protect children, but I think we know that is not what this law is actually about. We all benefit from access to books without AI deciding what is "safe" for us to read that is the job of parents going to the library with their children and librarians. Iowa used to be a leader in education, and we are falling badly in national rankings due in part to laws like these. Vibrant public libraries are critical to having a strong, knowledgeable, openminded community of all ages. Do not weaken our state further by passing this narrowminded, provincial, vague law. Let's go back to being the state that believed in freedom, including giving individuals and families the freedom to make their own decisions about their reading and learning, and back to having the best public library system in the US. The best one!!

02-17-2025

Carolyn Scherf Ryan

Parents can make these decisions without government involvement. This bill is government overreach.Stop parading out these dumb distracting bills and focus on real issues that affect public health, safety, and welfare.This is a waste of time and the Republicans pushing for it know that.Stop wasting everyone's time and figure out how to bring down the cost of childcare and fund our public schools.

02-17-2025

Trisha Anderson

This ban should not be in place as it is another way to eliminate our freedom of speech. Libraries are not placing pornography in the childrens sections. Public libraries are also not just for children but for adults to enjoy as well. Parents should step up and parent their children if they are concerned about what they may be exposed to, monitor them while in the library and assure theyre not wandering into sections intended for adults.

02-17-2025

Rebecca Chadwick

Do not pass this bill! It is a blatant use of censorship. Information of all kinds should be freely available in the public libraries, including the information that someone else may not like! To learn about a subject, people should have access to as many points of view as possible to make up their own minds.

02-17-2025

Jennifer McDaniel

Just say, No. The word is Public in public libraries. Are we implying that parents are not capable enough to choose wisely for their children. Are we suggesting that educated, trained librarians are not intelligent enough to acquire materials. Is this Orwells 1984? Where does censorship begin and end? What offends one may not offend another, so we must educate and trust people to choose for themselves, not limit and censor their options ahead of the fact.

02-17-2025

Thomas Kaefring

Do not pass this bill. It is a parental obligation to teach their children their concept of right from wrong, not a librarians. I would think the state legislature has more important things to focus on than Interpreting morality.

02-17-2025

Melodee Pomerantz

No Librarian is buying porn or sex materials for the kids. It is the parents who need to monitor not the librarian. The library is place of community of taking your kids and loving the world of reading. This is book banning and the elimination of free speech. Please spend our tax dollars and go after gun control.

02-17-2025

Melanie Flavin

I support this bill that would remove the exemption for libraries and schools to have pornographic materials, particularly where children can see them. These are never necessary for children and teens, much less for adults. For those who argue that free speech allows for porn and other obscenities, that is not what free speech was meant to support, which seems somewhat obvious for anyone whos studied the history of our government. And yes, librarians do provide pornographic material to juveniles, contrary to what many posters here claim; Ive run into it in the library many times by accident, while looking for juvenile or teen books. The books are beyond disgusting, and are among the many pornographic titles that the libraries and schools are now promoting in the name of DEI and prohomosexual/sexual causes, particularly by placing them coverout where kids can find them. These books are so crude and pornographic, I dont see how anyone can claim they are educational, unless we are now placing porn in the same category as biology textbooks, which they most decidedly arent.

02-15-2025

Sophia Kulish

I absolutely do NOT support this bill. Along with the current political climate, this bill is reminiscent of 1930s Germany with the burning of books on queer/LGBTQ+ topics. This is a slippery slope to fascism and we should learn from our mistakes as humans not let history repeat itself. Maybe having some more books on facism and the rise of Hitler would be apt reading assignments for most people these days.

02-15-2025

Carrie Nieman

This bill should not be passed as it infringes on our 1st Amendment rights. Texts and literature should never be censored and should be made available to the general public without the interference of the government. If the general concern is about children having access to inappropriate content then it is their parents responsibility to screen what their child is reading. Not everyone share the same views on what is appropriate or inappropriate in text. We as Americans have freedoms of choice and we should never have that freedom stripped of us based on the beliefs and insecurities of others.

02-15-2025

Jennifer Kirk

This bill will do nothing to protect children in the age of Internet. It is up to the parent, not the state to define "obscene material" and keep their children away from it. Furthermore, this bill is likely to be abused in order to erase the existence of "unpopular" ideas by accusing books about LGBTQ and POC of being obscene.

02-15-2025

Kristi G

I read a commentor refer to children as a "commodity". Commodities are on the Chicago Board of Trade. Not in our schools.I, absolutely, do NOT agree with any state law censoring books in public libraries. If pearl clutching parents are so concerned about it, perhaps they should be accompanying they're children to the library. The definition of "obscene" is highly subjective. Ban the Bible, that's "obscene".Parent your "commodities" and don't ask for a Nanny State to do it for you.

02-15-2025

Marcia Ludden

I don't NOT support this bill. Libraries do not have pornography. Children are not exposed to obscene materials in libraries. Libraries were a place of refuge when I was a child. I developed a life long love of books & learning at the library. Do not suppress literature based on a puritannical fear.

02-15-2025

Eric Manning [Manning Law Office, PLLC]

Libraries provide many services for the community. Micromanaging the job of librarians is making their job more difficult. State level officials should not dictate what materials a library can offer. True that the libraries and their patrons can make their own decisions. This is a solution in search of a problem.

02-16-2025

Lisa Peterson-Burch

Do not pass this bill. As a mother to three, it is my job to censor what my children can check out from the library. We've checked our 1000s of books over the last 15 years and this has never been an issue. The Internet is a much bigger problem for children than the library.

02-16-2025

Tabitha Jamerson

I do not support this! Please let parents parent and be responsible for what their kids are reading, and do not waste any additional time and energy on something that should not even be a concern. Any books with adult content are in the ADULT section, as they always have been. If you step into any library, you can clearly see the childrens section with books written for CHILDREN. The entire environment of that, usually very separate and defined, part of the library is decorated and set up for children. Even someone with very little common sense can know that is where they would look for kids books, not the plainer, clearly labeled shelves for adults, eliminating any risk of even accidentally grabbing something intended for an older audience. Give our librarians and parents a little more credit here. Leave our libraries alone.

02-16-2025

Tedra Towne

Please dont pass this bill. I grew up reading all kinds of things, usually suggested by the librarian. If parents are concerned about what books their children might find in a library perhaps they should help their children pick out the books. Libraries are suppose to hold all types and forms of information. We have the freedom to choose what we want to read.

02-16-2025

Jamie Kelley

Do NOT pass this bill!1: Book banning went on in the 50s, and some of those same books were required reading for me in high school. Could that happen in the future if it's done here? Food for thought.2: The internet exists. The idea that "well if they don't see it at a library, they won't find it" is absurd. Have a separate "discretion advised" section for them, maybe, but not outright banning. Because when your parents said "don't go to that party," I'm sure you all listened and absolutely didnt go have fun anyway just because they said no, right? Right?3: What happened to personal & parental responsibility? I used to see people talk about the importance of personal responsibility. When did we swap that out for lemming snowflake culture?Much better to leave well enough alone, because we all know what this bill is *really* trying to do, and that's not going to work, either, since several of the topics deemed in offense are also found in the Bible. So if they're still around, it means they're probably not going anywhere.

02-16-2025

Jennifer Drinkwater

Please do not pass this bill. In most rural communities, libraries are the only spaces for community gathering, educational resources, classes, support of all kinds. The Iowa legislature should be giving MORE resources to libraries and librarians, rather than censoring them. Pornography is not available at libraries that is ridiculous, and people should parent their own children. Banning books is unAmerican, plain and simple.

02-16-2025

Kristen Greteman

I trust the librarians and staff, as experts in their disciplines, to make wise, just, and researched decisions about what they offer to children and adults in the library. Leave the decisionmaking about libraries to those who know what they are doing, not uninformed politicians. Do not pass this bill.

02-16-2025

Bryan Vestal

I agree with those who are against this bill. I see a lot of women checking out romance books. They pay taxes for the library to provide what they would like to read. I have seen not even teenagers look in the adult fiction area, even the ones that might be showcased for their popularity. Teenagers are not big readers anyway but the younger children know exactly where the books they like to read are in the children's section. As for books that promote acceptance of the millions of people who were born with NATURAL genetic abnormalities leaving them attracted to other males of females. The Bible teaches that we should love all people, especially those who are different than us. Right now the state government is working to ban lawsuits against the chemical industries that are poisoning our planet with their cancer causing and environment killing products. The definition of fascism is corporations taking control of government, where the wants of corporations become more important than the wellbeing of the people. Will they come next for the countless amounts of library materials that seek to educate us about the dangers of the estimated 220 billion tonnes of harmful chemicals that are being put into our environment every year? It is time for us to stand up and say "enough is enough" of a government that works for special interests, corporations, and billionaires.

02-16-2025

Gabe Ewert

I am urging the legislature to not pass this bill. Banning any books deemed obscene is further erosion of our freedoms. When the government gets to decide what people are and arent allowed to read, we have lost our ability to live in a free society. If parents do not want their kids to read certain books, it is THEIR responsibility to monitor their children, not the state government.

02-16-2025

Mary Jones

Please protect the minds and futures of Iowa's children by NOT passing this bill. Iowa librarians are not promoting pornography, nor are they making reading choices for children. Responsible parents will discuss ideas with their children in order that those young people grow into responsible citizens able to make responsible decisions and function in community with people of varying beliefs. The US constitution does not prioritize the belief system of any group over another.

02-16-2025

Gina Schlesselman-Tarango

As a parent to a schoolaged child, proud graduate of Iowa public schools, and librarian, I ask you to please consider the following:1. This bill is unnecessary, because obscenity has already been defined by Law with the Miller Test and the Serious Value Test.2. This bill restricts free speech and access to information, and allows the state to ban books and other materials from libraries and schools that have educational and cultural value. 3. This bill strips citizens of their right to a library free of censorship.4. The current exemption is not a blanket exemption, it only covers educational purposes, meaning that the only time a library would be able to claim the exemption is for educational purposes. If a library was distributing pornographic material, it would not be exempt.5. State Law already requires every school district to have a policy in place to allow materials to be inspected and to provide a process for book concerns and reconsideration. The state of Iowa would be overriding and deeming this requirement unnecessary by implementing laws that skip this process. Skipping this required process, suggests other motives when they are brought to court.6. These legal battles will cost our state and will create a chilling effect of selfcensorship and overcensorship at multiple levels due to fear of criminal charges without any sort of notice or process in place. This is already happening as a result of SF496.

02-16-2025

David Alexander

Destruction from within. Be careful, your first amendment freedoms can be used to destroy positive virtues. Our constitutional freedoms require a virtuous society. An irresponsible citizenry will loose its freedom to a few charged with protecting us. This bill is a result of a few recklessly imposing socially harmful material to corrupt adults and destroy the innocence of children. Pass this bill to support a virtuous society that can be free.

02-16-2025

Dawn Lorenzen

Do not pass this bill. It is a parents job to monitor their childrens reading and viewing materials. Just because they dont like what is available doesnt mean that they can decide for everyone. This is a freedom of speech issue. There is no outright pornography in public libraries. This bill is just a lawsuit waiting to take public resources from taxpayers.

02-16-2025

Jim Brockpahler

I absolutely oppose this bill and find it truly frightening to be living in a society amidst so many people that blindly do. People supporting this bill need to head to their local library, thank their librarians, and check out some Orwell, Huxley, Bradbury, and the like. As is often quoted In all of history, the good guys were never the ones banning booksDO NOT move HF274 forward.

02-16-2025

Heather Davis

Do not ban books. Allow parents to educate and raise their children through the freedom America was built on. Through freedom of speech. I support parents limiting content within their home, but deciding what every single household should have access to is not the place of our government and goes against what our entire country was built on.

02-16-2025

Jennifer Brockpahler

I oppose this bill. Libraries are safe spaces, open to all. They provide access to a great number of resources and viewpoints, which help us to become critical thinkers and better citizens. Do not move HF274 forward.

02-16-2025

Aric Bishop

I am writing to express my strong opposition to HF 274. This bill is not only unnecessary but also poses a significant threat to free speech, access to information, and the rights of Iowans to have libraries free from censorship. I urge you to vote against this legislation for the following reasons:1. This bill is unnecessary Obscenity has already been clearly defined under the law through the Miller Test and the Serious Value Test. These legal standards effectively determine what is considered obscene, rendering additional legislation redundant.2. HF 274 restricts free speech and access to information This bill grants the state excessive power to ban books and other materials from libraries and schools, even when they have undeniable educational and cultural value. Such restrictions go against the fundamental principles of intellectual freedom.3. The bill undermines the right to a censorshipfree library Libraries serve as pillars of knowledge and democracy, ensuring citizens have access to a wide range of perspectives. Allowing the government to dictate what materials are accessible dangerously erodes this right.4. The current exemption is not a blanket exemption The existing law only permits exemptions for educational purposes. If a library were distributing pornographic material, it would not be protected. This bill misrepresents the current exemption as overly broad when it is already appropriately limited.5. State law already requires book review policies Iowa law mandates that school districts have procedures in place for reviewing and reconsidering library materials. HF 274 would override this existing requirement, bypassing due process and raising concerns about the motives behind this legislation.6. The bill will result in costly legal battles and create a chilling effect The state will inevitably face expensive lawsuits, diverting taxpayer funds toward defending an unnecessary law. Furthermore, this bill will instill fear among educators and librarians, leading to excessive selfcensorship and the removal of valuable materials without due process. We are already witnessing the harmful impact of SF 496, and HF 274 will only exacerbate this issue.For these reasons, I urge you to stand against HF 274. Protecting access to information, upholding free speech, and preserving due process are fundamental to our democracy. Please vote NO on this harmful and unnecessary legislation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

02-16-2025

Tierney Israel

I oppose this bill. Libraries provide learning opportunities for people of all ages. It is not the job of the library to determine what you find appropriate for your children. It is the job of the library to make books and other learning and entertainment materials available and accessible, not police what your children read. Thats up to each family and I do not want that right taken from my hands.

02-16-2025

Mary Issah

Please do not pass this bill. It is not the role of libraries or librarians to determine what children can or cannot read that responsibility belongs to parents. Rather than restricting access to books, we should encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's reading choices. All people need to be able to determine what is good for them and children need to be able to develop that skill as well with the help of their parents. Please do not restrict access to materials in this state.

02-16-2025

Sheila Knoploh-Odole

This bill is a stupid waste of time. Do not pass this bill. Kids are exposed to more obscene material in their homes than they are in a library. This does nothing to protect children it merely supresses knowledge & information that the churchright want to suppress.

02-16-2025

Meghan Schedule

I do not support this bill. Public libraries provide materials for all. It is a parent's responsibility to educate the child and set their family's boundaries, it is not the responsibility of a public entity to restrict their content to meet your personal boundaries.

02-16-2025

Rhonda King

Please do not pass this bill. Public librarians are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories. Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few. Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for the library. No material being purchased by a library that is specifically intended for a child or teenager to read is being purchased to turn children on, to encourage them to commit sexual acts, to "turn" them another gender or sexuality, etc. It is information that is available for the person who needs it. Information is NOT instruction and to indicate that it is and the library staff member purchasing the book(s) is a pedophile or groomer for this so called "intent to provide children with sexually explicit materials" is a dangerous line of thinking, especially when looking at statistics. 93% of sexual offenders would classify themselves as religious and find churches to be a safe haven to scout for their victims, yet no one is asking for religious books to be removed from libraries or accusing our religious leaders and families of being groomers. 60% of sexually abused children experience it in their own homes from family and friends. To put a librarian purchasing an informational book in the same classification system as a sexual predator abusing children in their own family or those in their religious institution greatly devalues the severity of these pedophiles' actions. Trust that the professionals who spend thousands of dollars of their personal money and years of their lives receiving higher education, experience, and ongoing training are doing so because they believe in the mission of bettering their community, not because they want to sexualize or "corrupt" children. Rather than allow America to follow the plotline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, please strike this bill down. Thank you.

02-16-2025

Nichole Eden

I strongly oppose this bill. Libraries need to remain places of choice for ALL, free from unnecessary government oversight. Each family is free to monitor their child's media consumption, according to their particular values and preferences.

02-16-2025

Jeff Collins

As a homeschool family, I don't want the government telling me what I can and cannot read with my children. Let me decide what is best for my family. Public libraries buy a wide variety of materials for everyone in their communities, and it needs to stay that way. This bill is gross government overreach. Please DO NOT pass this unpopular and unnecessary bill.

02-16-2025

Paul Deaton [None]

Vote no on this bill. There was and is a valid reason for this exception. I hope the committee will consider these things:Perhaps the raciest part of the public library is the romance genre section. It would be okay with me to eliminate this section completely, although many patrons read romance novels. It persists. A local group developed a solution in which a sticker is placed on romance library books suitable for Christian readers. It seems like a workable compromise, better than repealing this section of code. Secondly, I have been shocked at the content of a few books I checked out from the library. I'm thinking of the Elton John memoir Me. John talks openly about his sexuality and if I found it shocking, so could others. Should graders have access to this book? It's not for me to say, nor for legislators. It is for parents to say. The American Library Association's Bill of Rights is clear on this: "A persons right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views." If a citizen's group or individual objects to a book, resolution should take place at the local library or with the library board. As with my example of the racy romance novels, a solution can likely be devised at the local level. Republicans have super majorities and can enact what they will, including advancing the idea that Iowa will become a nannystate. No reasonable person wants that. Please vote no on this bill. Thanks for reading my comment.

02-16-2025

Nicole Merschman

This would restrict access to artistic works for all people, and is written is such a way that one individual's discretion could be biased. There are already children and young adults sections in libraries. Please don't do this. I've worked with low income people who's only access to books and films is the library. Don't do this to them.

02-16-2025

Josh Rand

I do not support the passing of this bill. Libraries are a sacred resource that has never, and should never censored or governed by individual fears. Parents should be responsible for what their children can and cant read, the rest of us should not be punished for their lack of parenting skills. No to censorship.

02-16-2025

Autumn Rozario Hall

I visit my local public library weekly with my children. Programs are age appropriate and engaging. I do not support the repeal because it has the potential to cripple libraries and addresses an issue that does not exist. Libraries carry a variety of content. If I found content I did not want my family exposed to I would simply not check it out, instead of imposing my standards on others.I trust librarians and staff to handle their acquisitions.

02-16-2025

Sarah Outterson-Murphy

As a parent I do NOT support this bill. Libraries are a safe place to explore and learn. If were worried about explicit material, stop giving our kids phones first! Dont come for the libraries! I would much rather my children learn about human reproduction from a thoughtful library book rather than from some gross porn website on the internet that so many of their friends have free and unsupervised access to.The people behind this bill are attacking anything that promotes learning and community, and this is just their way of taking libraries down. I strongly disagree with this bill.

02-16-2025

Jayne H

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL. Librarians are professionals with advanced degrees, and who have the best interests of the community at heart. Libraries have robust policies for selecting materials and reconsidering materials, and the latter is not something they take lightly. Stop villainizing them with bills like this that threaten their livelihoods and the communitys ability to access information and stories for FREE. When I was a kid, the things I couldnt unsee were NOT found in books about LGBTQ+ folks at the public library. The things I couldnt unsee were found in One Direction fanfiction I read online, or seeing stories of children being massacred at school by lunatics with assault rifles. Never, ever was I scarred by a book I found in the public library. For the love of God, do not pass this bill.

02-16-2025

Nancy Medema

I strongly object to HR 274! Public libraries are intended to provide information for all community members and their collections are geared toward that community. Parents should be the only ones determining whether a book is appropriate for their child, not the legislature or other parents. Limiting content will only cause unintended consequences and potential harm to Iowans.

02-16-2025

Mandy Gilbert

Please support this common sense bill to protect children from obscenity. The original intent to allow the loophole of library and educational institutions was to allow art that included naked sculptures or in science to study human body. Never was it so one day it could be used to expose children to explicit sexual images while at their school or perusing the local library. There are ratings and safeguards to protect these images from children and not long ago the legislature was in UNANIMOUS bipartisan support that adults, including parents, were not allowed to show explicit sexual material to protect underage victims from grooming behavior. Now somehow this topic has become the fight for democrats. All it takes is a few images from a few of the many books permeating "young adult" or "new age" novels that are being used as instruction or promoted by teachers/librarians with an agenda, for any level headed person to see the content is not suitable for children nor should they have free range access to it. Look at the many examples across the state trying to promote these books proudly in public spaces and many parents refusing to use their tax funded libraries anymore. Please codify common sense which was the original intent of this law.

02-17-2025

Kennedy LaVille Thoren

Vote NO!I urge you to vote no to this proposed bill that seeks to restrict access to books in public libraries and threatens civil penalties for displaying books deemed "obscene" for minors. While I understand the claimed intention is to protect children, this bill would have harmful, farreaching consequences for our communities, our childrens education, and our fundamental freedoms.Public libraries have long been pillars of knowledge, intellectual freedom, and diversity. They provide all members of societyregardless of age or backgroundwith access to information that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and personal growth. The proposed bill would fundamentally undermine these values by limiting the range of books available to the public, particularly to young readers who should have access to a broad spectrum of ideas. Deciding what books should or should not be available to children must be a responsibility shared between parents and libraries, not determined by the government through vague and potentially discriminatory legislation.Moreover, the language in this bill leaves too much room for subjective interpretation. What one person considers obscene could be entirely different from anothers perspective. This kind of ambiguity sets a dangerous precedent and risks silencing diverse voices and perspectives, particularly from marginalized communities whose stories are often already underrepresented. We cannot allow the personal beliefs of a few to dictate the experiences and education of the many.Instead of restricting access, we should be fostering an open dialogue about the importance of critical thinking and helping our children navigate complex topics with context, support, and guidance. Libraries already offer resources to help parents select appropriate reading material, and parents remain empowered to guide their childrens reading choices. This bill places undue restrictions on library professionals, who are trained to curate diverse, inclusive collections that serve the needs of the entire community.This bill also threatens the principle of intellectual freedom, which is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a slippery slope to allow government oversight of what can and cannot be read by the public. Books are not dangerousthey are windows into different perspectives, avenues for learning, and tools for promoting empathy and understanding.If enacted, this bill will not only diminish access to literature, but it will also encourage selfcensorship in libraries and among authors, stifling creativity and limiting the range of voices that are heard. I implore you to think carefully about the longterm damage this bill could cause to our educational institutions and the values of free speech, freedom of thought, and access to information that are so essential to a democratic society.I ask you to stand for the right of every citizen to have access to knowledge, for the continued autonomy of libraries, and for the preservation of intellectual freedom in our communities. Please vote against this bill and protect our libraries as safe havens for learning and growth.

02-17-2025

Adrienne Dunn

Todays youth are seekers of information, but more specifically, seekers of correct information. They are bombarded with imagery, messages, and propaganda on the Internet and social media that is designed to appear to be real, true, and factual information but is actually designed to mislead them all for clicks for which content creators get paid. At the Library, youth find factual, wellresearched materials from a variety of sources. This allows them to have access to information that will ground them with truth. Todays youth are smart. Lets help them grow their intellect and empathy with access to materials which answer their questions without judgment.

02-17-2025

Jessica Rich

Do NOT pass this bill! It is not the job of the library or the librarians to police what children read. The library is a place that gives access to materials for all. If a parent does not want their child reading a certain thing, then THEY, the parent needs to monitor what their child checks out. Dont just drop your child at the library as a babysitter. Go into the library and see what your child checks out. If you dont like what your library does, dont go there. Just like TV or movies, if you dont like it, dont watch. If you dont like a book, dont read it. The library provides for all as it always has. This hasnt changed.

02-17-2025

Kari Lee

Unless you can describe what constitutes as obscene material in clearer detail these feel like opening a door for reckless censorship. As a supported of libraries who spends lots of time at two local libraries with her children I have never scene anything in the children's sections that I would consider obscene or would cause me to feel like they are being given obscene material. As a pastor I know that the Bible has as much "obsene" content as anything I have seen at a public library. The amount of rape, family trauma, and unhealthy treatment of humans that is listed in that book is more offensive than an anatomy book in a kids section. And yet many of us still find valuable lessons in how not to act and how to act from reading it. Please do not infringe on my rights, or the rights of my children to have access to books. It's the job of parents to make sure the books their kids select to read at a library meet that families expectations of what they are allowed to read. Let the library be public and as a family decerb how you shall engage with ithe offerings.

02-17-2025

Kari Lee

02-17-2025

Janet Evans

I am NOT in support of this bill. Librarians work diligently to determine the library selection and collections that serve the people in their community, and there are protocols in place to protest a book's placement. No one is pushing anything on children. This bill further closes the door on the freedom to read and freedom of speech. Librarians are not selecting "pornography" to be in the collection. The government is on a rampage to determine what everyone can see, learn, think.

02-17-2025

Taylor Sherrick

I dont support this bill because it would make it harder for schools and libraries to share books and information with kids and adults. Right now, teachers and librarians can choose books that help people learn, even if some topics are a little complicated. If this bill passes, some important books might be taken away just because a few people dont like them.Libraries and schools should be places where everyone can find stories, facts, and new ideas. But librarians are not parentsthey cant decide whats right for each kid, only parents can do that. If a family doesnt want their child to read something, thats up to them, but other kids and families should still have the chance to learn from those books.Taking away books would make learning less fun and stop kids from discovering different ways to think about the world. I hope lawmakers say no to this bill so kids and adults can keep learning from all kinds of books!

02-17-2025

Megan Weinberger

I do NOT support this bill. It is not the role of government, libraries or librarians to decide what content is excluded from public access. We should encourage parents to be actively involved in their childrens reading choices.

02-17-2025

Julie Bautista

This is a free country. Let librarians do their jobs. No one is forced to check out a library book or go to a library display or program. Parents can decide what their own children can and cant participate. They dont have the right to choose for other people or families. There are plenty of books in the library that I dont agree with or want to read, but I dont asked for those books to be banned. If you still believe this is a free country, you wouldnt even be considering banning books or programs. People who ban books are never on the right side of history.

02-17-2025

Ashley Parcel

Please do not pass this bill. Restricting libraries from providing resources that may educate about autonomy, inclusivity, diversity, and history is a dangerously slippery slope. Parents and guardians are in charge of whether their child checks out a book or not, and book bans are NOT an acceptable way to control whether or not families have access to information, resources, and stories available. What is available to be read should not be the decision of the government, but instead the adults who govern their own household.

02-17-2025

Kathy Seibel

HF 274 has no place in a free country. This bill wants the government to dictate to the entire population what can or cannot be accessed for reading. It is a parents responsibility to teach their OWN children what they do or do not want their children to read. In a free society, it is abhorrent to think that a minority should dictate to the majority what is acceptable for all. Do your job as a parent and parent your own children and stay off the rights of others who have a right to their own parenting. You are not God, who gave the right of free will to mankind. VOTE NO to HF 274. https://youtu.be/eA6yp2CvlU

02-17-2025

Kathy Seibel

02-17-2025

Mallory S.

Please do not pass this bill. Librarians are not in the business of intentionally exposing children to harmful materials. They are in the business of providing access to information for everyone in their community. Whether that information aligns with their, or your, own beliefs is irrelevant. Emphasis has been placed lately on parental choice how does limiting access allow a parent to make any choice at all? If a parent finds materials objectionable in their own home, they can choose not to check that item out they can choose to have a conversation with their child about why but they can not decide that it does not belong in someone else's home. Please do not pass this bill based on baseless complaints from vocal minority groups. Libraries are so important to the lifelong learning of society as a whole. Take a moment to recognize that this bill is censorship in the name of specific personal and/or religious beliefs and do not pass it.

02-17-2025

Bonnie Johnson

Do not approve this bill. It is a clear violation of the First Amendment and an unnecessary attack on intellectual freedom. Libraries should be places where all people can learn about their world, and maintaining their autonomy is important to maintaining democratic values. Do not censor our public libraries. Stand strong against HF274!

02-17-2025

Sabrina Tapps Fee

HF 274 makes it seem like the bill writers feel librarians and parents cant determine what is appropriate for age levels. This attack on liberties needs to stop Also, this takes away a parents freedom to decide what is right for their kids. Stop banning books for others just because you dont want your kids to read them. The rest of us parents, who also trust libraries, can determine what our kids and families can and cant read and when.

02-17-2025

Christina Downey

Please do not pass this bill. There are no educators or librarians that are handing children Xrated material. We need to stop this ridiculous overstepping of our government and the censorship that they are continuing to push here in Iowa.

02-17-2025

Betsy Fickel

A DO PASS on HF 274. It is just common sense decency to protect children with young impressionable minds. there is no need to promote or teach perversion. it does nothing but create confusion in young minds.In the not too distant past, this was just considered common sense in protecting children. Common sense has pretty much gone by the wayside.Those degenerative, debauchery of God's creation materials are still available to those with perverted minds. A very sad statement for the state or our society.I cannot begin to grasp that there are those that demand their innocent children be groomed for mental torment. For those that have eagerly given themselves over to the evil one's ideology, we are told they have willingly allowed their minds to be blinded to the damages they are advocating for on the innocents.May they find repentance before their final breath.

02-17-2025

Stephanie Lientz

Do NOT pass HR 274. Public libraries are for everyone. Parents have the right to guide their children's reading, but should not be making decisions for other parents' children. Please focus on addressing actual problems faced by Iowans, like economic uncertainty, lack of housing options, wage gaps, and maybe our abysmal water quality. Addressing those issues would make kids safer than book bans and censorship ever could.

02-17-2025

Barb W

Do not support this bill. If your hysteria is a result of Moms for Liberty poisoning your thoughts. Look no further than the family in the news who founded the organization. And when you are done with that, look at your president and his administration, your governor and legislators for their perversion of family values. Librarians are professional people who care about learning and the value of reading. They are not buying porn to subvert your children. Go to the library, dont just drop them off and pick them up. I think you will find there are age appropriate sections you can guide your children to. If you arent happy with book choices throughout the library, go to your church library and take time review your own child rearing skills. Quit wasting tax payer dollars with your illfounded alarmist bills. Legislators should be focusing on Iowas groundwater and the nations highest cancer rates and funding public schools!

02-17-2025

Hilary Tanner

Do not pass this bill. Libraries make content available for all ages and require adult supervision of children. Adults should have access to materials that are not appropriate for children. Adults must supervise their children in all spaces made for all ages. Just like you wouldnt let children roam free in restaurants serving alcohol for adults, parents dont let children roam free in the library sections that arent appropriate for them. This is framed as protecting children but where are the children whove been harmed? This is an attack on free speech in the same way libraries and books continue to be attacked in this state and across the nation. Do not fall for this.

02-17-2025

Shelley Shaner

02-17-2025

Diane Jones

I strongly oppose this bill and urge you to vote no. Books are meant to broaden and challenge your world view. If your world view cannot withstand that, maybe you should reexamine it. Hiding behind the "obscenity" claim is a red herring. If your really want to give parents educational choice for their children, don't preempt it with bills like this.

02-17-2025

Shelley Shaner

02-17-2025

Misty VonBehren

Libraries are open, welcoming, offer opportunities to learn, and are safe places for people of all ages. Librarians are not encouraging children to read and view pornography or obscene material. This legislation is a scare tactic and unnecessary. It is a way to implement legislation of book banning. There are already processes in place to address challenged material at libraries. Please do not legislate how to parent. Rather encourage and reinforce that parents need to be engaged and involved with their children.

02-17-2025

Megan Dial-Lapcewich [Oxford Public Library]

I do not support this bill for so many reasons, but mainly because it is a huge overreach of power which would have devastating impacts to local libraries and the communities they serve. I am a parent of two small children, it is my job not yours to decide what they read and see.

02-17-2025

Merry Spain

I believe this exception should remain in place. I do not feel that my children's access to learning should be determined by a bunch of religious zealots. It's already bad enough you give our tax dollars to private schools. I do not see how you have the best interest of my children at heart when you are attempting to restrict their access to learning by what someone else seems appropriate. Stop trying to take away our rights

02-17-2025

Betsy Fickel

02-17-2025

Mackenzie Rice

This bill is a MAJOR infringement on our freedom of speech. You have the choice to not read obscene material or keep your kid from it, but thats up to the individual. By the way, freedom of speech includes speech that you dont like, such as obscene content.

02-17-2025

Mari Redington

02-17-2025

Abby E Pepper

This attacks intellectual freedom, freedom of speech, and our First Amendment rights. If you want to be affiliated with Nazis, thats on you, dont force it on our public libraries. If this does pass please make sure that the Christian Bible is marked as obscene material because there are passages that are more obscene than most of the books you plan on including.

02-14-2025

Dessie Sliekers

This bill is yet another government overreach to ban books. There are already dedicated sections of libraries for kids, adults etc. any books not suitable for kids are in the appropriate sections. If people are concerned their kids are getting books they shouldnt be, then pay better attention to what they check out.

02-14-2025

Emma Stoffer

I oppose this bill. All public libraries have written policies that address material reconsideration. If a patron has an issue with an item in the collection, they can follow the procedure outlined in that policy. In many cases, that will mean filling out a reconsideration form and submitting it to the Library Director. From there, the Director and Library Board will come to a decision about how to address the concern from within the library. These policies are functional and serve their purpose. It is unnecessary to pass sweeping legislation. Do not pass HF 274.

02-14-2025

Tyler Hahn

I oppose this bill. Local choice matters, and this legislative overreach needs to end. Support educators and librarians in the state by allowing them to do their jobs and let parents do their job choosing what's best for their families.

02-14-2025

Lisa Collier

I think it's important to remember that the word 'public' includes EVERYONE; meaning places like PUBLIC libraries & PUBLIC schools exist to serve EVERYONE...Even people you might not like, might not agree with, might not value. If you don't want your child to be exposed to ALL types of people, perhaps PUBLIC places are not for you. I would also like everyone to remember that words like 'obscene', 'appropriate', 'inappropriate', 'smut', etc. are all relative terms. There are no definitive meanings for these words. If you feel that a book is 'obscene', 'inappropriate', etc; by all means, protect YOUR CHILD from it as best you can. Doing our best to protect our children from things we think are harmful is what parents do EVERY DAY. Just because something might be dangerous, for example playing at a playground, does it mean that we should completely get rid of playgrounds. It means that each family should do their best to teach their children to behave inkeeping with what THEIR FAMILY feels is safe. If you're ok with your child being barefoot in a public park, fine. If not, tell them to keep their shoes on, or they can't play there. That's part of your job as a parent of a child who LIVES IN THE WORLD WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE. I don't remember anyone ever telling me that being a parent was going to be easy. It's a 24/7 job; but it's YOUR job, not that of public librarians or public school educators. THEIR jobs are to recognize & serve EVERYONE.

02-14-2025

Kathy Graeve

Do NOT pass this bill. Public libraries are not recommending obscene material to anyone. This bill is another attempt to censor books and interfere in the job of parents to be responsible for the materials their children read. Stop creating non issues and focus on actually improving childrens lives. How about free breakfast and lunch or fully funded public schools?

02-14-2025

Aaron Grandon

Please vote against this bill. Censorship of literature is not the hallmark of a free country. This bill introduces vague guidelines that make compliance difficult. Libraries will be forced to err towards excluding titles that have real artistic, cultural, and literary value.

02-14-2025

Sabrina Mahoney

I dont support this bill. Public Librarys already have sections dedicated by content for children, young adult and adults. It is the parents job to monitor their children to make sure they are staying in their section, and reading appropriate content. This is blatant over reach by the government. Public libraries are made for people of all ages and as such children should not be unattended. We shouldnt have to create laws to restrict content because people dont know how to watch their kids this content has been in libraries for decades. Schools already do not carry content that is sexually obscene in nature already. Anyone that believes they do doesnt have an ounce of critical thinking skills. The definition of obscene material provided by the law is also too vague and could encompass things like coming of age books that mention periods, books that allude to sex but dont actually have any descriptions of it, and romances with making out.Nothing good has ever come from banning books and I find it really sad that this is what Iowa has come to.

02-14-2025

Kara Connor

Bills like this are not only a waste of our tax payers money to even consider, but a slap in the face to the freedom our country is supposed to be about. No one is trying to give children obscene books. Yall just want your children to live in a bubble and think that means you get to pick what others children see as well. We dont need our legislators to step in and make laws pertaining to a disagreement on whats appropriate between parents. The demonizing of teachers and librarians is whats obscene in this state.

02-14-2025

Nialle Sylvan

This bill takes power away from parents. It imposes guidelines on libraries that could be interpreted any number of ways by any political party, and those guidelines aren't even needed. Librarians, especially for juvenile collections, are carefully trained to understand developmental appropriateness. Nobody is handing porn to a kid on a librarian's watch, and most of the books objected to by other people aren't even shelved in children's sections. Furthermore, as a parent, I want the right to teach my child what is and is not in accordance with our beliefs. I don't concede that power to the State. I don't concede any power to the State for the purpose of relieving myself of responsibility. That's called totalitarianism, and I didn't vote for Stalin. Did you?

02-14-2025

Blakely Mortvedt

I am NOT in favor of this bill. Libraries are a valuable resource for providing stories from many perspectives on many topics. There is nothing in books that cant be found on the internet, so just like parents can monitor and evaluate what their kids have access to in the internet, individual parents can monitor what their kids get from the library. It should NOT be up to the state government to impose their beliefs as to whats appropriate.

02-14-2025

Jane Phillips

As your constituent, I demand you vote NO when/if HF 274 comes up for a vote. As so eloquently stated by a fellow Iowan, This bill is being introduced under the guise of protecting children, but in reality, it is an attempt to control access to information and impose ideological restrictions on public institutions. Libraries do not force you to read. They allow you to read. FETT and HAYES: your ignorance and shortsightedness is showing. As if Iowans dont have very real dangers to deal with in skyrocketing cancer diagnoses and horrific water quality!

02-14-2025

Amy Kass-Heichel

I OPPOSE THIS BILL. Libraries are sanctuaries of free speech and expression through literature. Parents need to police their own children's media consumption. Libraries provide so much information to isolated populations and help to many without means, that means everything should be appropriate for the library. Your own personal morals, are just your own and should not dictate the whole of society.

02-14-2025

Donovan Moser

I oppose this bill.I served in the Iowa Army National Guard for 21 years. I served to defend our rights as citizens. Freedom of speech is the 1st among the amendments for a reason. It is a parent's responsibility to monitor what their child reads. It is not the government's job to restrict information available at the public library.

02-14-2025

Danael Zilk

I oppose this bill. Even the mere suggestion of such is a direct attack on the First Amendment of the United States Constitution as well as the Constitution of the State of Iowa. It's not the responsibility of the government to decide what is obscene and what isn't. It is the parents responsibility to decide that for themselves and their children and if children should encounter "obscene" material (obscenity if completely subjective) it should be the parent's responsibility to sit down with their children and have an open discussion about whatever it is.

02-14-2025

Barbara Schmidt [Des Moines Area Community College (retired professor)]

Please do not allow our public libraries to be shut down. I want our grandchildren to experience the paper cuts of turning pages and discovering a whole new world outside of screen time.

02-14-2025

Liz Wood

I do not support this bill! There is no pornography at the library. The whole idea of this bill is disgusting to me. We have the second highest cancer rate in the nation, polluted waters, our rankings in education are falling, etc. We have real problems in Iowa. Libraries are not a problem.

02-14-2025

Elizabeth Lundberg

I am a mother of schoolaged children and I am completely opposed to this bill. First you make obscene and inappropriate reading material illegal; then you define anything you disagree with and anyone you want to erase from society as obscene and inappropriate. Book bans are insidious, hateful, smallminded, and fascist. You will NEVER fully erase us; we will teach our children the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that scare you so much; and history will not look kindly on your attempts to control and destroy everything different from yourself.

02-14-2025

Katherine Magruder

Please do not pass this travesty. Ignorance does not protect innocence. There is no pornography in our schools and libraries because we have librarians who have years of training and experience in choosing appropriate books.

02-14-2025

John Kenyon

Please vote against this bill. Like the school bill from 2024, this is a solution in search of a problem that does not exist. No one needs the Legislature to police their morality. Libraries have collection policies set by locally selected library boards, and thus their collections reflect the values of the community. People should be able to access the materials they want and need without interference from elected officials from other parts of the state. This is lowest common denominator governing, using the most conservative, restrictive standards to set the rules for the entire state. If people do not want to be exposed to certain materials there is an easy solution: stay away from them. There is no need to restrict access for all to protect the delicate sensibilities of those who seem unwilling to do the bare minimum to steer clear of things they don't like. This bill must be defeated.

02-14-2025

Ray Q

Please, do NOT pass this bill. The bills wording is vague and subjective. The public library should be able to hold all types of materials. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their child is not viewing or reading things that arent age appropriate. The vagueness of the language in this bill could be used to censor important health education materials and stories that ARE age appropriate, but are deemed obscene based on personal values. What one parent decides is unacceptable another may deem as important health information. Public libraries should contain ALL materials. This is big government coming in and making choices for everyone. I reject bill HF 274.

02-14-2025

Julie Barron

Please DO NOT pass this bill. It is reductive and wrong on every level. Our children deserve to utilize critical thinking and executive function in making choices. Certain peoples religious beliefs or fears should not hinder others open minds.

02-14-2025

Carla Struthers

This bill is absolutely ridiculous. Book banning should be banned! What is so wrong to have children see a naked body? The human body is not shameful. Granted, there are lewd and pornographic depictions, but I don't believe they are on display in public libraries. I say save the children from meddling selfrighteous fools. Thank you1

02-14-2025

Paul C

Please don't pass this bill. Widespread censorship helps no one. If certain parents are worried about the wellbeing of their child/children, then maybe they should learn to moderate what their child/children read rather than continuing to remove choice for everyone else.

02-14-2025

Rhonda Roberts

I do not support this. When my daughters were young we went to the library often. My youngest was in Kindergarten and learning about brushing your teeth and wanted to check out a book about teeth. I left her and her older sister to look at books while I was looking at books for myself. We get in line to check out. She puts her book on the counter and it is the first time I see it. The cover has a child with a full set of teeth, smiling. The book is called Yikes Lice! I was mortified. She was so happy she found a teeth book. It was not the library's fault for having a book on lice fooling a 5 year old into thinking it was about dental care. It was my responsibility as a parent to supervise my child.

02-15-2025

Jason Liegois

This bill is only useful for people who cannot parent their children or cannot handle diverse ideas. I hope this bill dies in committee and stays there to be honest. Everyone who sponsored or supported this bill is a disgrace to humanity.

02-15-2025

Mary Hatch

Please don't pass this bill. It is truly up to parents to allow their kids access to these materials or not. I think it's so funny we want to censor books, yet, do you know many kids today don't pick up books for fun and read? Hardly any. What do they do instead? They get on this thing called social media and the Internet which is NOT censored at all and can get access to ANYTHING at their fingertips. Why are we so concerned about books only but not about what they can find online by lying about their age or stumbling upon it? Honestly, we have bigger things to worry about than what is in a book that a kid could read. That's between kids and parent and if we really want to be concerned about exposing kids, then lets look at the Internet and oh, also guns. Let's protect them also from the possibility ever witnessing or being a part of a school shooting. Seriously, Iowa. Get your priorities straight!

02-15-2025

George Kranovich

We all know what this is really about.In Republicanland, the purges never stop. You have stopwoke laws, don'tsaygay laws, all vaguely worded such that the state can interpret whatever they want to be a violation. This is how it worked in the Soviet Union, they were heavily legalistic, had paperwork on everything, while maintaining a strategic ambiguity where there's an incredibly active police state with laws micromanaging what you can and can't say. There's so many laws about speech and media, that everyone could be charged with violating them at some point, but the state only comes after you if they decide you are an issue."We are not headed towards a society where everything is banned because the law says so. Were headed towards a society in which the law says everything is banned but the ones who enforce the law do so discriminatorily against the groups they dont like." What is "obscenity" to a hardcore religious fundamentalist? What is "offensive" to a right wing selfdescribedChristian in an elected office with a grudge? Well the more harsh the punishment hanging over your head, the more motivated rational people will be to broadly selfcensor out of caution. For 4 years now the Republicans have been playing this game of legislative shadowpunching. Maybe this time they will actually hit you, so you'd better keep flinching away. Abusive people in government will, of course, use tactics to make the government abuse the people.All authoritarian movements claim they want to "protect the children". It's a convenient excuse to sterilize culture itself. Nazi Germany posted propaganda accusing Jewish people of being child predators. Sound familiar? It's not new. Don't vote for this bill.

02-15-2025

Nicholas Betts

It is obscene that parents are trying to have the government parent for them through censorship and fearmongering. Allow parents to parent their children and have conversations with them about what materials they should and shouldnt read. The government should not be involved.

02-15-2025

Joyce Proctor

I firmly disagree with this bill. They have already banned books in the public schools that I read when I went to school. Censorship is a scary path for any state to go down. Whoever wrote this bill must have a narrow mind and should get out of politics. You are scary. Maybe you read too many Nazi books when you were a kid. Please vote NO!!

02-15-2025

Justina Meek [Iowa Library Association]

02-15-2025

Nicole Sorenson

02-15-2025

Sheehan Levine

VETO this bill. As a parent myself, this bill is not meant to protect children. Its meant to restrict education for kids. Parents could stop using a library as a daycare and actually parent their children. The internet and other kids are where our children are being exposed to that stuff.

02-15-2025

Sheila Schofer

Please do not pass this bill. It is not necessary as there are already ways to define and remove any truly obscene materials. Libraries buy books with information, artistic or literary value. This bill would waste time and tax payer money by opening up librarians and educators to costly and frivolous lawsuits based not on actual obscenity but around content someone simply doesnt like. You can choose whats right for you but you cant censor materials for others.

02-15-2025

Cindi Hancock

Please do NOT pass this bill. It is not the librarian's job to determine a childs access to material.That is the responsibility of the parent.Pornagaphic material is not usually bought by a library.This opens up the possibility of someone sueing just because they do not like any material. One example, romantic fiction book being available to their child. While it censors what another parent deems ok. The possibility of someone sueing because the library has an art book with a picture of the statue of David is another example. There are already laws in effect that control material available to minors.In addition "age appropriate" is very misleading. Who determines what is appropriate at what age? I am very much AGAINST this bill!

02-15-2025

Paula Smith

As an Iowa resident, voter, onetime parent of Iowa schoolkids who were viewed as "different" culturally, grateful frequent user of my local public library, *and* career educator,I oppose lifting the exemption which retains access to controversial materials (which some people consider obscene) for purposes of education and for our libraries, where individual citizens get the information they need to make up their own minds. This is a freedom issue. Thank you for voting "no."

02-15-2025

Nolan Dix

I oppose this legislation. As a parent, I see this as Nanny state regulations. Libraries are not just for children. This will cause many libraries to ban children from entering for fear of backlash from the state. Many libraries will be closed because of this. Parent should take more accountability and monitor what materials their children are picking up in the library.

02-15-2025

Jenny Schiltz

I do not support this bill. Parent can and should monitor what their children have access to l. The government however should not be censoring what is available. Im all for people deciding what their children can accessI do not appreciate them or the government deciding for me what my children have access to. Given the fact that the definition of obscenity seems to fluctuate depending on the person defining it, this is a slippery slope that we, as Iowans , seem to be slide down rapidly.

02-15-2025

LaLeesha Haynes

It is discouraging to see our society so willing to censor our libraries and reduce freedoms that have created spaces for all people in Iowa. I do not support this bill or any other that bans books from our libraries and promotes an ideology that reduces the voices of marginalized people. Book banning in libraries will then move to historical accounts of inequities, racism, and violence which creates an opportunity for history to repeat itself. Finally, in this thread who is using their religion as an excuse to be hateful and bigoted should be ashamed of themselves.

02-15-2025

Martin Schiltz

I do NOT support statesponsored censorship of history, science, or political thought. I would say this bill is a solution in search of a problem, but it's worse than that it's tyranny in the guise of protecting children. Those who proposed this bill are not out to protect children, they are out to erase the perspectives of those they disagree with.

02-15-2025

Ann Duchow

I do NOT support this bill. Librarians do NOT choose pornography with their limited funds. There are books already banned from school libraries, like The Color Purple, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, that are culturally important. Parents should be the gatekeepers for their children, not libraries. Do not pass this bill.

02-15-2025

Michael Cotton

DO NOT PASS THIS BILL! The definitions of obscenity listed in this bill are way too vague and subjective. If this bill passes, the Bible could easily be on the list of banned books. There are many passages in the Bible that would qualify as not suitable for minors and patently offensive in regards to contemporary community standards. This would open the state up to both lawsuits for the removal of the Bible. Add on to that, the United States was founded on the Freedom of Speech and the Freedom of Religion, both of which you would be voting against if you were to pass this bill. Do you want to go down in history with a public vote that shows you were against Freedom of Religion and against Freedom of Speech? Please, DO NOT PASS THIS BILL.

02-15-2025

Nicole Kamrath

Do not pass this bill. So many great literary works that create great, thoughtful conversations. Many reflect a time in our history or culture that are important to know about. I grew up reading many of these books and they remain some of my favorites.

02-15-2025

Riley Ballantyne

I do NOT support this bill. Parents need to be the responsible party with what our children read and have access to. Libraries are the one place that gives access to all and all materials. I will not force my views on other people or children and no one else has that right either. All people need to be able to determine what is good for them and their children need to be able to develop that skill as well with the help of their parents. Please do not restrict access to materials in this state.

02-15-2025

Trenton Schmidt-Rundell

This is incredibly vague. Moreover, it is, at times, pertinent to a childs learning that they see materials that could be considered obscene. For instance, To Kill a Mockingbird may have moments that would be considered obscene, but is an important book for children to read. Additionally, the vague nature would very likely also include the Bible for obscenity. There is murder, lewdness, and much more in the writings that are, by definition, obscene. This will have negative unintended consequences. It is important that we not restrict materials available in libraries and education institutions in such vague ways as we have no understanding of what the long term impacts would be, nor if there is groups that could file for most anything to be considered for removal. Additionally, similar legislation was passed in Idaho that lead to the closure of many public libraries; that is something society can simply not afford. Lastly, it is not the governments place to hold these restrictions, instead, it should be up to the parents and guardians of children to be mindful of what their children are getting from libraries.

02-15-2025

Alan Ellickson [Iowa Resident]

Do not pass this bill! Legislators have completely forgotten that this is a country where individual freedom is guaranteed in the US Constitution! Book bans, censorship and legislating public school curriculum is not acceptable in a free and democratic country!!!

02-15-2025

Fernando Rodriguez

The Marxist and their useful idiots defending penises in girls locker rooms and soft core porn like gender Queer in elementary schools under the ridiculous guise of tolerance and free speech. Now they just gaslight and pretend their political opponent s want to ban charlottes web at library because they are awful people. Rules for Radicals. Theyll Marxist dont actually care about books, just raw power, and the useful idiots are more than happy to subject their kids to obscene content because it makes them feel tolerant and helpful. This bill is dumb and unnecessary, but pass it anyway because it might piss of the Marxist and get them to move to Minnesota

02-15-2025

Tim McMahon

I don't understand why the party that's always saying that we need to get government to stop trying to run our lives is always trying to use government to run our lives. Vote no on this and focus your energy on things that matter like funding PUBLIC schools and controlling gun violence.

02-15-2025

Kristin Olson

I oppose this bill and ask that legislators do the same. Libraries should continue to freely offer a range of materials for all who access them. Some materials are not appropriate for children, but that is no reason for libraries to be forbidden from including such materials in their overall collections. It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to monitor their children's media intake, whether at libraries, at home, at bookstores, or anywhere else.

02-15-2025

Cole Epley

I absolutely oppose this bill. Parents have a duty to monitor their childrens behavior. Full stop. It is no ones responsibility but theirsnot mine, not the neighbors, not the librarians. This is an asinine and prude overreach that represents a major intrusion into the autonomy of libraries and a major waste of resources.

02-15-2025

Larry Anderson

This is awful.Perhaps you pearlclutching hillbillies supporting this couldve read more as a child, then you wouldnt be so blatantly ignorant. This has nothing to do with obscenity, and everything to do with lifting up ignorant people by dragging their own kids DOWN. You simpletons should all be ashamed.Keep America Stupid apparently.

02-15-2025

Benjamin Rothman

Do not pass this bill.This is literally censorship by another route.Last special interest groups and a vocal minority tried getting individual books banned and that didn't work, so now they are taking a different route in order to accomplish their same goal that of banning anything they don't agree with from public consumption. And again they are wrapping it in the "do it for the children" argument. It is absolutely LUDICROUS that we are having this argument again and again in this state and this country. NEVER in history have the people banning books and knowledge ever been the good guys.Our State Motto is "Our Liberties We Prize, and Our Rights We Will Maintain" and yet this bill directly attacks the rights of free speech and expression and the free speech and expression of others by trying to censor voices and opinions that are present in all sorts of arts, but especially literature.Do your damn job and maintain the rights of Iowans to choose and to speak and express freely and DO NOT PASS THIS BILL.

02-15-2025

Lynae D

02-15-2025

Eric Jennings

I do NOT support this bill. Libraries are palaces for the people and provide access to information and educational materials. This bill's passage would have a chilling effect on the professional work that happens within these valuable community resources.

02-15-2025

Robert Fiedler

Do not pass this bill. On the face of it, the sponsors of this bill would have you believe that it is about protecting children when in fact it is a direct abrogation of the right to free speech as given to every American in the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution. It is about fear, power, and control. No one in their reasonable mind would disagree with the statement that children should be protected. But laws are to be applied equally, not subjectively. Ask yourself, should a parent be allowed to teach their children to hunt with firearms? Absolutely. To suggest otherwise would indeed be a violation of the 2nd Amendment. But if a state legislator believes that firearms are dangerous, especially in the hands of children, they dont get to decide if a parent should or should not teach their child to hunt with them. I for one believe Iowans should have the right to bear arms and teach their children how to hunt. I also believe that public libraries must be able to provide information from multiple viewpoints and that parents should be able to decide what their children read or dont read. I dont get the right to tell other parents how to raise their children and vice versa. That model would be the literal definition of the nanny state.Freedom of Speech. The Right to Bear Arms. These are rights guaranteed to all Americans, young and old. To grant a small, vocal minority the power to take away those rights is unconstitutional. There is no difference. Its someone telling someone else their rights dont matter. Should each community have the opportunity to have a discussion about what material they feel is appropriate and meets community standards? Certainly. This already existsgo read the policies at your local public library. Should a legislator from Iowa City tell a parent from Sioux City how to raise their children? Or one from Janesville tell a parent in Des Moines how to raise theirs? No way.The inability to see outside ones own constrained belief system and then subsequently apply those narrow beliefs to everyone else in the state is what lies at the heart of this problem. I dont doubt that it comes from a good place, i.e. wanting to protect ones children. I mean, who can argue with that? The issue lies in the claim that these people believe they know how to best raise someone elses children and are trying to codify their beliefs into law. I reject that in the strongest possible terms. The world is a scary place. The job of public libraries is to make information available without bias. The job of parents is to teach their children to navigate it. But its no one else's job to tell them how to do that or to take away their God given constitutional rights. Not librarians, not other parents and most definitely not politicians.

02-16-2025

Melissa Sodeman

I do not support this bill. Book bans and other forms of censorship wont end up protecting children but will restrict their freedom. Attacking books, libraries, and other crucial components of a free society harms everyone.

02-16-2025

Laura Leonard

Please vote against this bill. As parents it is our job to monitor and discuss with our children what they are reading (watching, seeing). What one parent is comfortable with is not the same as the next. It is a very (very) slippery slope when the government censors and decides as a whole what should be seen and read.

02-16-2025

Tim Weitzel

Public libraries have a vital role to play in Iowa communities. They shouldn't be held to partisan standards based on political viewpoints but should be free and independent to meet the needs of their patrons without government interference while meeting professional standards of librarianship.

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02-16-2025

Jasmine McAleavey

I oppose this bill. I guarantee you that the majority commenting in support of this bill don't spend any time in a library. If they did, they would know that they are safe spaces where community members can access resources, exist outside of capitalism and grow and individuals. They are not places that are exposing minors to anything inappropriate. I would also guarantee that most kids are getting any and all "obscene" content straight from the phones these parents put into their hands which they are spending much more time using than libraries! Once again, a bigoted attempt to misconstrue the true nature of something that is beneficial to our society because of a personal belief system. It is also clear that people commenting in support of this bill have not taken the time to read Iowa Code 2025, Section 728.7:Exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions.Nothing in this chapter prohibits the use of APPROPRIATE material for EDUCATIONAL purposes inany accredited school, or any public library, or in any educational program in which the minoris participating. Nothing in this chapter prohibits the attendance of minors at an exhibitionor display of art works or the use of any materials in any public library.If you take away this exemption, our children won't be able to learn appropriate sex education in school. They won't be able to learn about art or a myriad of other educational subjects.Our children don't need to be protected from growing up with the facts in hand! The existing exemption already provides the necessary protections for minors. Stop and think before jumping on these silly bandwagons with only 3 wheels trundling off down side roads. These bills will take away more from our children than they will give. There is nothing inappropriate happening to children in libraries or schools. The librarians and teachers are doing their jobs get out of their way!

02-16-2025

Kari Dudley

I wholeheartedly disagree. Censorship in our public spaces creates a less diversely educated populous. It is on parents to assure their children are reading what is appropriate for THEIR children, and their children alone. It is not up to the government to tell me that my child cannot check out Charlottes Web from a public library, it is up to me. Fascinating were worrying about libraries and books when we allow children full access to the internet and social media.

02-16-2025

Richard Carlson

Please DO NOT pass this bill. It is not needed. The existing law already makes exceptions to the obscenity law only for "appropriate material for educational purposes." Librarians follow professional standards and are most certainly not making pornography available to minors. This isn't happening anywhere. If the bill is passed, the only reason will be to censor ideas and to cause harm to marginalized groups, especially LGBTQ+ kids, which is exactly the opposite of protecting children. If someone doesn't want their child to read about certain topics, then they should have that discussion with their child. They should not deny other children the possibility of reading ageappropriate material in schools and public libraries.

02-16-2025

L V

I do not support this bill. It is the responsibility of the parent to decide what is appropriate for their child. It is not the responsibility of the state to dictate what material is appropriate for anyone, let alone children. These "Christian" parents do not want to put in the work to take care of their own children, to parent them, and would rather the world adjust and censor itself to raise their kids for them.

02-16-2025

Paul Whalen

This is a gross overstep of government that blatantly violates the first amendment. Book banning is wrong and this will not keep children safe. This bill will only be weaponized against members of our communities and this kind of oppression of freedom and information is no less than a malicious attack on all of our personal liberty.

02-16-2025

McKenna Kerr

Please do not pass this as it will impact freedom of speech and the freedom to learn and read what we want. The job of protecting children from unwanted material is SOULLY up to the parents. Removing items from libraries will only help to keep citizens UNEDUCATED so that they can be better taken advantage by the government and people with bad intentions. Children shouldnt be taught about sex, but they should be taught about their bodies which are not inherently sexual. Children should know their body and how it works which includes their reproductive organs so that they can protect themselves and take care of themselves properly. EDUCATION IS FREEDOM. EDUCATION IS PROTECTION. EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL.

02-16-2025

Lindsey Smith

I do not support this bill public libraries are for everyone, even children from strict and abusive households. If there is public demand for a book, a public should be able to purchase it and provide it to their patrons. If a parent wants to control what their children have access too, then they should talk to their children about what isn't appropriate, not force their viewpoints on their neighbors.

02-16-2025

Amber Evans

From the party screaming about parent choice and claiming to support smaller government, this is just another proposed law that goes against both of those ideals. Banning books is not the answer to challenging ideas or things we may not agree with. Kids need guidance, not censure. Banning books takes away personal choice from the majority of a community, and gives all control to just a few. Book bans dont protect kids. They limit learning. Parents can decide that they dont want their children to read a book. These are decisions that individual parents should be able to make. Not one parent or one politician deciding that NOBODY can read that book.I am not in support of HF274.

02-16-2025

Jen Rouse

DO NOT PASS THIS BILLAs a librarian, I follow a professional code of ethics provided here by the American Library Association: https://www.ala.org/tools/ethicsWe are not waiting at the door to provide inappropriate materials and information to your children. We value the following: 1. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.2. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.3. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.4. We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.5. We treat coworkers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.6. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.7. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.8. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of coworkers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.9. We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.

02-16-2025

Heather Schmedinghoff

This bill seems like a bill in search for a problem. We have bigger problems to solve. Please do not pass this and do not spend time searching for problems that don't exist. I'm a mom. I don't want my kids seeing inappropriate material. We go to the library multiple times in week and have since my children were small. Kids go look in the kids section. Adults in the adult section. The library is there to help provide material for the entire community throughout their lifetime. Librarians have specialized training and master's degrees. They understand what is age appropriate. If a child selects a book a parent doesn't agree with. The parent needs to act as the adult and have a conversation with the childmaybe with a librarian. More then likely though the adult simply needs to remember we have different interests and different needs and just because they have different opinion than a bookdifference of opinion are differences and can be very positive.

02-16-2025

Stacy Joiner

I do not support HF 274. Throughout history, book banning has been dangerous. Think of all the books that were destroyed during the rise of Hitler. We are a country founded on freedom. Do not support these backward notions.

02-16-2025

Kallie Gartzke

I truly believe that we as adults need to understand, a Library is a public area. In all public areas, children should be accompanied by an adult until that child becomes responsible. This proposition would ruin libraries and set back the Iowa education level even further. Libraries are family friendly, NOT daycare centers.

02-16-2025

Megan Rush

Please do not pass this bill. This bill is going to be used as a tool for censorship against vulnerable communities. To attack public libraries and try to defund or shut them down. This is deeply concerning attack on people's rights.

02-16-2025

Jessica Roman

I oppose HF 274. This is censorship, and an infringement on the rights of parents to make choices for their children based on their childrens life experiences & maturity, and their familys cultural, religious, and personal beliefs. The vague definition of obscene in the bill is purely subjective, and frankly, there are no less than 200 quotes by our sitting president (and some state legislators) that are more obscene than anything my child might find in the school library or childrens section of the public library. This bill serves no purpose other than to further insert government into peoples personal choices.

02-16-2025

Lisa Schumacher

02-16-2025

Anonymous Anonymous

This bill is being pushed by Moms for Liberty, and only for them. Theyre resorting to using local conservative media outlets to push a fear mongering agenda that aims to ultimately suppress our 1st amendment right. Instead of growing the government even larger, perhaps, a mutually agreed upon solution instead keep adult reading material in the adult section. We do not need more badly written laws passed that will eventually allow for the complete destruction of our right to free speech. Please end Moms for Liberty crusade against free speech in this country, and do not pass this bill..Signed,A socially moderate, politically conservative citizen who is extremely concerned about the attack on free speech in this country, brought around by conservative lobbying groups.

02-16-2025

Ashley Giganti

It is truly baffling that this is what we are wasting our time on. We could be focusing on healthcare or helping the homeless. Literally anything to improve the lives of the people in this state/country. But nope. I do not support this bill.

02-16-2025

Tessa Cantonwine

Please do not pass this bill. It is veiled form of censorship, and librarians are not parents. If parents have concerns over certain books and materials in libraries, they should exercise the control over their children not exercise control over the library. Also, the definition of what is considered "obscene" varies person to person. Legislating morality does not work in the long run.

02-16-2025

Patti Stutzman

Do not pass HF274. Families and parents are well equipped to manage their children's choices without government intervention. Libraries are safe havens for the local communities, they are not what the gaslighters such as Fett would have you believe. I agree that children will find more pornographic material online, or under Dad's bed than at any Library. If you want to pass a bill to keep children safe, look at establishing more mental health initiatives and gun control. No more school shootings.

02-16-2025

Sally Solomon

I do NOT support this bill. Banning books is an effort at censorship, and only undertaken in places where free speech and individual rights are no longer valued. The question of what is considered "obscene" is one each reader can make for themselves in a free USA. Please vote NO to HF 274 to let Iowans decide for themselves what they want to read. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!

02-16-2025

Wendy Phillips

I am opposed to this bill and posted comments earlier today but felt I needed to express my shock and dismay at the tone of some of the comments. The vitriolic vilification of people, whose sole aim is to provide resources that inform, educate, or give enjoyment to the communities they serve, is shocking and totally inexcusable in a civilized society. This kind of rhetoric is an emotional outburst that renders a courteous and constructive exchange of views virtually impossible.

02-16-2025

Amanda McClanahan

As a mom who once advocated for age appropriate reading materials inside the school libraries a few years ago, I urge you NOT TO PASS this bill out of subcommittee. This bill is a blatant attack on free speech, and WILL lead to many unintended consequences and the possible removal of a variety of books, perhaps, even religious texts (Bible, Quran, and many others). We must stop outsourcing our ability to parent our children the best way we see fit, to the government. You are opening Pandoras box by passing this bill. Perhaps, concerned parents should advocate for adult reading material to stay in the adult section of the library just like its always been. We need LESS government involvement in our everyday lives, NOT MORE. Please reject this bill and send it back to the trash can it belongs in.

02-16-2025

cynthia doyle

Please DO NOT pass this horrible bill. I spent many an hour as a child without parental supervision at the public library, as did my child and grandchildren. We were NOTexposed to any questionable material. We were reading Little House on the Prairie and similar children's literature. We were learning and experiencing the joy of books.This smacks of George Orwell's 1984. The goal of this bill's sponsor and it's reactionary supporters is NOT to protect our children, but to punish them and have them grow up ill informed, so they won't have critical thinking skills or intellectual curiosity, which prepares them to combat this kind of nonsense!

02-16-2025

Todd Teske

Please vote against this bill. Its basis presupposes that parents have no role in monitoring their childrens reading habits and is based on a nonexistent threats. This bill opens the door for abusive attempts to shut down libraries by arbitrarily declaring books obscenity. This could be used to remove the Bible from libraries. I dont want to see that kind of abuse enabled.

02-16-2025

Leslie Marrs

Do not pass this bill. Who are the arbiters of what is obscene, and what are the parameters? Unless you can be specific, librarians or any other institution that provides artistic content has no way of knowing what some one will consider obscene. In terms of books, only if specific passages in context are mentioned, people are just going by an illustration or title that they dont like/comprehend. Ultimately, parents and guardians need to have healthy discussions with minors to help them understand broad range issues. Otherwise, those minors are likely to go on the web dark web, or just inaccurate information on a website with a fancy name to look for answers. If you dont like a nanny state, say no to this bill.

02-16-2025

Catherine Petersen

I am voicing my opposition to HF 274. I am an educator and a parent, and it is my job, not the state governments, to choose literature and materials that are age appropriate for my children, and worthy of appropriate study for my students. Likewise, I trust Iowa school librarians, teachers, administrators and local school boards to choose materials that are relevant and appropriate for their students. Community libraries are essential to freedom of expression and diversity of thought and ideas. I dont personally need to love every volume in a librarys collection, because it is not my job nor the governments to censor and limit that freedom of thought and expression that is found in a community library. This bill is vague, an overreach of government, and limits the everyday freedoms of Iowans.

02-16-2025

Amanda Jensen

I do NOT support this bill. As a parent its my responsibility to oversee what my children have access to at the library. Our library is run by warm and welcoming staff, who are fully trained and always all patrons best interest in mind.

02-16-2025

Glenda Mulder

Iowans of all ages deserve the right to read, learn, and access information freely. Leave the curation of these materials to the experts the teachers, administrators and librarians who work with this on a daily basis!Say NO to HF 274

02-16-2025

Heather Staton [Insifferable Wenches of Iowa]

Restricting access to literature is censorship. Iowa deserves to have the ability to choose what books to read. Banning books is an atrocious display of government overreach and should sound alarms for all Iowa constituents. Additionally, banning access to books with "obscenity" raises the question, who decides what qualifies as obscene? It's a slippery slope.

02-16-2025

Ellen hansen

Please do not pass this bill. For one reason, the language of the Bill is vague. For another reason, what are Republicans afraid of? You have been pressing for parental controls for years now and apparently that isnt working for you. Do you think the library has more obscene materials than what is found in some homes or online? Are you not concerned with the violence children see on the news ?

02-16-2025

Corey Creekmur

Do NOT pass this unnecessary bill. It is a bill that would allow censorship of a wide range of materials but is being misrepresented as a protection of children from pornographic material NOT available to them and NOT held by the libraries this would harm. As in other cases, this bill would allow for the censoring of books that deal with racism, sexism, and other difficult but important and legitimate topics. Bills like this have even been used to challenge the Bible or the sacred texts of various world religions. History tells us that book bans have never been characteristic of free, democratic societies, and I urge you not to render Iowa less free and less democratic by passing this unnecessary and misleading bill.

02-16-2025

Donna Kubesh

I DO NOT support this bill. If parents are not helping their children to select appropriate reading material from their perspective why not?Public Libraries are here for everyone. We do not all view the world through the same lens. Make room for different viewpoints and ideas.

02-16-2025

Elly Shaw

Please do not pass this bill. I work closely with many library staff, none of which are pushing pornography on children. This is incredibly irresponsible legislation that is a direct violation of First Amendment rights. If parents do not want their children to read certain books it is their responsibility to monitor and restrict that access. If your kids have TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, or any other social media I can assure you BOOKS are not the problem here.

02-16-2025

Susan Futrell

Vote NO on this bill. Parents have the right to guide their own children, but not to impose their beliefs on everyone else. Public libraries are a place of refuge, learning, and community. We still have freedom of expression in the US and public libraries and schools must be allowed to make local decisions about what meets the needs of their communities. This is overreach on the part of the legislature, and should not be passed.

02-16-2025

Anna Wu

I do not support this bill.I am advocating for public libraries to choose what materials to provide to their patrons and how. I think it is prudent to limit some materials at school libraries, but would not extend that to public libraries.

02-16-2025

Andrew Wixcel

Do not pass this bill as its straight censorship. Our public libraries are not stocked with porn. So again state money is wasted on problems that just dont exist. This is no more than another move by Moms for Liberty who franky should be spending more time reading and less time clutching their pearls. Public librarians are not allowed to act "in loco parentis" in place of the parent. This means staff can't choose what children read, borrow etc. a parent or trusted guardian must make that choice for their child. Library staff are still responsible for providing materials they believe their community has an interest for, which could be anything from Bibles and health textbooks to adult romance and coming of age stories.Just because the content may not be what one person wants their child to know about, doesn't mean other parents feel the same, and public libraries are responsible for making the content available to everyone in the community, not a select few.Appropriateness is very subjective as all people are different. No librarian is buying porn or sex materials for children. If these materials are picked up by a child, again, the parent or guardian must make the determination if it's appropriate for their child. This law would open the gates to change how history real history is passed on to learners and we have enough deflection and narrow minded projection. Public libraries are for everyone and I dont see children being exposed to obesity when frequent the library. Put your parental controls on your home internet and tv and leave public libraries free of censorship.

02-16-2025

Victoria Fernandez

As a Teen Librarian, I vehemently oppose HF274. This is a clear violation of 1st Amendment rights and is an intellectual freedom overreach the state should not have. The public library has clear sections for age groups and this bill is an attempt to silence voices and criminalize educators because of extremist rhetoric. If you do not want to read a title, it is your choice. It should never be an option to remove that title altogether.

02-16-2025

Susan Williams

Please vote NO on Bill 274Peoples opinions & perceptions differ. The terminology used in this bill is undefinable. Children have access to a variety of material from various sources (tv, computers, smart phones, friends, books). Parents rarely monitor their children 24/7. This bill should not hold librarians accountable for policing what people choose to check out.

02-16-2025

Michael Sydnor

I dont understand this need to ban books and I dont even think this is constitutional. I want to protect children, but I trust parents to do that job. Who is going to determine what is obscene and what is not as the Supreme Court has historically had a difficult time to doing that. Please dont increase the number of banned books in Iowa and focus on increasing literacy rates in the state instead.

02-16-2025

Alexandrea Hanson

I do NOT support this bill. The is an obvious and dangerous violation of our First Amendment right. This bill is a ridiculous display of power over media, and it is wrong on every possible level. It is a PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY to censor what their children consume. Not teachers, not librarians, and certainly not the government.

02-16-2025

Liz Gunkel

I do not support this bill. We already have a law limiting books in school libraries. It is censorship to not allow libraries to have books on their shelves. Patrons of the library, and their guardians if they are minors, can choose if they want to check the material out or not. Taking the books off the shelves impacts everyone. Each family can choose or not choose to borrow books from the library. This law is unnecessary as we already have the personal freedom to borrow books that align with our family values.

02-16-2025

Kelly Barta

I strongly oppose this bill. Parents are free to be involved with information their children have access to without banning books that others want access to. Book banners are never the good guys in history and the same is true in this case.

02-16-2025

Lisa Martincik

Do not pass the nonsensical and needless bill HF 274. No librarian purchases or places material inappropriate for children in the childrens section of a library. If parents wish to keep their children from accessing materials of which they PERSONALLY disapprove, regardless of nature and reason, they should guide the children themselves just as they do at home and elsewhere.Further, this bill disregards the fact that existing law, definitions, and requirements are already in place to perform the functions that are the purported aim of this bill. Perhaps the legislators forgot?To use a quote misattributed to Mark Twain: Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it. Libraries arent making metaphorical steak available to children; some parents and busybodies just want to dictate exactly what metaphorical babyfood all children are allowed to eat.

02-16-2025

Emily Kruse

It is my job as a parent to determine what is appropriate for my children to read. As an adult, it is up to me to determine what is appropriate for me to read. Public libraries are just that for the public, which means everyone. Therefore, this bill is unnecessary and restrictive.

02-16-2025

Margaret Bengtson

I am opposed to HS 274. Public libraries provide many services and a wide variety of materials to a community of users who are diverse in age, interests, and needs. Parents and other community members should be able to make individual choices based on their needs and interests.Please do not pass this bill.

02-16-2025

Amber McNamara

Please do not pass this bill. Leave public libraries alone and let people make their own decisions about what they want their children to read. Blocking access to books is not protecting children, it is just censorship. Please think about the impact this will have and vote no.

02-16-2025

Paige VanCleave

Please do not pass this bill. From all these comments you can tell who has been in a library. My children have never seen anything they should not at the library and we go weekly. My children have heard more about paying for sex from the news due to our current president doing that.

02-16-2025

Jennifer Harris

I do not support 724. Leave public Libraries and education institutions alone. If you honestly believe that public libraries display Playboy Magazine and pornography in the childrens section (grades K5) you must have drank the tea offered you from The Family Leader and Moms For Liberty. It is NOT happening. This is blatant censorship and a violation of the 1st Amendment to US Constitution. Please vote NO

02-16-2025

Tyler Charles

Im not in support of this bill. Public libraries weigh the interests of all the community. Our libraries already do a wonderful job curating book selections that are aimed at every demographic and making sure access is available. This is an attempt at more overreach. Our children want safe and well funded schools not to be censored.

02-16-2025

Steph Schares

Please vote no. Instead of censoring reading materials at libraries please focus on creating digital guardrails that have real accountability. For example. Craft laws that hold social media platforms accountable for their influence and impact on minors.

02-16-2025

Laurie Everhardt

I strongly oppose this bill. A public library should have a variety of materials INCLUDING those appropriate for adults and not children. My sons never checked out books without my approval until they were old enough, IN MY OPINION AS THEIR MOM, to make their own selections. The majority party in Iowa uses parental "sovereignty" in what ever way suits their oppressive opinions. If THEY don't want their child to see, read or learn something that overrides they choice of all other parents. Take responsibility for your own childrengo to the library with them and help them select their books. Keep your selfrighteous hands off our libraries.

02-16-2025

Virginia Armstrong

Please do not pass this bill. Libraries are for everyone and if parents are worried about what their children are reading they should be responsible for what their children are exposed to. Librarians are not babysitters or guardians. If parents cant trust their children not to adhere to their rules and values then that is on them, not everyone else.

02-16-2025

Julie Pewe

I strongly oppose this bill. Public libraries should retain the right to provide all types of literature, with no additional restrictions. This supports our right to free speech and the ability to access all types of content. Its imperative people can continue to selfselect the content they want to consume. Parents should be talking with their children about the type of content thats ageappropriate as well as paying attention to the content they are checking out. As a parent, I regularly do this myself. There is far more harmful material readily available to children on all the internet connected devices in homes today than what is available through the public library. If you dont find the content appropriate, dont check it out.

02-16-2025

Robert Critser

Please do not support this bill. Censorship is oppression. Im a parent, and as a parent, I understand the obligation of raising my children responsibly. I do not need the government to intercede on my behalf, nor I need them to intervene with our intellectual freedom. I believe this bill is just posturing. Theres no demand for this, no real need to deny libraries the ability to govern their own collections. Libraries are filled with people who enjoy reading and understand the power of the written word. For our leaders to insinuate that libraries are dens of inequity and ill repute is ludicrous. This bill simply isnt necessary.

02-16-2025

Christy Jaworski

I strongly oppose this bill. Libraries should not have to censor their material. If you find a book offensive, then don't read it. If you don't want your child reading something, then be the parent and restrict them. Don't expect others to do it for you.

02-16-2025

Ellen hansen

Does it never occur to the Christian Right that when people attempt to repress their own or their childrens thoughts about sex, that repression often has the result of intensifying the thoughts? The incidence of scandals among the ChristianRight just might be evidence of this. Letting kids learn under kind parenting is surely the best course, isnt it?

02-16-2025

Marissa Pewe

I do not support the passing of this bill. People should be allowed to have access to books containing a large. variety of content. Parents should be the ones regulating the content that children get ahold of, not the state.

02-16-2025

Tina McCoy

I am 100% against this bill and any other that infringes on the right to free speech, access to intellectual property, and allowing religious beliefs to dictate anyones access to any materials. Our public libraries provide a community service to everyone to invite critical thinking, invigorate innovative thinking, and stimulate curiosity; simply put, they are bastions in an intellectual desert that is expanding in the US. Do not pass this misguided piece of legislation.

02-16-2025

Rachel Royster

My household does NOT support this bill. I am a long time patron of the Des Moines public libraries and their staff does an excellent job providing many services to our community. Parents/guardians should be responsible for keeping track of the media their children consume including books, TV/movies, music, and the internet. If you dont like something for your family, then dont read/watch/listen to it! This is government overreach.

02-17-2025

Jessica Peel-Austin

02-17-2025

Michael Maxwell

Let's be serious here.All this teeth gnashing, garment wrenching, and hair pulling about the "poor innocent children" is coming from a mostly geriatric subset of Iowans who are not currently raising any children. Do these selfrighteous folks actually have a vested interest in what children are reading? No, they do not. Are the same people who are seemingly mad at a new minority every week also mad that people who aren't white, straight, and allegedlyChristian are allowed to publish books and that some parents want their children to read these books? Yes, absolutely. Does their selfimposed obsolescence terrify them to the extent that they'll project this fear onto innocent targets? I think so. I'm so tired of these wicked people who are old enough to have been born into a world of segregated drinking fountains and who have not yet progressed their views past those Jim Crow days having the temerity to speak on social issues in 2025. Perhaps these are the very people who would benefit most from exposure to diverse literature? Are they mad that children are (hopefully) not being raised to be so hateful anymore? Are they afraid of compassion? Do they even know what being a kid in 2025 is like? I don't think they have the slightest idea, to be honest.Beyond the bad faith arguments and straw man logic they've built up around public libraries, do these people not understand internet porn exists? Children are not going to the public library to access obscene materials, especially when they can already do that easily from the comfort of their homes on any internetconnected device. This whole premise of kids going to the library to find "obscenity" is as goofy as it is infuriating and insincere. If these loud bigots actually cared about children's access to pornography, they'd be arguing in favor of restricting access to the internet and not to public libraries. Come on, be real! Also, there's a basic law of marketing that shows how labeling something "prurient" and "ageinappropriate" will only make it more enticing to young people. Remember Tipper Gore and those parental warning labels for music? How'd that work out? My hope for 2025 is that Iowans begin calling a spade a spade. The line between emulating Nazism and just flatout being Nazis is so fine as to be nonexistent. Almost as nonexistent as the threat posed by public libraries to this melodramatic Victorian idea of "childhood innocence" these folks are ranting about. You should consider yourself LUCKY if your children enjoy going to a library! Truly, this is such a nonissue and is so transparently being played out in bad faith for what feels like the umpteenth year in a row now. This is George Wallace, Anita Bryant behavior. It's regressive, and a waste of legislative energy when Iowans are facing real issues like carcinogens. (Are we still allowed to ask questions about Iowa's cancer rates, or is that illegal now?) Find a new hobby, and stop bullying queer Iowans, Iowans of color, and anyone who isn't visibly a fan of Duck Dynasty. Iowans used to be able to recognize grandstanding blowhards, and I wonder what happened to that.Public Libraries are not trying to push porn onto children. Public Librarians are busy providing a plethora of important services while also having their funding cut, and it's ludicrous to insult this entire profession with legislation like this. Stop the pizzagateQanonMoms for Liberty nonsense. This is all, once again, so tired. At a certain point, I have to wonder if these folks calling librarians "groomers" don't have four fingers pointing back at them. Why do you want young people to remain ignorant so badly? Is it so that you can exploit them? I fear for any children whose abuse is being enabled by restricting access to information that could help them.Once again, we bear witness to the party of "small government" trying to use the government to parent other people's children. Parent your own kids, and let other people live. Focus on what's actually hurting you, and I promise you'll realize it's not the children's section of your local library that's the source of your problems. Read a book. You might learn something!

02-18-2025

Valerie Billing

This is a terrible and unconstitutional bill that amounts to censorship. It violates the freedom of speech and freedom of information for Iowa taxpayers. Libraries and educational institutions already do not retain collections of pornography for the public, so this bill does not solve any problems. Instead, it will make it harder for librarians to do their jobs and will take classic literature off of library shelves, in the process cheapening Iowa's educational system.

02-19-2025

Rene Donlan

Although parents may choose to restrict and monitor what their children consume, public libraries serve the whole community. Another parent does not have the right to choose what is appropriate for someone else's family. This bill is a gross overstepping into families' right to determine what is appropriate or obscene. Public libraries are a vital resource to everyone. It is the parents' job to monitor what their children consume, not the government and certainly not library employees.

02-19-2025

Stephanie Lee

There is no place and time where a ban on books was for the good of the people. It is a muzzle on the American voice. A death to freedom of speech and free thinking. The antithesis of what America stood for. Only people scared of educated and informed people ban books.

03-14-2025

Katie Davis

I strongly oppose this bill, along with HF 880, and the reasons should be obvious. Censoring public libraries is clearly a wrong move. Do not criminalize public librarians for doing their jobs. It is not their responsibility to decide what a child does and doesn't check out. Banned book weeks are put on for a reason, to make people think and understand why these books were banned in the first place. Bills like these would rather people not think at all.