After months of controversy over sexually explicit and age inappropriate children’s books in the library, on March 26 Montgomery County Commissioners voted 3-1 to approve a revised policy that establishes a new, five member citizen reconsideration committee to review challenges of objectionable books and potentially require they be moved to an adult section. It does not apply to adult section books. County Judge Keough and Commissioner Walker led the efforts to draft the new policy.
At the beginning of the meeting, several citizens and parents spoke out in vigorous opposition to the new policy, saying it was the equivalent of banning books. One person compared it to Orwell’s 1984.
However, many other citizens wearing red shirts encouraged commissioners to pass the policy and pointed out that the changes did not ban books, but simply outlined procedures that would allow sexually explicit children’s books to be challenged and potentially moved into another section. Christian Collins (2022 candidate for Kevin Brady’s former house seat) said he was baffled that “We’re even having this conversation” and noted that while some opponents touted their degrees in library science or education, “many people have a degree in common sense.”
After the meeting, local mom and activist Michele Nuckolls said, “The main purpose of the new policy is to provide a means for citizens to facilitate moving a book from one age group section to another either more or less restrictive. The current Reconsideration Policy established by the court in 2013 employs a Reconsideration Committee that is already in existence. Each commissioner currently has one citizen appointee on this committee. There are currently 10 members – five librarians and five citizens. But, that committee never takes a vote and nothing they do is binding. They simply hold a discussion which may or may not be taken into account by the library director, and this is why I call it a Kangaroo Committee. The library does allow for a book to removed only by unanimous consent if it meets the standards as harmful material by Texas Penal Code 43.24(a)(2).”
Commissioner Riley voted against the new policy saying he didn’t understand it. Commissioner Noack (recently defeated by Ritch Wheeler in the March primary) did not attend the meeting. See a related story about the library director here.
