Fresno County supervisors to consider proposal to check children's books at libraries

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tuesday, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors will consider the "Parents Matter Act" proposed by Supervisor Steve Brandau.

It would move certain titles out of the children's section of county libraries, ones that some consider to be age-inappropriate.

"It's going to make some of these materials that are either sexually explicit or they're complex, controversial gender issues, they're still going to be at the library but they're not going to be accessible by the young children," said Supervisor Brandau.

Brandau says he first started working on the legislation in June when he heard from a parent concerned with the content of a book his daughter found in the children's section.

If passed, the new law would create a committee of parents and guardians that would review all current and future children's books to be placed in the county's libraries.

Not all parents agree with this proposal.

"I would like things to stay the same. There's already a process at the library if a parent finds a book that they feel is in the wrong section, they can fill out a form and it's reviewed by no less than three different librarians," said Tracy Bohren of LGBTQ Clovis.

She says between the lines, the Parents Matter Act is targeting the LGBTQIA+ community.

"It concerns me because it creates an environment where people feel like it's OK to verbalize their hatred for a group of people," said Bohren.

"I understand their concerns, I've heard from them, but I really don't think my Parents Rights Matter Act is by any means targeting them. We're taking books that are sexually graphic by any nature, and making them inaccessible to kids," said Brandau.

The Board of Supervisors meeting begins at 9:30 Tuesday morning in the Fresno County Hall of Records, Room 301 at 2281 Tulare Street.

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