The Autauga County GOP approved a resolution on Thursday backing those opposing sexually explicit books targeting minors in the Autauga-Prattville Public Library (APPL).
For months, a group in the Prattville area has petitioned the city council, county commission and library board of directors to have certain sexually explicit books for minors moved to a different section of the library.
At the local level, most in favor of relocating the books felt their appeals have so far fallen on deaf ears. However, the County Commission did vote to seek the attorney general's opinion on the scope of its authority in libraries. Gov. Kay Ivey, state lawmakers and other politicos have noted similar issues in the state and local library services.
SEE ALSO: Alabama Public Library Service adds collation policy for possibly sexually explicit books
The Prattville group pled their case before the Autauga GOP in July. On Thursday, the local party adopted a resolution to help combat the book issue.
"All we want to do is protect our children. I'm not trying to target anybody," Autauga GOP chairman Bill Harris said.
He continued, "If our party can't stand up for our children, if our group can't do that, then this isn't where I need to be."
Former Prattville City Councilman Tony Moore attended the meeting and spoke in favor of the resolution.
"I've been in Prattville all my life, and I was on the city council for eight years," Moore said. "They kind of slide this stuff in under the door but they're using our money to do it."
He continued, "Our kids deserve nothing less because we don't have to accept this. The whole world may do it, but Prattville is better than this."
The resolution's two measures include the following:
Urge the Autauga County Commission and the City of Prattville to appoint candidates for the APPL Board of Trustees who reflect conservative values and will ensure that sexually explicit and obscene content is not displayed or available within reach to children nor accessible on the internet on public computers, and will encourage reading instead of indoctrination.
Encourage Autauga County citizens to:
a. Contact the APPL director and board members and let them know we will not allow taxpayer funds to be used to promote an agenda that is detrimental to our children.b. Take the steps necessary to have the Alabama Public Library Services and all Autauga County and Prattville libraries disaffiliate from the American Library Association including the Alabama Library Association chapter, and its affiliates, which espouse a philosophy of collectivism, i.e., communism; and Marxism and who have stated in their Library Bill of Rights that they oppose any restriction of access to materials based on the age of library users and the rights of minors to retrieve, create, and interact with information on the Internet in schools and libraries are extensions of their First Amendment Rights.
c. Support legislative action to make it policy in Autauga County and the City of Prattville that all elected officials as well as the APPL director and board members (i) may not allow or authorize the display, promotion, or availability of obscene, sexually explicit and/or harmful materials to minor children and (ii) are directed to remove the foresaid.
d. Materials that are displayed, promoted or made available to minor children shall be age appropriate and necessary internet filters put in place on public computers to block porn and other sites inappropriate for children.
"[T]he Autauga County Republican Executive Committee is committed to taking all necessary steps, including the foregoing, to protect children and teens from materials that contain content that may be found to be obscene and/or contain explicit sexual content," the resolution reads.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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