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Questions and Answers
What was Judge Stephen Locher's ruling on the two key provisions of Senate File 496?
What was the state's argument in their appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals?
What was the response of the plaintiffs to the state's appeal?
What was the basis of Judge Locher's finding that the law was unconstitutionally vague?
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What was the state's justification for the law, according to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird?
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Study Notes
Iowa's Anti-LGBTQ Book Banning Law
- A federal judge blocked key parts of Iowa's anti-LGBTQ book banning law, SF 496, in December.
- The law, signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in May 2023, aimed to ban books with depictions of sex from school libraries and prohibit instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation for students through sixth grade.
Publishers Join Lawsuit
- Five publishers, including Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks, have joined Penguin Random House as plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the state.
- The publishers are united in their commitment to stand with educators, librarians, students, authors, and readers against the unconstitutional censorship measures.
Judge's Ruling
- Judge Stephen Locher's 49-page opinion and order found the law's "sweeping restrictions" unlikely to satisfy the First Amendment under any standard of scrutiny.
- Locher was unable to find a single case upholding the constitutionality of a school library restriction similar to Senate File 496.
- The law was sought to impose "a puritanical 'pall of orthodoxy' over school libraries" without evidence of significant problems in the school setting.
Appeal and Response
- The state has appealed the ruling to the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals, citing technical grounds.
- The plaintiffs filed their response brief on April 11, urging the appeals court to uphold the block.
- Oral arguments have not yet been set.
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Description
Andrew Albanese discusses the legal battles against Iowa's anti-LGBTQ book banning laws, with multiple publishers joining a lawsuit against the state.
