Despite public opposition, MSB passes ordinance for Citizens’ Library Committee to review challenged books

Books and libraries were front and center during the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) Assembly meeting on April 2 as an ordinance went before the assembly that would establish a Citizens’ Advisory Committee to review and make recommendations to the administration regarding challenged library books.

The ordinance, sponsored by Assembly members Dee McKee, Ron Bernier, and Dmitri Fonov, came after a Library Review Committee meeting on January 18 devolved into chaos and MSB Manager Mike Brown suspended the Library Challenged Materials policy.

Ultimately, the ordinance passed by a vote of 5 to 2, with Assembly members Tim Hale and Stephanie Nowers voting against the ordinance.

The public comments were nearly even, with a slight majority of commenters opposing the ordinance, citing a dismissal of the rights of the public to choose what they read or don’t read, violations of 1st amendment rights.

“I want my son to have access to all information, books, etc. Who is this committee to decide what books my child has access to in the public libraries, and who is this committee to decide for anyone what they can read?” said Christina Pulkrabek. “If this is really a concern for children, it seems like it comes from a place of fear and control because they target books about race, racism, gender and sexuality, with many (written) by Black and LGBTQ authors. A lot of people think these books push some sort of agenda, but you get to choose not to read them, but you can’t take away someone else’s choice to read them. Taking away their choice is pushing your agenda on others…My beliefs may not be the same as yours, so does yours override mine?”

“A public library is for the public, and the public is made of many different people with different values, religions, and beliefs. It should not be up to a few people and their values what to do for the whole. This is a violation of our First Amendment rights,” said Pulkrabek.

There was also concern that most of the complaints about the challenged books come from libraries operated by the cities of Wasilla and Palmer, not the five libraries that specifically fall under the MSB, including Sutton, Big Lake, Willow, Talkeetna, and Trapper Creek.

“Wasilla and Palmer have their own libraries, and the people supporting these ordinances tonight have said they live in Wasilla and Palmer, so why aren’t they working on their libraries rather than Borough libraries?” asked Ruth Wood.

Opponents also expressed concern that the MSB Mayor, Edna DeVries, would have sole selection over the committee, something that MSB attorney Nicholas Spiropoulos addressed before the ordinance was opened to public comment.

“This is an advisory body. The selection and removal of books is rests squarely with the administration,” he said.

He also addressed the selection process, referencing Alaska Statute 29.20.320.

“When you create an official advisory board, the state law mandates that you do it by ordinance, and that members are appointed by the mayor and approved by the assembly.” He also said that the model for this advisory board is modeled after the Roads Service Task Force in its composition, means, and selection.

“You, the Assembly, have a lot of power. You could have directed the (MSB) Manager to take that committee and alter it, make changes, etc.,” said Wood, who was upset that the current Library Committee is not involved in the process and that the Borough is starting a committee that is not needed. She also expressed concern that while this new committee would be appointed for its’ expertise and knowledge of the community, that was already in place with the current MSB Library Board. “It’s comprised of representatives recommended by each community where the library is located, plus one each from Palmer and Wasilla.”

Those in support of the proposal said they were in favor of protecting the children from obscene materials, that many of the challenged books geared towards children and young adults will lead to a path towards addiction, and that people could simply purchase books from Amazon, and that librarians have a liberal agenda

“Sadly, those librarians, in my opinion, have been bought and paid for by the far left, specifically LGBCDQ, thus the need for this ordinance,” Mike Coons of Palmer, and while he said that he wanted libraries to have a wide array of books available from young readers to adults on a wide range of topics, he opposes taxpayer funds being used for explicit content.

“I personally oppose the Borough purchasing books that are adult in nature with sexual content, such as in these books, with the public’s money. If an adult wishes to read these types of books, they are free to purchase them as they are readily available.”

The leading voice for over a year in seeking the removal of ‘obscene’ books has been Jackie Goforth, attending nearly every MSB Assembly and school board meeting and calling for the removal of books and challenging books she has taken issue with. She recently told the MSB school board that the proposed Citizens’ Advisory Committee was something that she has been wanting.

“I have been working toward this for the last year.”

She has also taken the American Library Association to task, as she did again at the meeting Tuesday evening:

“The American Library Association was founded almost a century and a half ago, and it was based on American values, and it had some wonderful things that were happening. They put out statements about freedom to read that made so much sense, and they codified peoples’ rights to read and the First Amendment,” she told the Assembly. “Then something happened in the last century…things started happening, it was a Marxist thing, and the ALA started changing.” She cited that a few states (Montana, Texas and Missouri) have stopped their membership with the ALA, and claims made that the ALA President is set upon promoting sexually explicit material to children.

“If you listen and read to what happened at the ALA conference last year, you will note that they intended to get information into children’s hands and conservative families by hiding the information within the covers of the books.”

“I believe that this will add another layer, people that aren’t being paid, aren’t part of the Borough or librarians, they (committee members) will put their recommendations out there,” said Assemblyman Fonov. He also addressed that it’s a minority of people calling for this, telling the assembly during their discussion that he spoke with “a lot of people…that wasn’t a minority.”

He also said that those who spoke against it did not offer a method that would work better, saying “It’s always easy to oppose something, but to propose something that is more effective and that would make the process for the challenged books easier, I did not hear one good suggestion,” he said, despite some speakers suggesting the existing policy be updated, propose a color-coded library card system, or even make it a ballot issue.

Assemblyman Rob Yundt addressed concerns that the ordinance would appear as a non-Democratic process, to which he said:

“This is why we have elections. There are seven different voices up here, and it takes four for anything to pass, and it takes five to override a veto. So this, in my opinion, does get the entire community involved.” He also offered an amendment that there be one member from each district on the committee, which was met with some opposition, as MSB Mayor DeVries pointed to existing vacancies in the Parks and Rec that they have been unable to fill.

“The thought was to try to have a person from each district, but there are some districts that are harder to fill in than others, and on the surface it seems like there will be a lot of people, but in reality it could be a different story,” said Assemblyman Fonov. “We didn’t want to be just restricted to that, in case we cannot fill a spot.” The amendment was ultimately pulled, citing future changes could always be made to the ordinance.

One spot both sides took issue with was Section 7 of the ordinance, which says that the Community Development Director shall consider the recommendations of the committee but shall retain all final decision-making authority for the challenged library materials. When posed to the MSB attorney, Assemblyman Bernier asked if it could be removed and any removal recommendations be adhered to, MSB Manager Mike Brown said:

“This is modeled after the school district’s (Library Citizens’ Advisory Committee), but it doesn’t bring the Assembly into the decision-making role, and that was intentional.”

The MSB attorney also weighed in. “This is an administrative matter.” said Spiropoulos. “The decision of library materials is not a legislative matter. You don’t see state legislatures, you don’t see the United States Congress passing laws about what books go into their respective libraries.” He said the decision lies with the chief administrator, and the decision-making authority lies with the Community Development Director because that is the department head under which the library falls.

The Assembly also addressed the complaint made by many of a lack of public input as outlined in the original proposal.

“Public comments make meetings long and tedious, but people need a venue to express their opinions, and this ordinance specifically says ‘no public testimony will be allowed.’ You’re just going to have the same problems that lead to this,” said Wood.

Assemblyman Tim Hale later called for an amendment that would allow for public comment, and after lengthy discussion, the assembly agreed to a two-minute time limit.

The next MSB Assembly meeting will be held April 16 at 6 p.m. at the Assembly Chambers in Palmer.