Missoula County opposes HB 234: Revise dissemination of obscene material to minors laws, up for hearing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee. This bill would likely lead to criminal charges against librarians, museums and teachers for material that may conflict with an individual’s views. The bill revises laws regarding the public display or dissemination of obscene material to minors, removing exceptions for employees of public schools, as well as officers and employees of public libraries and museums. This additional censorship of art and history will have detrimental effects on the ability of museums or libraries to present creative and truthful art installations and exhibits.
For example, a recent exhibit at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula about a Frenchtown Marine who served our country during the Vietnam War may have been seen as criminal and obscene under HB 234. Part of the exhibit about this man’s experience included a number of personal photos of his experience in Vietnam, and a couple of these photos depicted men bathing in a river. Under the proposed changes to HB 234, if a school group visited this exhibit, the Historical Museum and its officers and employees could have been criminally charged and prosecuted for these photos.
Representatives France, Howell and Zephyr,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County opposes HB 234: Revise dissemination of obscene material to minors laws, up for hearing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee. This bill would likely lead to criminal charges against librarians, museums and teachers for material that may conflict with an individual’s views. The bill revises laws regarding the public display or dissemination of obscene material to minors, removing exceptions for employees of public schools, as well as officers and employees of public libraries and museums. This additional censorship of art and history will have detrimental effects on the ability of museums or libraries to present creative and truthful art installations and exhibits.
For example, a recent exhibit at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula about a Frenchtown Marine who served our country during the Vietnam War may have been seen as criminal and obscene under HB 234. Part of the exhibit about this man’s experience included a number of personal photos of his experience in Vietnam, and a couple of these photos depicted men bathing in a river. Under the proposed changes to HB 234, if a school group visited this exhibit, the Historical Museum and its officers and employees could have been criminally charged and prosecuted for these photos.
Please oppose HB 234.
Testimony by Matt Lautzenheiser in opposition
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