SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) — Mayor Paul TenHaken asked legislators to avoid “culture war” issues this year, but now the culture war has come to city hall. A number of citizens spoke up during the public comment section of Tuesday night’s city council meeting, reading graphic segments of children’s books from the public library. Former State House Speaker and gubernatorial candidate Steve Haugard was there.
Haugard says the idea of having the legislature avoid those issues is off base.
State Representative Bethany Soye sponsored legislation earlier this year to require public libraries to adopt policy to name the person responsible for selecting library materials, and to specify the parameters used to make decisions on those materials.
In issuing his challenge to lawmakers, Mayor TenHaken singled out Soye’s proposal, saying it forced the cancellation of a children’s reading program. Soye disagrees.
Representative Soye’s proposal was adopted unanimously by both chambers of the state legislature earlier this year.
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