MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas — It was a long meeting at Monday's Midland County Commissioner's meeting, but one agenda item in particular saw the court spend nearly half an hour of discussion.
However, the court did make a decision on whether or not they should follow a new policy set by Texas House Bill 900, which restricts "obscene" library material that is normally available in the children's section of libraries.
A 2-2-1 vote determined that Midland County libraries will be subject to the new policy.
"It defines obscene and sets forth some definitions of different words that we are using to not remove books, but to move books to a different part of the library," Midland County Judge Terry Johnson said.
The decision didn't come without fierce debate and a split council. The motion to follow the policy was made by Commissioner Dianne Anderson and was seconded by Johnson. Johnson and Anderson voted in the affirmative while Commissioner Scott Ramsey voted in opposition. Commissioners Luis Sanchez and Jeff Somers abstained from voting.
With the new policy, books that have been deemed "obscene" or sexually explicit would be moved to a different section of the library.
The court will now look to fill the short-handed Library Advisory Board, which has been short a few members, to help decide which books should be moved to a different section.
"I hope in our next court, we pick some names to fill out that advisory board, that was one of the agenda items that we had. We're short about five people," Johnson said. "So before we go any further about policy and procedure, I hope that we can get the board filled and let the board set forth what the court wants and the courts been elected to put in place what the community wants."
Almost three weeks later on Sept. 1, NewsWest 9 received a statement regarding the Midland County Library from Commissioner Dianne Anderson.
The statement reads:
"It has come to my attention that there is a lot of confusion about what happened at the Centennial Library earlier this week and what my overall goal is so I’d like to provide some clarity.
My goal is for books that fall under the control of the Texas Penal Code Sections 43.21 to 43.28, be moved to the adult section of the County Libraries. By moving these materials to the adult section, if a parent(s) or legal guardian wishes its (their) child(ren) to read these materials, that decision is left to the parent. The parent(s) can check out these materials and decide under what circumstances the(ir) child(ren) can view, discuss, or otherwise handle the content. These materials should not be available to the child on its own volition.
On August 14, 2023, Midland County Commissioners passed such a policy regarding the immediate movement of these materials to the adult section of the Midland County Libraries. A meeting scheduled on the 25th was canceled as the Library Director was late returning to her office. Monday was a Court date and so it was not until Tuesday, August 29, 2023, I notified the library director that a team of volunteers would be a the Centennial branch on August 30, 2023, to help go through the books, as this would be a labor intensive effort for which the library staff has been unable to handle.
The library director and a member of the Library Foundation met with us at the Centennial Library. The director asked us to fill out volunteer forms and record our time at the library; we did that. The library director provided us with two carts upon which to place the books the volunteers thought were age inappropriate for the children’s section. The volunteers pulled 32 books, some of which were duplicates, and placed them on the carts provided by the library, and turned them over to library staff. These books were not moved to the adult section by the volunteers nor did any volunteers remove or burn any books.
While the volunteers worked, I visited with the library director and Foundation member for 40 minutes. I then checked on the volunteers, and then visited with the library director for another 30 minutes. We discussed that the books pulled would be reviewed by the library staff and me to determine which books are age inappropriate for the children’s section and should be moved to the adult section. The final decision on moving such books will be with the Midland County Commissioners.
Most importantly, I want to assure the public, and particularly the residents of Precinct 4, that I take my role as County Commissioner seriously and that I am committed to upholding the principles of free speech and intellectual freedom. Contrary to any assertions or misconceptions to the contrary, I am not proposing to burn or ban books; rather, I am dedicated to fostering an environment in our County Libraries where diverse ideas and perspectives can flourish.”
A list of 32 books were also linked to the statement that are being referenced. These books include titles such as "The Cat's Pajamas", "Sam is my Sister", "Auntie Uncle Drag Queen Hero", "Prince & Knight", among others.
We will continue to update you as we receive more information.