Midwest
Judge blocks key provisions of Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians, booksellers
A Republican-backed Arkansas law allowing criminal charges to be pressed against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” or “obscene” materials to minors was blocked by a federal judge in a Monday ruling that declared some elements of the policy too vague and unconstitutional.
“The law deputizes librarians and booksellers as the agents of censorship; when motivated by the fear of jail time, it is likely they will shelve only books fit for young children and segregate or discard the rest,” U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas wrote in his ruling.
Act 372, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last year, would have established new avenues for challenging allegedly age-inappropriate library materials and requesting their removal.
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An Arkansas law that would have criminalized making inappropriate materials available to minors faced challenges in court. (In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)
Brooks had previously blocked the law on a temporary basis, according to local reports, mere days before it was slated to take effect, but sided with the 18 plaintiffs who suggested two key provisions of the law were too vague and violated First Amendment protections this week.
A separate report stated Brooks took issue with one of the law’s provisions because it granted anyone the authority to challenge a library’s decision, including interest groups outside of Arkansas.
Section one, which was one of the provisions ruled unconstitutional, would have imposed a misdemeanor penalty of up to one year in jail for librarians, booksellers, etc. who make inappropriate media “available” to minors.
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Plaintiffs challenged sections one and five of Arkansas’ Act 372. (Fox News Digital)
Section five, the other contested provision, would have mandated “a new procedure for libraries, city councils, and county quorum courts to follow when evaluating a citizen’s request to move or remove a book from a public library’s permanent collection,” according to Brooks’ ruling.
Brooks believed the provision was too vague, particularly through its use of terms like “appropriate” and for not providing clearer requirements for restricting book access.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin told the Associated Press in a statement that he “respect[s] the court’s ruling” but plans to appeal.
Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney general’s office for further comment, but did not immediately hear back.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Midwest
Illinois city sparks complaints, petition by limiting Hanukkah menorah display to just a few hours
A city in Illinois sparked controversy by limiting a Hanukkah menorah display to a few hours instead of the full eight days.
As of Tuesday, more than 6,500 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding Lake Forest allow a menorah display at its Market Square shopping center for the duration of the holiday.
“The City is pleased to support Chabad of Lake Forest’s Menorah Lighting and Chanukah Ceremony in Market Square on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at 4 p.m. Mayor Stanford Tack will participate by lighting the middle candle of the Menorah and other local elected officials are expected to attend,” the city, which is located north of Chicago, said in a statement.
“While the ceremony is a valued community event, the menorah will not remain in Market Square unattended after the event this year,” it added. “Based on legal guidance from the City’s attorneys, the City must either allow all requests for extended displays by private groups on public property or deny them entirely to ensure safe public access and consistency in the use of public spaces.”
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A Hanukkah menorah is lit in Lake Forest, Ill., in December 2023. (Chabad of Lake Forest)
“Since granting all such requests could lead to challenges in managing public spaces, the City has chosen to allow only time-limited displays as part of organized special events by community groups,” it also said.
The Change.org petition, authored by a self-described local “interfaith family,” said last year’s menorah display in Market Square was up for all eight days and “brought great joy to us and was well-received by our community.”
“However, to our dismay, we learned that this year the city will only allow the menorah to be displayed for a few hours on the evening of December 29th. This decision undermines the inclusive spirit our city showed last year and deeply disheartens us as well as many other families who appreciated the menorah display’s representation of our community’s diversity,” it added.
“Let us push for the reinstatement of the menorah at Market Square, not just for one night, but for all the eight nights of Hanukkah, continuing the practice of honoring and showcasing the rich cultural and religious diversity within Lake Forest,” it concluded.
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A menorah lighting event was held by Chabad of Lake Forest in December 2023. (Chabad of Lake Forest)
Rabbi Moshe Spalter of Chabad of Lake Forest told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that 2023 was the “first time that we actually had the event there, and it was the first time we had the menorah up there for the whole eight days of Chanukah.”
“They were excited about the idea last year but this year I guess they put some more thought into it and changed their mind,” he said.
Spalter said he would prefer a menorah to be allowed to stay up in the city for the full eight days of Hanukkah.
Last year, the menorah at Market Square in Lake Forest, Ill., was allowed to remain for the duration of Hanukkah, according to Rabbi Moshe Spalter. (Chabad of Lake Forest)
“We have been trying to get the city to do it, it’s not so simple and at this point that it’s so close to Hanukkah we are just hoping that over the next year we will start to get to work on it right away and hopefully by next year they will be able to allow it,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I encourage everybody to come and show up and make this event a memorable one to the City of Lake Forest,” Spalter also said. “It’s a nice event and especially with all the noise that has been going on I think it’s great for the community to get together and come and celebrate all of us.”
The City of Lake Forest did not immediately respond Tuesday to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.
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Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – A 25-year-old was stabbed in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Dec. 25.
The Milwaukee Police Department said it happened at approximately 1:15 p.m. near 36th and Sarnow. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man, stabbed the victim during a fight. Police said the incident was domestic violence related.
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The suspect was arrested.
Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
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