Lawmakers vote to fire all members of Arkansas State Library Board

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

State lawmakers have voted to remove the entire Arkansas State Library Board.

Members of the Arkansas House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 640 in a meeting Tuesday. The bill fires all seven members of the board, directing Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to appoint their replacements.

Conservative lawmakers and activists have called on the board to do more to protect library-goers from “sexually explicit” materials, though librarians say no such materials exist in libraries. A previous bill would have dissolved the library board and the Arkansas State Library entirely, moving their responsibilities to the Arkansas Department of Education.

Lawmakers vote to fire all members of Arkansas State Library Board

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders named a new chair of the state Post-Prison Transfer Board (also known as the parole board) late Wednesday.

Fired central Arkansas library director reflects on her termination

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

People across Saline County have spent almost five months trying to fire their library director. Last week, they finally succeeded.

Her name is Patty Hector. She came under fire after refusing point-blank to remove books from the library containing sex-ed and LGBTQ characters.

“This is where I draw the line,” she said. “You don't get to use your religion to deny rights to people.”

Fired central Arkansas library director reflects on her termination

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Patty Hector (right), director of the Saline County Library, listens during public comment on a resolution that would restrict children's access to books that contain "sexual content or imagery" at an April 17, 2023, meeting of the county quorum court. The court adopted the resolution and later approved an ordinance in August that led to Hector's firing in October. Leigh Espey (left) became interim library director.