UPDATE: This resolution FAILED!!
Kenosha county citizens turned out in large numbers to defeat this terrible resolution.
You can see citizen comments during this meeting here.
You can watch the Supervisor discussion and vote here starting at minute 1:12:26.
Republican Supervisors Tim Stocker and Erin Decker (members of Moms for Liberty) and Republican Supervisor John Poole, who's views align with Moms for Liberty, introduced a resolution to control library materials in Kenosha County public libraries of which they don't approve.
You can watch the committee discussion and concerns raised about this resolution here.
This now moves on to a vote of the full board on Wednesday, February 21st at 7:30 pm.
A statement from Kenosha Public Libraries Director, Barbara Brattin, about this resolution can be found here.
Moms for Liberty Definition of 'Pornographic'
Library materials they consider 'pornographic' would have to be kept in a separate section of the library, accessible only to adults. You can read the full resolution here.
Their definition of what constitutes 'pornographic' is what is particularly problematic.
For example, the main sponsor on this bill, Moms for Liberty member Tim Stocker, labeled the multi-award-winning book 'Homegoing' by Yaa Ngasi, a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read book, as pornography because it contained a rape scene. You can read the Kenosha News response to Stocker's suggestion it be removed from the library here.
Moms for Liberty Assaults the Freedom to Read in Public Schools, Now Moving to Public Libraries
Moms for Liberty members have driven book bans nationwide in public schools and the Kenosha Moms for Liberty have been involved in filing so many book challenges locally to the Kenosha Unified School District that the district faced an 8 year backlog to review the challenged books, most of them containing LGBT content. The Wisconsin ACLU became involved in those challenges. You can read more about there here.
Moms for Liberty member Eric Meadows, currently serves on the KUSD school board, and has actively encouraged public school book bans, labelling books of which he doesn't approve 'pornographic' and 'obscene.'
Eric Meadows is now running to sit on the Kenosha County Board to represent District 18. His challenger is Justine Hammelev-Jones, a retired public school teacher.
Moms for Liberty-aligned Republicans in Kenosha County now are working to restrict book availability in Kenosha County public libraries.
Members of Kenosha Moms for Liberty attempted to call for book censoring at the Salem Library last year. You can see video of one of their exchanges with a Kenosha County resident here.
The Kenosha County Board provides funding to the Kenosha Public Library system. This resolution was heard, and passed, by the Finance Committee, raising concerns library funding may be at risk if Moms for Liberty members on the board are successful in passing this resolution but the libraries don't comply. The Kenosha Public Library system is governed by a Library Board. The Kenosha County Board has no authority over the materials that are chosen or where they are placed in the public libraries.
Full County Board Will Vote On This Resolution
This resolution goes to a vote of the full Kenosha County Board of Supervisors for a vote on Wednesday, February 21st (the meeting time is chaged due to the election on February 20th) at 7:30 pm at the Kenosha County Administration Building, 1010 56th Street, Kenosha in the third floor meeting room.
Citizens comments take place at the beginning of the meeting, no advance sign-up is required.
Citizens are also able to email their Supervisors at CountyBoard@KenoshaCounty.org.
You can watch the meeting on the County's YouTube channel here.
Importance of April 2nd Election To Reasonable Governance in Kenosha County
All three of the Supervisors backing this resolution face challengers on April 2nd.
Partisan political issues have been the focus of the Republican-led Kenosha County Board since 2022, leaving county government repeatedly embroiled in controversy rather than dealing with county business.
The Board passed multiple resolutions loosening gun restrictions, including allowing guns into Kenosha County libraries, parks and public buildings where they were previously prohibited.
The Board voted to declare Kenosha County a 2nd Amendment sanctuary, meaning gun safety laws should not be enforced in Kenosha County.
The Board voted to consolidate power to the newly elected County Executive, despite hearings where public sentiment went strongly against the change.
The Board failed to overturn a veto of a resolution by the Republican County Executive Samantha Kerkman, which would have encouraged business to consider installing solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint-a resolution that carried no requirement for businesses to follow the suggestion.
Under highly controversial appointees by Samantha Kerkman to the Racial and Ethnic Equity Commission, which were approved by the Republican-led county board, the important County Commission floundered and failed, with Kerkman eventually rescinded her appointments, leaving the commission non-functional and unable to carry out its important work of addressing racial inequity in Kenosha County.
The Supervisors sponsoring this resolution, Stocker, Decker and Poole, are all up for re-election on April 2nd and all three face challengers who appear to be moderate candidates.
Tim Stocker in District 14 is being challenged by Roseann Baldauf-Shales
John Poole in District 20 is being challenged by Michael La Forge
Erin Decker, in District 22 is being challenged by Ray Arbet. Decker was embroiled in a finance scandal last year.
Make sure to register and vote on April 2nd for Supervisors who believe in sound governance.