CIVICS | Plus, Antifa is coming to the Spokane Library
The Spokane City Council is off for the President’s Day holiday, but Liberty Lake’s City Council would have probably been the most contentious local public meeting this week regardless. That’s because they are considering changing the law in Liberty Lake to take ultimate book-stocking power away from the local library board and give themselves the final say on library policies — like which books belong in the locally-funded library. Bookending a mostly quiet week of public meetings is an anti-fascist author panel at Spokane’s downtown library. This county contains multitudes.
Liberty Lake City Council
Book banning authority: On Tuesday, the Liberty Lake City Council is set for a first reading of an ordinance that would give the city council authority over library policy-making decisions like banning books. As it stands, library policies are set by a five-person volunteer board. The new law would ensure that decisions made by the board are “subject to City Council approval.”
The new law could give the council authority to ban books and appears to have the backing of a majority of council members, according to reporting by Colin Tiernan in the Spokesman-Review. Tiernan writes that the new policy “follows an unsuccessful citizen-led effort last spring to ban “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel that explores gender identity.”
Jandy Humble, the Liberty Lake library director, said that the ordinance wouldn’t cause significant changes to the day-to-day operations of the library. But, she said, council having the final say on board decisions could make the work of the volunteer library board feel somewhat pointless.
There will be a workshop on the new ordinance ahead of the city council meeting. “It’s important for the community to be involved in local government to have their voice heard,” Humble said, encouraging people to attend the council meeting or submit written comments.
A drone and pursuits: Liberty Lake is also considering purchasing a drone for the police department and a resolution supporting changes to vehicular pursuit laws at the state legislature that would give police more discretion in pursuing suspects who flee. It’s unlikely the resolution will have much impact on the legislature this session. Nearly two weeks ago KUOW reported that the bill, HB 1363, was unlikely to make it out of committee, much less come up for a vote. And indeed, with the deadline for bills to make it to the full house coming up on Friday, that’s exactly where HB 1363 finds itself: still in committee.
Agenda hereTuesday, Feb. 21 workshop at 6 p.m, regular council meeting at 7 p.m.In person at Liberty Lake City Hall or Zoom link here.22710 E Country Vista Dr, Liberty Lake
