LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Former legislator Jason Rapert, a vocal opponent of the LGBTQ community and abortion laws, has been confirmed to the state's library board on Dec. 15.
Rapert's confirmation to the board came in a 22-10 vote in the Arkansas Senate after Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed him on Nov. 20.
"I will do my best to uphold the spirit and the letter of the law for the people of Arkansas in this oversight position," Rapert said. "I look forward to working with my fellow board members to ensure Arkansas libraries are the best they possibly can be for our children and our communities."
His appointment comes at a time when libraries and parents are challenging an Arkansas law passed this year that restricts access to books in public libraries. That law is currently under a temporary block after a judge's ruling in July.
The former state senator told us that he wants any library suing the state of Arkansas over the law to not receive any state or federal funding.
"When you turn around and sue the State of Arkansas, who is responsible for sending funding to you, that's a problem," Rapert said. "We want to make sure people are doing right."
That law creates a process in which someone can "challenge" library materials that are considered "obscene." Those materials could then be relocated to another area in the library not accessible to children.
Many of the materials challenged in 2023 have been books that include LGBTQ themes.
Rapert will serve on the board until his term expires on October 18, 2029.
