Legislation that increases state regulation of sexually graphic materials in school libraries has easily advanced from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, overcoming the opposition of liberal lawmakers who dismissed concerns about those materials.

House Bill 2978, by state Rep. Chris Banning, prohibits school libraries from offering books to students that include depictions or descriptions of sexually explicit conduct, with that phrase defined to include sexual intercourse, sodomy, masturbation, bestiality, and sadomasochism.

“House Bill 2978 clarifies that public-school libraries shall not include sexually explicit materials,” said Banning, R-Bixby.

Democratic lawmakers opposed the legislation.

State Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, said schools’ policies “already would prohibit sexually explicit materials.”

Banning said many school officials have found that prohibition is not always enforced.

“I spoke to many superintendents and leaders who were extremely surprised at the materials that were in their class,” Banning said.

McCane also dismissed concerns about pornographic material in school libraries, saying children can “get whatever they want on their phones or on their Chromebooks,” including at school.

“Despite a district’s best effort to put blocks in place, children spend all day working to get around it,” McCane said.

Other Democrats argued that sexually explicit materials are in school libraries, but it’s no big deal, arguing that the Bible is sexually explicit.

State Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, argued the Bible would be banned under HB 2978, as did state Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. Fugate pointed to Genesis 4:1, which states, “Adam made love to his wife Eve.”

Republican lawmakers who previously worked as public-school teachers said inappropriate materials have been placed in some school libraries.

“As a former educator of nine years, I found these books in schools that I worked at,” said state Rep. Gabe Woolley, R-Broken Arrow.

He said private book vendors often donated inappropriate and sexually graphic books, and the materials were not properly vetted before being placed in a school library.

State Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, also noted that book vendors “will send boxes of books to libraries” and that school librarians, who are often volunteers, “may not understand” that the donated books have “not been curated for a school library of the age appropriate to the students using that library.”

During a committee hearing on HB 2978, Banning noted issues had arisen at two of the eight schools located in his legislative district. Banning said one book found in the Bixby school library, of which an excerpt was provided to lawmakers in committee, could not be aired on broadcast news if read aloud.

HB 2978 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on a 74-17 vote that broke along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed. The legislation now proceeds to the Oklahoma Senate.