422: Book ban update and honoring public service

Earlier this year North Dakota lawmakers tried to pass two - yes, two - book bans. One, House Bill 1205, was slightly less odious than the other, Senate Bill 2360, in that it didn't seek criminal penalties for librarians and educators. Both bills did pass the Legislature, though Gov. Doug Burgum only signed the House bill into law, He vetoed SB2360, and lawmakers failed to override the veto.

So now that HB1205 is law, how will it impact our state's libraries? Kerrianne Boetcher, the administrator of the Ward County Public Library and the current president of the North Dakota Library Association, joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss.

She talked about what it was like to go through an ugly debate that featured completely stupid and unfounded claims about librarians and educators exposing children to pornography - "It was very hard not to take a lot of it personally," Boetcher told us - as well as what librarians will have to do to comply with the new law.

Also on this episode, Wednesday co-host Ben Hanson and I talk about the cynical attitude many Americans have about public service, and what impact that's having on the way in which we're governed.

To subscribe to the Plain Talk podcast, search for the show on popular podcast services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or click here for more information.