Federal Courts are Allowing Children to Consume Explicit Content

Federal courts have held up multiple bills that have passed in the Texas legislature last session. These bills, aimed at safeguarding the well-being and innocence of children, have faced legal roadblocks that have left concerned Texans wondering about the fate of these objectively good laws. Texas SB 12, as we know, was deemed “unconstitutional” but there are other equally as important bills still being held up.

Texas HB 900: "The Reader Act"

Another vital piece of legislation, Texas HB 900, also known as "The Reader Act," seeks to regulate books and materials sold to schools for sexually explicit content. The core objective of this bill is to ensure that educational materials meant for children are strictly that, educational material. School libraries have been found to have a plethora of pornographic/homosexual material that any parent would be extremely concerned with.

UPDATE: Texas HB 900 was passed through the 5th circuit court of appeals and is now law in Texas. Texas Family Project President Brady Gray said, "We're thankful that obscene books are once again off limits at public libraries and schools. While this ruling is welcome, we know this fight isn't over and the left is determined to keep explicit content available to children. We'll keep fighting to protect the family and Texas kids."

Texas HB 1181: Age Verification for Pornography Websites

Texas HB 1181 is another pro-family bill that remains entangled in federal courts. This legislation seeks to impose age verification requirements for pornography websites. The rationale behind this bill is simple: pornography websites are known to exploit minors, and implementing age verification measures is a common-sense approach to mitigate this issue.

If it’s already illegal for minors to view pornography then it shouldn’t be any issue to require age verification. Federal courts holding up this bill just shows what side of things they stand on. As with Texas HB 900, we haven’t been given a timeline on when a resolution may occur.

The Ongoing Struggle and Lack of Resolution

These bills were slated to become law on September 1st, but they continue to face legal hurdles. The lack of a clear timeline for resolution has left Texans concerned about the fate of these essential measures. Preserving family values, safeguarding children's innocence, and protecting minors from the harms of explicit content should transcend partisan politics and be a shared goal for all.

As we await further developments in the legal battles surrounding these pro-family bills, we will continue to provide updates on the situations. It is our hope that, in the end, the courts will recognize the importance of these measures in upholding the values and principles that many Texans hold dear.