ASSEMBLY OKS PARENTAL ACCESS TO LIBRARY RECORDS

Doyle undecided on whether what children check out should be disclosed

Madison - Legislation requiring public libraries to disclose to parents of
children under 16 records of all books, CDs, videotapes and other library
materials their kids check out moved one step closer to becoming law
Thursday.

In a 68-28 vote, the Assembly gave the measure final approval and sent it to
the Senate, which has already endorsed its own version of the bill. The
Senate is expected to concur with the Assembly bill and send it to Gov. Jim
Doyle, who has said he has not decided whether he will sign or veto the
bill.

Advocates of the legislation argued Thursday that it was needed to give
parents who request such information the right to see what library materials
and services their children are using.

"For those parents who want this information, they ought to have the right
of access," said Rep. Sheryl Albers (R-Reedsburg), the bill's author.

But opponents said the bill change would violate the privacy rights of
children. They said children should be encouraged to be inquisitive and use
libraries to learn more about any subject that interests them, including
some they would not be willing or able to discuss with their parents or
guardians.

Rep. Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids) said reading is a fundamental
freedom and that librarians should not be forced to be "government monitors"
reporting what materials children use.

"What are you afraid of? What is so offensive in a public library that we
have to have legislation like this?" Schneider said.

He said if proponents of the legislation were serious about giving parents
new rights to access the records of what their children are reading, the
bill should be expanded to include the sales records of bookstores.

"This bill doesn't do that, but it's headed in that direction," Schneider
said.

Librarians and the Wisconsin Library Association said they believed it
should be up to each local public library to set a policy on disclosure of
circulation records to parents.

Now, with few exceptions, libraries are prohibited from disclosing any
records that indicate the identity of individuals who borrow materials or
use library services.

Albers said the issue was brought to her attention when two of her
constituents received an overdue notice for a book one of their children had
checked out of the local library. When they asked what book it was, library
officials refused to tell the couple.

That incident, she said, raised the bigger issue of the need for parents to
have access to library records to monitor materials their children check
out.

In other action, the Assembly: Approved, 98-1, and sent to the Senate
legislation that would make Wisconsin the first state in the nation to offer
live organ donors a one-time, $10,000 income tax deduction to cover lost
wages, travel and lodging expenses. Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer (D-Manitowoc) was
the lone vote against the measure. Approved, 68-28, and sent to the Senate a
bill that would bar Wisconsin university students convicted of selling drugs
or possessing drugs with the intent to sell from receiving state financial
aid. It would not apply to students convicted of possessing drugs.

Rep. Leon Young (D-Milwaukee) said the measure would "devastate the
African-American" community, whose members he noted are disproportionately
charged with drug offenses. Barring young people convicted of selling drugs
from obtaining state aid to help pay for college could prevent them from
turning their lives around and getting good jobs, Young said.

But Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-Eau Claire) said Wisconsin taxpayers should not be
expected to subsidize the education of drug dealers when there is intense
competition for state financial aid. Approved, 55-40, a bill that would
prohibit a county, city, village or town from setting a minimum wage higher
than the state minimum wage of $5.15 a hour. Some Madison officials have
suggested phasing in a city minimum wage of $7.75.