It is a fact universally acknowledged that Minnesota state representative Glenn Gruenhagen (R-Glencoe) is a starched opponent of obscenity, whether in the "filthy" studies published by sexologist Alfred Kinsey that he'd like to see destroyed or in his consernation at the University of Minnesota's Women's Center presenting a workshop on "The Female Orgasm: A Program About Sexual Health and Women's Empowerment," for "orgasm aficionados and beginners of all genders."
Never one to sit back and watch, Gruenhagen has introduced HF1997, a bill to remove obscenity law exemptions for public schools and postsecondary institutions (the strikout removes the word schools and the underlined text addsnew language:
. . .Subd. 2. Best interest. It is in the best interest of the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of this state, and especially of minors within the state, that commercial dissemination, and dissemination without monetary consideration in a place of public accommodation, of sexually explicit written, photographic, printed, sound or published materials, and of plays, dances, or other exhibitions presented before an audience, that are deemed harmful to minors, be restricted to persons over the age of 17 years; or, if available to minors under the age of 18 years, that the availability of the materials be restricted to sources within established and recognized schools, churches, museums, medical clinics and physicians, hospitals, public libraries, or government sponsored organizations, excluding schools and postsecondary institutions.
If passed, public K-12, PSEO and Doogie Howser-types in public schools will have to use the library or something if they want to learn about the Big O or filthy Kinsey studies.
At least, that's what Bluestem's crack team of legislative scholars is telling us.
Photo: Glenn Gruenhagen, the sole legislator backing HF1997. There is no Senate companion bill.
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