The Shocking Truth About AB416
Here’s something that’ll make your coffee go cold. Nevada lawmakers are pushing a bill that could land parents in prison for speaking out against sexually explicit books in their kids’ school libraries. We’re not making this up.
Assembly Bill 416 doesn’t just make it harder to remove inappropriate material from schools. It actually threatens parents with felony charges if they get too vocal about objecting to what their children can access. And get this – the same bill gives legal immunity to librarians who put graphic sexual content where middle schoolers can find it.
Erin Phillips, president of Power2Parent, put it perfectly in a recent tweet:
“Any lawmaker who backs a bill making it a felony to speak out against porn for kids or strips parents of opt-in rights will never get our endorsement. We’re a parental rights org. If you don’t stand with parents, we won’t stand with you. This is our line in the sand.”
Any lawmaker who backs a bill making it a felony to speak out against porn for kids or strips parents of opt-in rights will never get our endorsement.
We’re a parental rights org. If you don’t stand with parents, we won’t stand with you.
This is our line in the sand. #NVleg
— Erin Phillips (@erinbluizz) May 29, 2025
What This Bill Actually Says
Let’s look at the actual language of AB416. The bill states that no school can adopt any policy that “limits access to a pupil to library material” based on content regarding “sex, race, national origin, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation” or other characteristics.
But here’s the kicker. The bill says:
“a person who objects to any obscene material in the school or public library must petition a court in order to have any material removed.”
This means if you find a book that shows graphic sexual acts to your seventh-grader, you can’t just talk to the principal anymore. You have to hire a lawyer and go to court.
And if you get too upset about it? The bill “protects librarians, volunteers, school boards, charter schools from anyone who might threaten or use violence against them which can result in a Category E Felony.” Sounds reasonable until you realize how broadly they might interpret “threaten.”
A Mom Takes Action
Phillips recently did something brave at the Nevada legislature. She stood up and read passages from a book called “Let’s Talk About It” that’s currently available to middle and high schoolers in Clark County schools. The book discusses self-pleasure and suggests using sex toys for “bonus fun.”
“If I as a parent handed this passage to someone’s child outside of a school, I could be criminally prosecuted under Nevada obscenity laws,” Phillips told the lawmakers. “This book includes graphic pictures of genitalia and sex acts.”
Think about that for a second. A parent could face criminal charges for sharing this material with other people’s kids. But under AB416, school employees get legal immunity to distribute the exact same content to minors in what they call an “instructional setting.”
WATCH: Nevada mom @erinbluizz reads a sexually explicit library book to legislators in protest of a controversial bill about content in schools.
The book, titled “Let’s Talk About It,” discusses self-pleasure and suggests using sex toys for “bonus fun.” Phillips says the book… pic.twitter.com/USt4Ok7yqq
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) May 29, 2025
The Government Takeover of Parenting
This is government overreach at its finest. Instead of letting parents work with local schools to address concerns, AB416 forces families into expensive court battles they can’t afford to fight.
The bill’s definition of “obscene” sets an impossibly high bar. Material is only considered obscene if it “appeals to prurient interest,” “lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value,” and depicts sexual acts “in a patently offensive way.” That’s lawyer language that basically means almost nothing will qualify for removal.
Meanwhile, regular parents who raise their voices too loudly could find themselves facing felony charges. The bill claims to protect school employees from “violence,” but in today’s climate, even heated words at a school board meeting might be twisted into a “threat.”
What the Other Side Claims
Supporters of AB416 wrap themselves in the flag of “intellectual freedom.” They argue that concerned parents are just book-banning extremists who want to censor important literature.
The American Library Association loves this stuff. They’ve been pushing similar laws across the country, claiming that any effort to remove sexually explicit material from children’s sections amounts to discrimination and censorship.
Some teachers and librarians say they need protection from angry parents who might go too far. They point to heated school board meetings and claim they fear for their safety.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t happening in a vacuum. Across the country, progressive activists are using the same playbook. They flood school libraries with inappropriate material, then cry “censorship” when parents object. When that doesn’t work, they get laws passed that criminalize parental involvement.
It’s a brilliant strategy if you think about it. Put sexually explicit material where kids can find it, make it nearly impossible to remove, and threaten parents with prison time if they complain too loudly. What parent wants to risk a felony record?
Phillips nailed it when she said this bill:
“grants legal immunity to school staff who distribute graphic sexually explicit material to minors, material that if shared by a parent could result in class E felony.”
Time is Running Out
AB416 is sitting in the Nevada Senate Education Committee right now. Committee Chair Angela Taylor and Democrats Marilyn Dondero-Loop, Fabian Donate, and Shelly Cruz-Crawford are likely to support it. Republicans Carrie Buck, Robin Titus, and Lori Rogich might be the only thing standing between this bill and passage.
If it gets out of committee, it’ll probably pass the full Senate. Democrats control both chambers in Nevada, and they’re not exactly known for supporting parental rights these days.
What You Can Do Right Now
First, call those committee members immediately. Don’t email – call. Phone numbers are: Angela Taylor (775) 684-1419, Marilyn Dondero-Loop (775) 684-1445, Fabian Donate (775) 684-1427, and Shelly Cruz-Crawford (775) 684-1427.
Tell them you oppose AB416 because it strips parental rights and threatens parents with felony charges for objecting to inappropriate material in school libraries. Keep it short and polite, but be firm.
You can also submit written testimony at the Nevada legislature website. Look for “Opinions” in the upper right corner when you pull up AB416.
Most importantly, spread the word. Most parents have no idea this is happening. The only way we stop this is if enough people know what’s really going on.
The line in the sand has been drawn. The question is whether we’ll stand behind it.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
