Jason Rapert, one of the Arkansas State Library Board’s newest members, made a motion at the board’s Friday, February 9, 2024 meeting to temporarily withhold state funding for public libraries that are currently suing the state over a law that would change how libraries handle content challenges. The motion died for lack of a second, and Rapert then joined the vote to approve funding for all eligible public libraries. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)
The Arkansas State Library Board voted unanimously on Friday to give public libraries their allotted quarterly share of state money after former state Sen. Jason Rapert tried to suspend funding for the libraries suing the state.
The board authorized the disbursement of almost $1.4 million over the next couple of weeks, State Library Director Jennifer Chilcoat said. The board will meet again in May to distribute the final quarterly share of funds for fiscal year 2024, which ends June 30.
Rapert, one of two new board members confirmed in December , proposed temporarily withholding funds for the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), the Fayetteville Public Library and the Eureka Springs Public Library.