Representative Toth Announces Legislation To Protect Kids From Obscenity

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Today, Representative Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) announced his legislation to protect children in schools from sexually explicit and obscene materials that serve no educational purpose.

“Whether it's a drag show for kids at a transgender bar or fiction books in schools describing oral sex, parents are reporting things that are absolutely inappropriate for kids,” said Rep. Toth.

“Parents are alarmed when their kids are targeted in schools,” continued Toth. “Uvalde is the most shocking example. State leadership has committed to making our schools safer this upcoming legislative session. I’ve introduced legislation to replicate what we started in Montgomery County to require coordinated planning, drilling, and response emanating from the county to ensure the greatest level of collaboration. I still think that’s the best approach. At the same time, we have to address the obscene material that is desensitizing our kids and causing little boys and girls to be objectified. Obscenity in public schools is creating an unsafe environment for our kids.”

Rep. Toth’s legislation would tighten the obscenity exemption found in Texas Penal Code, Section 43.24. Currently the law allows a defense against obscenity charges if the material in question can be justified as scientific, educational, governmental or something similar. Parents have voiced concern that books matching the definition of obscene material are considered educational simply because they exist in school. Toth’s bill aims at keeping obscene and pornographic material out of taxpayer-funded school libraries and classroom assignments.

Steve Toth is a small business owner representing South Montgomery County in the Texas House of Representatives. Representative Toth has been a contributor on American Family Radio, KTRH, ABC, CNN, Newsmax, OAN, and Fox News.