Tensions simmered at the Huntington Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, with residents focused on Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark’s proposal to screen out “obscene and pornographic children’s books” from city libraries.

The meeting began at 6 p.m. with more than a hundred people signed up to speak and more than 600 emailed comments to the City Council. Mayor Tony Strickland had to pound his gavel several times to ask the room to calm down during the public comments.

The proposal puts Huntington Beach in the spotlight during a recent rise in attempted book bans throughout the nation. Many residents said they are concerned that Van Der Mark’s proposal could lead to book bans, but Van Der Mark has maintained that isn’t her intention.

Van Derk Mark said she wants to make the books inaccessible to children to check out on their own, but parents could still decide to check them out.

Van Der Mark is asking the City Council to have the city manager and city attorney draft a new law to keep the materials from being made available to children. She also asked for a process to screen new books.

City Attorney Michael Gates would evaluate if any books asked to be reviewed can be banned under the First Amendment, according to the proposal.

Van Der Mark will present a PowerPoint later during tonight’s meeting with several excerpts from books that she says showed sexually explicit passages and illustrations, some of which she said she found in young adult and children’s sections of the Huntington Beach Public Library.

Some had LGBTQ themes, some covered various sexual topics. Van Der Mark blurred some of the material in her 13-slide presentation.

Huntington Beach resident Laszlo Lak said the material in question “is not something that is uplifting” and a line should be drawn somewhere over what’s appropriate for children to access.

Not all the councilmembers have tipped how they plan to vote. Councilmember Rhonda Bolton earlier in the evening questioned why Van Der Mark had singled out some LGBTQ books.

Dozens of speakers brought Pride flags to signal their opposition to the book proposal.

Mark Dixon, a longtime Huntington Beach resident, said elected officials shouldn’t have power over what books are appropriate in libraries.

“I want people who are trained and qualified to select the books for our children to see,” Dixon said.

Author Elana K. Arnold, who’s had several of her books banned, said librarians have an education on what books should be in libraries. “They should be in charge.”

Before the meeting, State Sen. Dave Min, who represents parts of Huntington Beach, asked the City Council to reject Van Der Mark’s proposal. He called the proposal wrong and said parents can choose which books are appropriate for their children.

“The bill will further add to the growing perception that Surf City is a hostile and unwelcoming place to those with diverse ideas or perspectives,” Min said in a statement.

This story is developing, please check back later for updates.

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