Hello!

This is an FYI about some hearings and oral arguments occurring in the coming days in two cases of interest to the library community. Both events will be livestreamed to the public for free. Information and links to the livestreams are listed below.

Friday April 18, 2025

State of Rhode Island, et. Al. v. Donald J. Trump – This is the case in Rhode Island Federal District Court challenging the Trump administration’s executive order to IMLS and other agencies requiring that those agencies eliminate all non-statutorily required programs and components and which is causing the reduction of staff and the pause/stoppage of programs, including the IMLS funding programs.

Michigan via the Michigan Attorney General is also a party to this litigation. State Librarian Randy Riley, LibDev Manager Michelle Bradley, and Grants Coordinator Karren Reish have been  working with the MI Attorney General.

The court will hold a hearing on a motion for a Temporary Restraining Order to pause actions by the administration to implement the Executive Order which precipitated the actions against IMLS and other agencies.

The hearing will be livestreamed by the court at the link below.

https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/public-access-telephonic-and-video-hearings

NOTICE of Hearing on MOTION for a Preliminary Injunction (converted from a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order): Motion Hearing in-person scheduled for FRIDAY 4/18/2025 at 10:00 AM in Courtroom 1 before Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr.; A remote viewing option will be made available for the public and information on that will be available on the Court's website at https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/public-access-telephonic-and-video-hearings

Tuesday, April 22

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor. This is a case where parents are suing their school district over LGBTQ books in their children's classroom. They are alleging that the refusal of the school district to permit the parents to opt out is an infringement of their religious freedom. The books in question are not used as part of any sex education or LGBTQ+ curriculum - they are used for read aloud and literacy and in-classroom collections.

Here is a link to an overview of the case Mahmoud v. Taylor: The Supreme Court case to ban LGBTQ books

and the link to the live audio, which will begin at 10:00am on Tuesday 4/22 https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx.

Additional information and documents relating to this case can also be found at https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/mahmoud-v-taylor/

Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D.

Library Law Consultant

Library of Michigan

MembielaC@michigan.gov

517-335-8132

The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.

“the State may not, consistently with the spirit of the First Amendment, contract the spectrum of available knowledge.” Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 482 (1965).

Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan provides focused direction to drive educational achievement in support of all learners.

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