PHOENIX — In November, two Arizona teachers were fired for making sexually explicit content on school grounds. It got them fired, but not in trouble with the law.
In response, a lawmaker proposed a bill that would have changed that but it was vetoed by the governor. She and other critics say it was a "thinly veiled effort to ban books."
State Sen. Jake Hoffman, who introduced the bill, says it stemmed from November's incident in Lake Havasu City.
“Senate bill 1696 is an incredibly important bill," said State Sen. Jake Hoffman who introduced the bill.
"It would ban filming pornography in our K-12, elementary, middle school and high school classrooms. Something that, unfortunately, took place over the last year. Amazingly, the criminal code doesn't touch this issue."
Hoffman's bill would have made those teachers' actions a class five felony. On Monday, it was vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs with support from Arizona teachers.
Marisol Garcia, president of the Arizona Education Association, was relieved. Her problem with the bill had nothing to do with the portion about filming sexual content on school grounds, but rather how vague it was in its wording.
"We shouldn't be using legislative time and energy and taxpayer money to be dealing with one issue that happened at one school," Garcia said. "That should be dealt with at the school district level and be done with it. But that's not what this bill was."
Garcia's issue lies with the portion of the bill about exposing minors to sexually explicit materials. Last year, Governor Doug Ducey signed another of Hoffman's bills into law, HB2495, prohibiting schools from referring or using sexually explicit materials.
This new bill would have extended that clause to cities and towns, including libraries.
“Educators are professionals, we go to school to learn how to have age-appropriate discussions, literature with our students," Garcia said.
Hobbs agrees. In her veto letter, she wrote, “While I agree that not all content is appropriate for minors, this bill is a poor way to address those concerns. The sponsor has stated that this bill was aimed at preventing a specific action from reoccurring, while in reality it is written in such a vague manner that it serves as little more than a thinly veiled effort to ban books."
Sen. Hoffman wasn't satisfied with Hobbs' letter.
"Unfortunately, this shows the inexperience of Katie Hobbs and why she's not fit to be our chief executive," Hoffman said. "That statute that she's alluding to is already on the books. It is already current law in Arizona, that teachers are not allowed to refer students to or use sexually explicit materials."
Arizona politics
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