Oklahoma Bookstore Owner Fights Back Against Content Ban Proposal

In Guthrie, Oklahoma, a local bookstore owner is raising the alarm over a proposed law she fears could lead to censorship and put independent booksellers at risk.

Chelsea Richardson, owner of A Novel Idea Bookshop, is speaking out against Senate Bill 593, introduced by State Sen. Dusty Deevers (R-Elgin). The bill aims to redefine “unlawful pornography” and increase penalties for distributing illegal content. However, Richardson believes the vague language in the legislation could have devastating consequences for bookstores like hers according to Fox 25.

“This is our rights that could be taken away,” Richardson said, voicing concerns that the law could force her to remove over half her inventory to avoid potential fines or imprisonment.

Taking her fight to social media, she’s urging her community to oppose what she calls a “slippery slope” toward widespread book bans.

“We carry fiction, romance, fantasy, LGBTQ books, nonfiction—everything,” Richardson explained. “The wording in this bill is so broad… if passed, what’s stopping them from banning other books next?”

Senator Pushes Back

Sen. Deevers refuted Richardson’s claims, stating that the bill only prohibits “visual depictions” of pornography and does not target romance novels or other books.

“The assertions in the post are simply untrue,” Deevers said in a statement to Fox 25. “Some on the left may support obscene pornography, but I am, and a growing majority of Republicans are, concerned that the average age of first exposure to pornographic videos is 12 years old.”

However, Richardson remains skeptical. She points to the bill’s vague wording, which references “any visual depiction or individual image… in any format.” She worries that such broad language could be misused to censor books with mature themes, particularly those featuring LGBTQ+ stories or romance.

The Fight Against Censorship Continues

Book bans and content restrictions have become a heated national issue, with independent bookstores often on the front lines of the battle for free expression.

Richardson isn’t backing down and encourages readers and fellow business owners to stay informed and speak out.

“This is bigger than one bookstore. It’s about the freedom to read, to think, and to choose for ourselves,” she said.