KENNEWICK, Wash.- Secretary of State Steve Hobbs was in Kennewick on July 25 to meet with election officials and recognize some local high school students for their efforts against recent book bans.
Secretary Hobbs met with election officials in Benton and Franklin Counties ahead of the August 1 primary election and met with three Walla Walla High students at the Kennewick branch of the Mid-Columbia Libarary about their Banned Book Club.
“We have to respect the first amendment,” Secretary Hobbs said. “It’s a freedom and books are part of that.”
Walla Walla students Ava Kirtley and Arin Iverson are members of the Banned Book Club, which works to keep banned books in schools and protects access to them for students interested in reading the controversial titles.
“It’s a challenging yet valuable experience to learn to speak up for yourself, in doing so you speak up for others who are like you,” Iverson said.
