Florida

Citrus County Lawmakers Refuse to Allow Library to Subscribe to New York Times

County staffers recommended the digital subscription to the Times, but it failed to even reach a vote

Florida lawmakers refused to vote on a request from their county's library to pay for a subscription to The New York Times, siding with President Donald Trump's position on the paper and citing concerns over "fake news," NBC News reported.

On Oct. 24, the Citrus County Board of Commissioners held a meeting in which they addressed a librarian's plea for a digital subscription to The New York Times.

County staffers recommended the purchase, but it failed to even reach a vote.

"Fake news, OK, I agree with President Trump," said Commissioner Scott Carnahan. "I don't want the New York Times in this county. I don't agree with it, I don't like them."

The dispute came soon after Trump ordered federal agencies to stop any subscriptions to The New York Times and The Washington Post, though it remains unclear how the plan will be carried out or enforced.

Citrus County's library currently has no digital newspaper subscriptions, but the system has hard-copy subscriptions to the Citrus County Chronicle, The New York Times, The Tampa Bay Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

A digital subscription to The New York Times would cost $2,657.20 for the first two years and $2,714.40 for the third.

County staffers told NBC News there is the possibility for the five commissioners to change their mind; the item will appear on the board's agenda again on Nov. 19.

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