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Bill to Restrict School Book Bans Clears Legislature, Heads to Governor
- On Monday, the Oregon House approved Senate Bill 1098 by a 34-21 margin, barring the removal of books from school libraries based on the content relating to protected classes.
- The bill followed a March Senate approval of 18-10 and responds to a record 151 book challenges in Oregon schools and libraries in 2024.
- Supporters emphasize the bill promotes freedom to read and protects against censorship, while opponents, mostly Republicans, argue it undermines family values and age appropriateness.
- State Rep. Cyrus Javadi highlighted that books can be removed if content is too graphic or age-inappropriate, but not because the author is LGBTQ+, Black, or Muslim.
- The bill now heads to Governor Tina Kotek, joining at least eight states with similar legislation that protect diverse viewpoints and library workers from lawsuits.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Bill to restrict school book bans clears Legislature, heads to governor
A bill to protect access to school library books that discuss different religions, sexualities, disabilities and a number of other topics, and to ensure they are not banned on the basis of those themes, is headed to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk. She’s expected to sign it.
Oregon has passed a bill to protect school libraries from book bans.
Another win for freedom to read legislation on the West Coast this week, as Oregon’s state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1098 on Monday, a bill that will protect access to books in school libraries. It’s great news: books can no longer be banned solely because they discuss sexuality, religion, or other topics, nor […]
Want To Help Teens Protect The Freedom to Read? Libraries, Apply for Books Unbanned Programming Funding Now
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) launched its Books Unbanned program in 2022 in response to an unprecedented rise in book bans nationwide. The program offers teens unrestricted access to their entire digital collection, supports the right for teens to read what they want, and builds a network of advocates nationwide that champion the freedom to read. Now, Books Unbanned wants to help you build your own local teen freedom to read advocates with fun…
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