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Posted on July 13, 2023 at 2:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
Illinois became the first state in the nation to pass a law aiming to stop (or at least discourage) book banning.
But other states are working to ensure it won’t be the last one.
BookRiot reports that a Pennsylvania state senator has made such a bill a priority for the next legislative session.
Amanda M. Cappelletti sent a memo to her colleagues promising to introduce a bill requiring libraries that receive state funding to either formalize the policy of following the American Library Association's Bill of Rights or add their own language about preserving everyone's right to read.
While New York and New Jersey are also interested in following Illinois's lead, the move in Pennsylvania is seen as significant for a few reasons.
One, PEN America found that in the 2022-2023 school year, Pennsylvania was among the states with the highest number of book bans in schools.
And two, the group No Left Turn in Eduction — seen as one of the best-known advocates for book bans in the US — was founded in Pennsylvania.
Later in the day, Massachusetts state Senator Jake Oliveira also announced that he and his colleagues would work towards introducing a similar bill.
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Categories: Today in Books