Massachusetts bill would make it difficult to challenge, remove questionable books in libraries

Critics are calling out Massachusetts Democrats for supporting a bill they say would make it difficult to challenge questionable books in libraries.

The bill has received bipartisan support, with 18 Democrats and three Republicans acting as co-sponsors, and is being sold as a protection of freedom of expression. It aims to “give stronger protections to school and public librarians and other staff who select library materials. It sets statewide guidelines for how, when and why books can be removed from libraries,” according to Fox News.

“The legislation requires that school library materials be age-appropriate, serve an educational purpose, and be chosen based on a teacher or librarian’s professional training—leaving aside personal or political views which could affect their decision to place the book on the shelf,” said state Sen. Jason Lewis, who co-sponsored the bill.

According to the bill, the only way to remove a book or other reading material from a school library would be a “vote by the school committee following notice, a public hearing and a finding by a review committee of school personnel, appointed by the school committee and the superintendent, that the material is devoid of any educational, literary, artistic, personal or social value or is not age appropriate for any child who attends the school.”

Lewis said that this would effectively put a stop to “politically motivated book bans,” which is how the left has characterized conservative parents objecting to sexually explicit and other questionable material in their children’s schools.

But the Massachusetts Family Institute, which has dubbed the act the “Pornographic Books Bill,” claims the process for challenging objectionable reading material in child libraries would be made more difficult under the bill, leaving parents with fewer options.

“This bill is not a good-hearted effort to protect free speech. It is a state-sponsored effort to silence anyone who dares to question a school librarian’s book selections. It places the wishes of adults over the protection of children,” the group stated.

“Defenders will say it shouldn’t be a particular group that is trying to ban these books,” said Republican state Senator Peter Durant, who is opposing the legislation. “Well, you know what? It shouldn’t be a particular group that’s promoting them.”

“The Massachusetts Senate approved the bill in a 35-3 vote on Nov. 13 and sent it to the House, where it has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means for further consideration,” Fox News added.

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