Illinois may defund libraries that ban LGBT content, following the state’s ban on book bans.

Illinois Becomes First State to Outlaw Book Bans

Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a new law that will strip state funding from public libraries that ban books in response to community requests. The law, which takes effect on January 1, 2024, is the first of its kind in the nation to defy efforts to restrict books.

“Book bans are about censorship; marginalizing people, marginalizing ideas and facts. Regimes ban books, not democracies,” Pritzker said.

Illinois public libraries that restrict access to or ban a book due to what the law calls “partisan or doctrinal” disapproval will lose their state funding. However, Republicans who opposed the law argued that communities should be able to set their own standards.

Trust in Librarians

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias defended the law, saying, “What this law does is it says, let’s trust our experience and education of our librarians to decide what books should be in circulation.”

The bill was presented as an effort to push back against censorship and an environment of suspicion that has led to books being removed from school and local libraries. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation praised the legislation.

“Illinois legislation responds to disturbing circumstances of censorship and an environment of suspicion,” Deborah Caldwell-Stone said.

The bill says Illinois public libraries must have a written policy prohibiting book bans, or they must adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which says “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation,” or make a similar statement of their own.

Standing Up for Liberty

Democratic state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray said, “While it’s true that kids need guidance, and that some ideas can be objectionable, trying to weaponize local government to force one-size-fits-all standards onto the entire community for reasons of bigotry, or as a substitute for active and involved parenting, is wrong.”

Governor Pritzker painted the law as an effort to allow any idea to be shared. “Young people shouldn’t be kept from learning about the realities of our world; I want them to become critical thinkers, exposed to ideas that they disagree with, proud of what our nation has overcome and thoughtful about what comes next,” he said. “Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in the books they read, the art they see, the history they learn. In Illinois, we are showing the nation what it really looks like to stand up for liberty.”

Key Points:

• Illinois has become the first state to outlaw book bans in public libraries.
• Libraries that restrict access to or ban books due to “partisan or doctrinal” disapproval will lose state funding.
• The law is an effort to push back against censorship and an environment of suspicion.
• Illinois public libraries must have a written policy prohibiting book bans or adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights.
• The law is an effort to allow any idea to be shared and to stand up for liberty.

Source: The Western Journal

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