Texas House Approves New Sweeping Book Ban

The Texas Tribune reports:

The Texas House passed a bill Thursday that aims to ban sexually explicit materials from school libraries. But legal experts, librarians and some parents are concerned that the bill’s language is vague and broad enough to ensnare books that are not inappropriate.

Under House Bill 900 — a priority for House Speaker Dade Phelan [photo] — sexually explicit books would be taken off shelves, and some books with sexual references would require parental consent. It passed the House by a 95-52 vote on Thursday after clearing an initial vote the previous day. The bill now heads to the Senate.

While lawmakers questioned the bill on the House floor, Texans sat cross-legged on the floor of the Capitol rotunda with books in hand to protest the legislation. Mimicking in-school reading time, the protesters read pictures books and young adult novels that could be targeted under HB 900.

Read the full article. Phelan appeared here in 2021 when he banned usage of the word “racism” during a Texas House debate on a racist voter suppression bill.

Texas House Passes Bill That Aims to Keep Sexually Explicit Materials Out of School Libraries | @TexasTribune https://t.co/tbHW9cbrfm pic.twitter.com/QU36ioH8zL

— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) April 21, 2023

Librarians, educators come to Texas Capitol for ‘read-in’ to protest banning books #txlege https://t.co/tFHEZtXuKB

— TX Capital Tonight (@TXCapTonight) April 20, 2023