US state to lift book bans in fight against censorship

J. B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois, told the media: 'We are not hiding from the truth' Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images.

Illinois is set to become the first state to pass anti-book laws to combat gender and sexuality censorship in the United States.

Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to sign legislation blocking funding for public schools and libraries that seize books this week after it was passed by the state legislature earlier this month.

The bill requires In order for libraries to be eligible to receive public funds, they must adopt the American Library Association's Libraries Bill of Rights, which states that «Materials shall not be excluded because of the origin, experience, or views of those who contribute to their creation.» and «should not be banned or removed due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval.»

It comes amid a surge in U.S. reading bans, with public school book bans jumping nearly a third in the first half of the 2022-23 school year, according to PEN America.

Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis , now a Florida governor sworn to «wage war on the awakened,» passed a series of laws last year to make it easier for parents to challenge books or learning materials available in schools.

Last week, a poem written for Joe Biden's inauguration was removed from a Miami school after a parent complained that it contained indirect «messages of hate.»

It is against this backdrop that the Senate The state of Illinois passed a proposed anti-book ban law earlier this month. The bill was sent to Democratic Gov. Pritzker last week and, if signed, will go into effect January 1 next year.

The bill will withhold public funding for any of the state's 1,600 public or school libraries that are removing books. off their shelves.

Libraries across Illinois receive a total of about $62 million (£49.8 million) annually.

“In Illinois, we don't hide from the truth. '' Mr Pritzker said in a statement when the legislation was introduced in March. “We accept it and lead with it. The book ban is a devastating attempt to erase our history and the true history of many people.”