Illinois bill will cut off public funding to libraries that ban books
May 04, 2023
By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Editor/Digital Producer)
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Book bans have no place in Illinois
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Illinois Becomes First State to Pass Bill Aimed at Preventing Book Bans
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Illinois closes the book on book bans
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Illinois bill preventing library book bans passes Senate
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Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
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Leaning Right
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Last Updated
12 months ago
Illinois is one step closer to protecting books from being banned in public libraries. The legislation comes as a countermove to bans on books with topics such as race, gender and sexuality in schools and libraries.
State lawmakers, along party lines, passed a bill during the week of April 30 that would take away state funding from public libraries if they ban books with controversial topics or viewpoints.
The legislation would only allow libraries to receive funding if they adopt an anti-book banning policy.
According to the American Library Association, attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries hit a record high in 2022. Last year, there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois.
Proponents of the bill say the landmark legislation sets a nationwide precedent in promoting the sharing of library sources, and teaches children to think for themselves.
“This is an incredibly important step for our democracy, a win for First Amendment rights, and for the freedom to learn. In Illinois, book banning will not be allowed. We want our children to have access to everything. That’s what education is all about,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said.
Republican state lawmakers say the bill is an effort by Democrats to force their extreme ideology on others, and called the legislation a publicity stunt and overreach by politicians.
But with a Democratic majority, the legislation passed both chambers and now heads to the desk of the governor who says he looks forward to signing it.
The bill, when signed into law, will be the first of its kind in the nation.
KARAH RUCKER: ILLINOIS IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO PROTECTING BOOKS FROM BEING BANNED IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES. THE LEGISLATION COMES AS A COUNTER MOVE TO BANS ON BOOKS WITH TOPICS SUCH AS RACE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.
ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS – ALONG PARTY LINES – PASSED A BILL THIS WEEK THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY STATE-FUNDING FROM PUBLIC LIBRARIES IF THEY BAN BOOKS WITH CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS OR VIEWPOINTS.
THE LEGISLATION WOULD ONLY ALLOW LIBRARIES TO RECEIVE FUNDING IF THEY ADOPTED AN ANTI-BOOK BANNING POLICY.
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, ATTEMPTED BOOK BANS AND RESTRICTIONS AT SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES HIT A RECORD-HIGH IN 2022.
LAST YEAR THERE WERE 67 ATTEMPTS TO BAN BOOKS IN ILLINOIS.
PROPONENTS OF THE BILL SAY THE LANDMARK LEGISLATION SETS A NATIONWIDE PRECEDENT IN PROMOTING THE SHARING OF LIBRARY SOURCES, AND TEACHES CHILDREN TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
ALEXI GIANNOULIAS | IL SECRETARY OF STATE: “This is an incredibly important step for our democracy, a win for first amendment rights, and for the freedom to learn. In Illinois, book banning will not be allowed. We want our children to have access to everything. That’s what education is all about.”
REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKERS SAY THE BILL IS AN EFFORT BY DEMOCRATS TO “FORCE THEIR EXTREME IDEOLOGY” ON OTHERS – AND CALLED THE LEGISLATION A PUBLICITY STUNT AND OVERREACH BY POLITICIANS.
BUT WITH A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY – THE LEGISLATION PASSED BOTH CHAMBERS AND NOW HEADS TO THE DESK OF THE GOVERNOR, WHO SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO SIGNING IT. THE BILL – WHEN SIGNED INTO LAW – WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE NATION.
Related
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 5% of the coverage is from right leaning media.
Learn more about this dataLeft 64%
Center 32%
Right 5%
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
+0
Click to close
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on The Independent
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Associated Press News
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on abc News
Book bans have no place in Illinois
Click to see story on Chicago Sun Times
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Alaska Highway News
Illinois Becomes First State to Pass Bill Aimed at Preventing Book Bans
Click to see story on NBC Chicago
Illinois closes the book on book bans
Click to see story on Politico
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Lakeland Today
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Airdrie Today
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Mountainview Today
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Town And Country Today
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Burnaby Now
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Coast Reporter
Click to close
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on KRDO
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Winnipeg Free Press
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on San Diego Union Tribune
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on WGN 9
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on KOB 4
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on KSDK
Illinois bill preventing library book bans passes Senate
Click to see story on WCIA.com
Click to close
Right
+0
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Far
Right
+0
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Richmond News
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on AlbertaPrimeTimes.com
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Tri-City News
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Pique
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Squamish Chief
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on New West Record
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on St. Albert Gazette
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on My Mother Lode
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on Powell River Peak
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on westernwheel.ca
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on cochraneeagle.ca
Illinois lawmakers push back on library book bans
Click to see story on The Breeze-Courier
Click to close
34 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
34
Leaning Left
14
Center
7
Leaning Right
1
Last Updated
12 months ago
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