TEXAS, USA — In recent years, Texas has joined states like Florida and Iowa in the push to ban books deemed inappropriate in public schools. Now, more changes could be coming.
During a regular meeting this month, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) proposed that it should be given the right to determine the rating of books based on sexual content and whether they are suitable in school libraries.
According to KVUE's media partners with the Austin-American Statesman, this decision was previously made by merchants who would sell their books to schools across the state.
Many of these vendors disagreed with this law, better known as the Texas Reader Act, because they said the added responsibility impacted their businesses. Some sellers even worked alongside state libraries to sue Texas, as they also claimed these ratings could be changed by the Texas Education Association (TEA).
The law was created by Texas House of Representatives Republican Jared Patterson last summer but has since been placed on hold.
The Statesman reports that it is similar to House Bill 183, which would allow parents to request the SBOE to evaluate library books to determine whether they include sexual content and/or are appropriate for student readers. This bill was also introduced by Patterson, who represents Frisco, Texas.
The issue will be discussed further during the 89th legislative session, set to take place from Jan. 14, 2025, to June 2, 2025.
Book bans impact schools across Texas
Across the state of Texas, there are currently 538 books banned across 12 districts, according to PEN America. Over 350 of these books are prohibited in Frisco ISD, with 85 forbidden in Keller ISD and 79 outlawed in Conroe ISD, the Dallas Observer writes.
Here in Central Texas, Lake Travis ISD banned 14 books, including Love Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins, Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Mass and This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki.
Each year, the American Library Association hosts Banned Books Week to encourage free access to stories and their content.