This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
A bill that would make it harder to remove books from public school libraries cleared its first legislative hurdle Monday night.
After a three-hour debate, members of the Senate Education Committee approved the bill that would require schools to have a policy on school library book challenges.
Senate Bill 63 would stipulate that only parents or legal guardians of children at a school could challenge a book in their child’s library and ask for its removal. It would also protect school librarians from retaliation and require that a school’s challenge policy be transparent and posted for the community.
It also would limit challenges to a book’s place in a library to once every two years.
“It’s never been more important to protect the freedom to read,” said bill sponsor state Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat. “Free societies don’t ban books.”
She said the bill would protect school libraries from what’s known as “ban bombing,” where hundreds of requests to ban books bombard school librarians. Book challenges have become more prevalent nationwide. In 2022, Colorado was home to nearly 10 percent of all book challenges, according to the American Library Association.
Some book challenges in Colorado have drawn lawsuits.
In August, the Elizabeth school board voted to remove 19 books from library shelves after board members conducted a review for content such as racism, graphic violence and sexual content.
Many of the books on the list were written by or about people of color or LGBTQ people, such as “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.
School board members called the books “disgusting” or “ugly” and said it was their duty to protect children. Dozens of other books are on a “sensitive list” – including a number of religious books, books like “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Catcher in the Rye” and “The Hunger Games” – that allows parents to prohibit their children from checking out the books.
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In December the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two students and two groups including NAACP of the Rocky Mountains, arguing that the ban violates federal and state free speech protections. It said the book removals deny authors their right to share their books with students free from viewpoint-based censorship.
Passionate testimonials from students, advocates and even a reverand
Dozens of parents and students gave impassioned testimony in support of the bill Monday.
They said that books have opened their minds to new ideas and perspectives and have given them a window into lives very different from their own. They said books spark imagination and are a way to develop critical thinking skills and empathy.
Hripsime Vartanyan, an exchange student from the nation of Georgia, testified for the bill. She explained to legislators that her parents and grandparents grew up in the Soviet Union when books were banned.
“But when I was growing up, there was no Soviet Union. So my parents … they tried for me to have a choice to read whatever book I want. And I’m thankful to them that they give me choice and the opportunity to be educated and read about the topics that I want, not someone else,” Vartanyan said.
She said she was confused when she heard about books being banned in the United States.
Denisse Solis of Reforma Colorado said her school library was one of the most meaningful parts of her childhood.
“Reading about characters navigating challenges helped me process my own experiences and gave me the words to articulate them. The more I learned, the more I could help my family. Libraries didn’t just make me a better student, they made life better for all of us,” Solis said.
Liz Wilson, co-founder of the Pro-Colorado Education Project, said a small but loud group targeted several books at her daughter’s public charter school. Wilson said the turmoil derailed the productivity of the school’s board, staff and parents from focusing on academics.
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“I urge you to pass this bill because without it, Colorado public schools, students and communities will remain vulnerable to chaos, intimidation, and censorship. If we fail to act, these attacks will escalate,” Wilson said.
Erin Meschke, a Boulder resident opposed to the bill, said no one is trying to ban books. Rather, they are trying to make sure books are aligned with standards protecting children from pornography.
“The majority of books being challenged … graphically portray sex, pedophilia, rape, incest, and other things that have nothing to do with developmentally appropriate interest, education, or enlightenment,” Meschke said.
Rev. Lori Goebel of Faith Now Fellowship said she believes that other people besides parents should be able to lodge complaints against books. She said books that some parents may find offensive shouldn’t be in public school libraries.
“If a parent or guardian chooses to allow their child to access what another parent would deem inappropriate for their child, that is their choice, and there are other places to access those books without placing these books in a school library and crossing the boundaries placed by other parents for their children,” Goebel said.
But Meg Reed, a grandmother, challenged opponents’ assertions that they want to protect parents’ right to guide their children.
“What they really want is to dictate what is right for all families,” Reed said. “While they’re completely free to deny their own children access to whatever books they might find offensive, they do not have the right to make those decisions for other parents.”
Mark Fink, executive director Anythink Libraries, supported the provision that would make it illegal to fire, demote or punish a school library worker for selecting, retaining, or displaying a book before it’s been reviewed.
“Without this protection, school library workers are vulnerable to smear campaigns and personal attacks while they do their jobs, which include fostering creative thinking and providing access to a vast marketplace of ideas,” Fink said.
Matt Cook, director of public policy and advocacy for the Colorado Association of School Boards, said most school districts already have policies that meet the requirements of the bill.
What happens next?
A similar bill died last year in the Senate Education Committee, though the legislature approved a different measure offering protections for books in public libraries.
This year, with two different Democrats on the committee and some changes to appease the Colorado Association of School Boards, Senate Bill 63 passed on a 5-2 vote.
Senate Bill 63 now goes to the Senate floor for a vote.
This story was produced by the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.