Senate Bill 13: Another Step Towards Censorship, Not Solutions

Something no representative on either side of the political aisle seems to understand about Senate Bill 13 is that it’s not “House Bill 900 is not working” as the book banners like to claim. It’s that the 40 or so book banners who are driving their movement for the whole state refuse to take “no” for an answer.

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Texas parents, like us, have long said that if local reconsideration policies are followed (with fidelity), & a formal committee of parents and staff decide a book needs to be restricted or removed to comply with local policy or laws, then we can live with that decision. Even if we personally don’t love it.

But that has never been true in the reverse. The people driving all of these ideological book bans refuse to honor the decisions reached by local committees to retain the books they object to and challenge. 

They often fight and bully districts and boards into overruling committee decisions. They sometimes bypass the formal reconsideration process altogether and instead spam admins and trustees with countless emails demanding lists of books they don’t like, be removed.

Political groups email school districts and threaten “read aloud” stunts at their board meetings during public comment to try and blackmail them into complying with their demands to remove hundreds of books they baselessly claim are illegal. 

The rules and laws we already have in place work to ensure healthy, expansive, age appropriate school libraries. Book banners are essentially demanding to speak to the manager, after years of refusing to accept what they’re asking for is not on the Constitutional menu.

Parents have a right to challenge books if individual restrictions for their student feel insufficient. But parents/pastors/activists/politicians don’t get to decide what is “age appropriate” & “educationally suitable” based on their individual personal opinions and beliefs.

We don’t need more laws restricting and banning school library books. We need local and state officials to have the backs of local communities and public school districts trying to comply with and follow their board approved library policies, and current state laws.

Someone has to tell these people “no!” What they’re asking for is unconstitutional and flies in the face of local control, limited government, and first amendment freedoms.

House Bill 900 did not satisfy these people. Senate Bill 13 will not satisfy them, either. These people will not be satisfied until our librarians are in jail and our school libraries are emptied of all stories and ideas except the ones they like.

Texans must call on state legislators to protect local control, the rights and values of ALL Texas parents & students, and to reject Senate Bill 13.

The final hurdle for Senate Bill 13 to overcome before it heads to Governor Abbott's desk to be signed into state law, is to be voted on by the full Texas House.

Call and email your Texas House rep to tell them why you oppose SB 13, and ask them to do the same. Find your representative here.

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