2025 Texas Legislative Session: Taking Away Local Control

Texas legislative officials have filed bills that establish statewide control over school districts and local communities. Removing local control would have detrimental impacts on communities statewide that rely on their own autonomy to ensure that they thrive.  

Due to the state’s size and varying demographics, local communities are the heart of Texas. Despite this, Texas legislative officials have filed bills that establish statewide control over school districts and local communities. Removing local control would have detrimental impacts on communities statewide that rely on their own autonomy to ensure that they thrive.  

In this legislative session, bills like HB183 attempt to take away local control from parents, students, and community members to review and regulate school library materials and instead give the authority to the State Board of Education.

By usurping local controls, the state legislature risks institutionalizing thought policing and censorship while acting as the arbiter of knowledge without the necessary know-how or experience.

In the process of taking away local control from communities, legislation like HB183 would also place financial burdens on taxpayers by raising insurance costs needed to ensure that school boards are not liable for any potential policy or legal violations. 

Reach out to your legislators to take action to protect local control and the freedom to read. 

Download our complete report to learn more about the 2025 Texas legislative session and the legislative bills attacking libraries. 

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