Republican who wants to make state book the Bible calls for burning banned books
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Republicans love nothing more than stirring hysteria in their voter base. As Daily Kos continues to cover, for example, conservatives have made trans rights—and particularly the rights of trans youth—a rallying cry as we approach the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans have insisted they’re protecting women’s rights by banning trans girls from competing in sports teams, for example, and used the same justification to try and keep trans women out of women’s bathrooms. They’ve also made it clear they want to make it impossible for trans youth to access gender-affirming health care, which we know to be lifesaving.
Republicans are also going after library books. Yes, book bans are apparently alive and well in 2022. As Daily Kos continues to cover, most of the efforts to pull, ban, or even burn books are coming from conservatives at all levels of government. We’re also seeing concentrated efforts from conservative groups to mobilize folks (not all of whom are even parents or even live in the local area) to call for book bans at school board meetings. Book bans, perhaps unsurprisingly at this point, also target books by and about people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and books that tackle nuanced topics like sexual abuse, child abuse, and gender-based violence.
With all of this in mind, Tennessee lawmakers have passed SB 2247/HB 2666, which, if signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, will allow members of the state’s textbook commission to decide if a challenged book will stay or be removed from public school libraries. The textbook commission, by the way, is filled with political appointees, as reported by The Washington Post.
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In practice, here’s how the process would work. Challenged books are reviewed by the school board, all of whom are (obviously) elected to serve on the board. Makes sense. Once they decide on whether or not to keep a book, however, this legislation essentially vetos their decision. As long as one person—a parent, a student, or an employee of the school district—doesn’t want the book available in the library system, they can appeal to the textbook commission. Those folks, again, are political appointees. And their decision on that appeal would apply to all school libraries in the state.
Ultimately, the bill is just another way for conservatives to get books they don’t like out of the hands of young people. Even if a school district, for example, reviews a challenge or complaint about a book and decides to keep it, this appeal process is essentially a way for adults to try again and have the book pulled not just in their area, but statewide.
And if you’re thinking, Well, is that really so bad… It really is so bad. One of the sponsors of the bill, Republican Rep. Jerry Saxton, actually said he’d like to see inappropriate books burned.
As a review of that, per the Associated Press, Democratic. Rep. John Ray Clemmons, who represents Nashville, asked Sexton what he suggests be done with books ultimately deemed as inappropriate.
“You going to put them in the street?” Clemmons asked. “Light them on fire? Where are they going?”
“I don’t have a clue,” Sexton said. “But I would burn them.” Later on, Sexton did note he isn’t on the commission and that he doesn’t think anyone is going to burn books, but still. (Also: Sexton has continuously suggested that the state book of Tennessee should be the Bible. Really!)
You can watch that clip below, courtesy of local outlet FOX Nashville.
In speaking to Chalkbeat, Lindsey Kimery, who serves as a school librarian in Nashville, described the bill as a chance for just one person to “dictate” what is available in all school libraries. It’s unfair to students and it’s dangerous.
Relatedly, details of the bill also don’t specify how long a book would be unavailable from the library for this additional review process, which could mean that books are essentially banned before actually being banned.
Gov. Lee hasn’t commented directly on this legislation but based on his history of signing hate into law, it’s not looking good.