NJ Schools, Libraries Could Lose Funding For Censoring Books Under New Bill

NEW JERSEY — Public and school libraries in New Jersey could lose state funding if they censor any book for “partisan or doctrinal” reasons, under a bill proposed by two Senate Democrats.

Sens. Andrew Zwicker (NJ-16) and Teresa Ruiz (NJ-29) introduced this bill (S 3907) to protect against book bans in New Jersey libraries and schools, they said in a news release.

In the state and across the nation, some parents and community members have been pushing school boards to remove certain titles from libraries. Many of these books deal with race in America, gender and sexuality identities, and sexual intimacy.

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“This is about preventing censorship and keeping intolerance and hatred from being infused into public libraries in New Jersey,” said Zwicker, who represents communities in Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset, and Hudson counties.

Zwicker and Ruiz’s bill would require public libraries and schools to adopt the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” or a similar policy, the legislators said. Key tenets in that “bill of rights” include that all libraries should be respected as “forums for information and ideas,” and that “libraries “should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment,” the legislators said.

Under the bill, state treasury officials could withhold funding from public schools or libraries that do not comply.

Parent groups and conservative advocacy groups have been challenging books in communities around New Jersey. A Somerset County school board made national news this month after rejecting a sociology textbook, because some members felt it was too opinionated and ideological, and didn't offer balanced perspectives.

In March, a school librarian in Morris County filed a lawsuit against several township residents, saying they labeled her a "child predator" and accused her of "luring children with pornography” after she approved the graphic novel “Gender Queer: A Memoir.”

And in Essex County, a library board voted to keep six books with LGBTQ themes on shelves after a group called Citizens Defending Education challenged them.

“Our libraries are a sacred community resource, not a place for careless censorship.The materials they offer should not be restricted based on partisan views or revisionist history,” said Senate Majority Leader Ruiz, who represents Essex County. “Libraries often provide the foundation for children’s education and become incubators of ideas. We must protect these critical institutions which continue to be instrumental in shaping young minds.”

“The fact that we are in 2023 and debating whether or not we should be banning books and ideas is just outrageous,” Zwicker added. “Ideas and information are meant to be discussed and debated in a society that respects the right of free expression and values the pursuit of knowledge.”