Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a bill into law that effectively outlaws book bans in schools and public libraries, a response to right-wing challenges to library materials and classroom instruction surging across the country and threatening access to hundreds of titles, mostly involving LGBT+ people and honest discussions of race and racism.
“Here in Illinois, we don’t hide from the truth, we embrace it,” the Democratic governor said in a statement announcing his signature on the legislation, which his office hailed as a “nation-leading” response to censorship campaigns targeting schools and libraries.
“Young people shouldn’t be kept from learning about the realities of our world; I want them to become critical thinkers, exposed to ideas that they disagree with, proud of what our nation has overcome, and thoughtful about what comes next,” he added.
The law, which was signed on 12 June and goes into effect on 1 January, 2024.