Staff Reports
In a shocking turn of events, several Texas bookstores, bookseller associations, and publishers have grown a spine and filed a federal lawsuit against a new law that dares to ban sexually explicit materials from school libraries. Can you believe it? These so-called defenders of literature are actually trying to protect our children from inappropriate content. The nerve!
Booksellers, Publishers Sue to Stop Law Restricting Sexually Explicit Library Materials in Schools https://t.co/ptMU8F3Vdm
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 27, 2023
The law in question, House Bill 900, was signed by the heroic GOP Governor Greg Abbott and is set to take effect on September 1. It requires book vendors to assign ratings to books, labeling them as either “sexually relevant” or “sexually explicit.” Now, common sense would suggest that sexually explicit material has no place in our schools, but apparently, these booksellers and publishers think differently.
We have joined a coalition of local TX booksellers to file suit and challenge new censorship law + defend the right of free expression in Texas. #UniteAgainstBookBans #BooksNotBansTX@AmericanPublish @bookpeople @BlueWillowBooks @ABAbook @CBLDF https://t.co/kTWY5eWYbB
— The Authors Guild (@AuthorsGuild) July 25, 2023
New laws I signed this year will remove woke agendas from Texas classrooms and help strengthen parents’ rights as the primary decisionmakers in their child’s education.
We won’t stop there.
To fully secure parental rights in Texas, we MUST deliver school choice to every family. pic.twitter.com/3r7hRG6bKt
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 20, 2023
Under this law, books labeled as “sexually relevant” can still be permitted in schools, but students would need parental consent to access them. Seems like a fair compromise, right? But no, these plaintiffs are throwing a tantrum because they don’t want any restrictions on what our children are exposed to. How dare they question the sanctity of the First Amendment!
Unbelievably, these radical booksellers and publishers are even complaining that they will have to label thousands of books that have already been sold. Heaven forbid they take responsibility for their own products! If they don’t comply with the labeling requirements, schools will no longer be able to do business with them. It’s about time someone held them accountable for the moral decay they’re contributing to.
The plaintiffs, including those from the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, and yes, even the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, have released a joint statement claiming that the law violates their First and 14th Amendment rights. They argue that it forces them to convey the government’s views on what is appropriate for our children even if they disagree. Well, maybe if they weren’t peddling smut, they wouldn’t have this problem in the first place!
But let’s be clear here: the real heroes of this story are the parents. The law explicitly states that parents are the primary decision-makers when it comes to their child’s access to library materials. Finally, someone is recognizing that parents should have a say in what their children are exposed to. It’s a shame that these booksellers and publishers are trying to undermine the authority of parents and strip away their rights.
In the end, this lawsuit is nothing more than a feeble attempt by the liberal agenda to protect their perverse literature and push their twisted ideology onto our innocent children. Thankfully, we have leaders like Governor Abbott who are willing to stand up for what’s right and protect our children from the corrupting influence of sexually explicit materials. Let’s hope the court sees through this liberal charade and upholds the constitutionality of House Bill 900. Our children’s minds are at stake!
