SALEM, Ore. — A bill that aims to push back against a rise in book bans in Oregon school districts has passed the Senate.
Senate Bill 1583 says that "that a school official cannot prohibit materials because the materials concern a class of people identified in our education anti-discrimination laws. In other words, you cannot ban a book because the book involves folks from marginalized communities," according to bill sponsor Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland.
"If you are not allowing kids to have books, and you are telling them what books they have to read or what books they can't read, you are basically setting them up for not understanding the world we have around us," Frederick said.
Earlier this month, several librarians, teachers and parents expressed support for the bill, with one teacher saying, "Students don't need to be protected from the truth. Rather, they need to learn the truth in order for them to navigate a complex world, and if they understand historical injustices, they're better prepared to recognize, address and repair injustice they encounter today."
Meanwhile, opponents claimed that bill would take away power from school boards and parents to determine what's appropriate for kids.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans voted as a bloc against the ban, with Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, proposing a minority report that would have given more time to discuss the issue in future sessions, according to a press release. That was voted down by Democrats.
“Democrats framed this bill as an issue of discrimination, but the bigger picture is ensuring Oregon schools provide appropriate reading material to their students to enhance their educational experiences. Our minority report recognized that discrimination is wrong, and so is providing children explicit content harmful to their development,” said Knopp in a statement.
On the Senate floor Tuesday, Republican lawmakers said the state should not try to control the decisions of local school districts, claiming that this may allow inappropriate content to slip through the cracks.
"I don't think that it is this body's responsibility to tell a school district what they can and cannot make available,” said Sen. Daniel Bohman, R-The Dalles. "I want to be clear that books still exist whether they are not in the schools' libraries. We are not burning books. We are not banning books. We are just saying this is probably not something that a child should be encouraged to read."
“Book banning is a widespread tool used to oppress free speech and thought in Oregon and nationwide,” said Frederick in a statement. “All kids deserve the opportunity to see themselves, their families, and members of their community represented in the books they read. Oregonians should get to decide what they personally read, not political agendas.”
Meanwhile, Emily O'Neal, the chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee with the Oregon Library Association, also expressed support for the bill, citing a 2023 incident where the Canby School District removed all copies of "Lolita," despite parental protests.
Complaints from two community members had spurred the district's decision to temporarily remove 35 books in total from school libraries a few months ago, pending review, which Canby students turned out to protest. Members of the Oregon Library Association said proper protocol wasn’t followed in removing "Lolita," as well as restricting the other 34 books.
The bill will now move to the House Rules Committee, where people who are either for, against or neutral will have another opportunity to testify in front of lawmakers on Thursday.