Ahead of Banned Books Week, a Maryland lawmaker warned about attempts to limit what students are allowed to read.
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin joined Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in introducing resolutions “expressing concern about the growing problem of book banning.” The lawmakers have taken similar action several years in a row.
“In America, if you don’t like a book or a magazine or a newspaper, then you don’t read it. But you have no right to use the power of government to ban it or censor it,” Raskin told The Banner.
Although the resolution references states including Texas and Florida — where school districts have restricted access to thousands of books — deep-blue Maryland has fought its own book battles.
Somerset County’s school board has tried to bar students under 18 from reading young-adult literature in school libraries. The state superintendent put the policy on hold — for now.
“MAGA is all over the country, including in Maryland,” Raskin said.
In Montgomery County, the fight over books took Maryland’s largest school district to the Supreme Court. The case centered on a group of religious parents that wanted to opt their children out of lessons that included stories with LGBTQ+ themes.
Books that deal with racism and homophobia, along with award-winning classics, have been targeted across the country, the resolution states.
It calls on schools to “protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of educators and librarians to teach, including by providing students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books reflecting the full breadth and diversity of viewpoints and perspective.”



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