HB 900 means many life-changing, life-saving books will never get in the right students’ hands—and it’s heartbreaking.
State leaders sanctioned this. They’re adding red tape for booksellers and libraries who just want to serve students, taking power away from local communities to give the Texas Education Agency unilateral authority to ban books with no oversight or transparency, and forcing school districts to waste taxpayer dollars on costly library reviews. Because of our leaders’ decision, it’ll be harder for students to find books that reflect their own lives, teach them about others’ lives, and inspire them to lead. Because of this decision, some school libraries could even be forced to shutter their doors.
Our students deserve better, and they know it. Dozens have spoken out against HB 900 and many more are speaking up against book bans in their communities. They won’t forget that state leaders stood in their way.