A group of Florida Democrats urged state Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to end his administration’s current initiative of banning books in the state.
In a letter sent Thursday, the group wrote to DeSantis about their shared concern with the recent uptick of book bans in the state’s schools and libraries, noting that these actions “will foment a noxious climate of repression and marginalization that degrades learning, understanding and undermines all Floridians’ basic freedoms.”
The lawmakers cited an American Library Association (ALA) news release earlier this year, which reported 2,571 unique titles were banned or challenged last year in the country, an 38 percent increase from the previous year.
“Given that reality, and combined with your administration’s recent decision to cut ties with the American Library Association, we strongly urge you to end this campaign of censorship in schools and substantively engage with educators, librarians, and parents to protect our students’ rights to an inclusive, comprehensive education,” the letter reads.
The lawmakers also wrote in their letter to DeSantis that the book censorship not only interferes with children’s education, but also infringes on their First Amendment rights, noting Board of Education v. Pico, a 1982 Supreme Court case in which the court ruled school boards cannot remove books from school libraries due to their disagreement with the content.
“It is our firm belief that the banning of books because they contain LGBTQI+ content, or involve issues of race or ethnicity, is an explicit attempt to silence the stories of communities that already face an onslaught of legislative attacks, especially in Florida. As Governor, it is your responsibility to ensure Florida’s classrooms remain bastions of growth and inclusivity, rather than sanctuaries of division and hatred,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter.
“Ultimately, it is crucial that you and your administration acknowledge the value of diverse stories in helping forge students who are welcoming and accepting of individuals regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics,” the letter concluded. “Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.”
The letter was co-led by Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and included from Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), as well.
The letter comes days after Frost introduced legislation to curb book bans in the country.
The Fight Book Bans Act would enable the Department of Education to provide grants to school districts to cover expenses incurred when fighting book bans, which could address thousands of school districts’ ongoing inability to fight book bans because the costs incurred are beyond their budgets.
“Book bans in Florida and in states across the nation are a direct attack on our freedoms and liberties everywhere. As my home state shamefully leads the country in book bans, we cannot let this censorship and dismantling of our education system go unchecked,” Frost said in a statement.
“The Fight Book Bans Act takes a stand against censorship to firmly stand on the side of history, education, our students, teachers, and schools who don’t deserve to suffer the consequences of radical politics in the classroom. This is about protecting our libraries and protecting truth and history.”