Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker to sign bill preventing books bans in Illinois Monday
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is slated to sign legislation on Monday that will prevent libraries from banning or restricting access to books.
The legislation, which was authored in response to efforts in other states to restrict access to reading materials for political and personal reasons, passed the Senate in early May after being approved by the House last year.
The terms of the bill authorize Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office to restrict funding from libraries that don’t adhere to the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, according to the press release, which says that reading materials should not be removed or restricted because of partisan or personal reasons.
The ALA reported at least 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois, up significantly from the previous year, according to the press release.
More than 2,500 books were objected to during 2022, according to the group.