Maryland
Maryland’s ‘Freedom to Read’ act bans book censorship in libraries, bolsters rights amid national debate
ANNAPOLIS – A new Maryland law puts an end to book bans within library systems that receive money from the state.
Governor Wes Moore just put pen to paper on the “Freedom to Read” act on Thursday.
“What we’re seeing in the state of Maryland but also nationwide is an unprecedented attempt to censor materials,” Baltimore County Public Library Chief Executive Officer Sonia Alcantara-Antoine said.
The law states material may not be excluded or removed from a school library because of the origin, background or views of the author and not for partisan, ideological or religious disapproval either.
It also calls for school systems to create a procedure to review titles that may be challenged but must remain available on the shelves during the process.
The legislation adds protections against retaliation for library staff who follow the law.
A violation of the law could lead to loss of state funding.
The law comes to light as Maryland libraries report seeing a 130 percent increase in formal challenges in their collections since 2019, according to the Maryland State Library Agency.
“I love reading and I would hope that many others who do love reading would not want to ban any books,” a local teacher said.
Some boards of education across the state already put policies in place to restrict student access to certain books.
Earlier this year, Carroll County’s Board of Education unanimously made a decision to define what “sexually explicit content” will not be allowed within instructional material.
The decision to change the book selection process follows a push from some parents to remove certain titles last year.
The bulk of the challenges came from members of the “parental rights” organization, Moms for Liberty.
The school district and the group have yet to respond with a statement about the new law.
“Libraries don’t tell people how to think. Instead, libraries provide access to a marketplace of ideas and information so that people can think for themselves,” Alcantara-Antoine said.
You can read the full act here.
Police said Dequan Gravely, 23, of Charles County, was driving northbound on Route 210 near Pine Drive when his Mercedes collided with the school bus turning left from the southbound lanes.
The driver of a car involved in a crash with a Prince George’s County school bus in Accokeek, Maryland, on Friday has been identified.
Prince George’s County police said Dequan Gravely, 23, of Bryans Road in Charles County, was driving northbound on Route 210 near Pine Drive around 7:20 a.m. when his Mercedes collided with the school bus turning left from the southbound lanes.
Investigators said the crash happened in the intersection, causing the school bus to flip onto its side. Gravely died at the scene.
The school bus driver was transported to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Police said no students were on the bus at the time of the crash.
Investigators said they believe debris from the collision damaged a third vehicle. The driver of that vehicle “declined medical attention,” police said.
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 301-731-4422.
WTOP’s Acacia James contributed to this report.
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A D.C. man won $5 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket in Maryland last week, and the matching number that netted him the prize happened to be his age.
Talk about a birthday surprise! A D.C. man won $5 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket in Maryland last week, and the matching number that netted him the prize happened to be his age.
Maurice Williams, a school bus driver in D.C., claimed the first top prize on a $5,000,000 LUXE scratch-off. He had used his $50 winnings from a previous LUXE scratch-off ticket to buy a new one the next day.
In a release from the Maryland Lottery, Williams said he didn’t know he had won until he scanned the ticket: “It’s crazy because the matching number was 59 and I just turned 59 the other day.”
Williams said he sat in shock for a while before calling his mother.
He said he plans to buy his mother a house with the winnings and then save up.
Two more top prizes from the scratch-off have yet to be claimed, the Maryland Lottery said, as well as nine $200,000 prizes, 10 $50,000 prizes and thousands of prizes ranging from $50 to $10,000.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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