The Daily Populous Sunday July 7th, 2024 night edition
Authored by burlingtonfreepress.com and submitted by roguebandwidth

Book banning just got harder in Vermont. Here's what to know about the new law.

Correction: The law takes effect July 1, 2025. A previous version of this article misstated when certain parts of the new law would go into effect.

Banning books just got a lot harder in the Green Mountain State.

As of July 1 next year, Vermont public schools and libraries must establish clear, nondiscriminatory procedures for challenging and removing books from shelves. Books can no longer be banned or restricted for discussing politics, sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual health, race, ethnicity, personal morality, religious views or disability status.

Vermont legislators passed the bill on May 10 in response to rising incidents of book restrictions nationwide, which local lawmakers say threaten First Amendment, anti-discrimination and civil rights. Gov. Phil Scott signed it into law less than a month later.

So far, Vermont is only the third state behind Illinois and California to pass legislation of this caliber against book bans.

“In this moment when too many are trying to restrict children’s access to factual history, gender and sex education, and diverse thoughts and perspectives, it is critical that we support our teachers and librarians to use their professional expertise without political pressures,” Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, an advocate of the bill, said in a press release.

Even prior to the passage of the new bill, Vermont had mostly resisted the national book banning trend. Zuckerman has hosted banned book tours across Vermont, encouraging people to read and discuss literature other states have censored – such as “And Tango Makes Three,” a children’s book featuring a real life same-sex penguin couple that adopted a chick.

“There are children who desperately need to see books like this and recognize themselves in it,” said Rep. William Notte, D-Rutland, during one of Zuckerman’s banned book tours, according to Zuckerman's press release.

Vermont: Low risk for banning, but books still challenged

Despite Vermont’s status as a low-risk state for book bans, challenges and censorship of controversial literature still occur, Zuckerman said, referencing the influence of Parents Against Critical Theory, a group that “voiced the same book restriction rhetoric that we have seen in other states."

For this reason, Vermont's new anti-book ban legislation “is doubly important today,” he said.

What else is in the law?

Vermont’s new legislation also extends privacy to library patrons 12 and up whose library records cannot be disclosed to parents or guardians without their consent. Previously, only children 16 and older had that right. This part of the act took effect on July 1 of this year.

“Growing up as a gay kid, I would go to the library and search out books, trying to figure things out,” said Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington, in support of this portion of the bill. “And we want kids to be able to go in the same way − in a way that they can sort of feel safe and explore who they are.”

The law also protects public libraries from criminal threatening, a right previously afforded to municipal libraries only. This component also took effect this month.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

chiffed on July 6th, 2024 at 12:59 UTC »

My school district just put a great policy in place for this. Take it up with your local district and library! We don't have to wait for larger government.

jonoghue on July 6th, 2024 at 11:28 UTC »

In comes the Supreme Court declaring book bans are somehow state legislators' free speech and so book ban bans are unconstitutional or some shit

cambeiu on July 6th, 2024 at 05:41 UTC »

Sad irony that the state that least needed the law was the one that got it.