Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would curb book bans in schools and public libraries.
The bill comes at a time when book bans and challenges are a topic of political discussion, especially for titles focused on race and LGBTQ issues.
Chalkbeat Colorado reporter Ann Schimke joined KUNC host Michael Lyle on Wednesday to discuss the bill and what prompted it.
Schimke said the bill would add more regulations to the book ban process.
"A book in a school library could only be challenged by a student at that school, or the parent of a student at that school," said Schimke. "For a public library, it would be limited to people who live in that library district. So essentially, the idea is to cut back on outsiders coming in and challenging a book in a local community."
Sen. Lisa Cutter is a Jefferson County Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill. Speaking at press conference on Monday in Denver, she said the bill would ensure that young people have the freedom to read, including books that could challenge preconceived notions or present uncomfortable truths.
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The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom reported a surge in attempts to censor books, materials, and services across public, school, and academic libraries. The data showed that Colorado had 136 titles of books challenged in the first eight months of 2023. That represents a 143% increase from 2022, when 56 books were challenged. Most of those books were written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQ community.
Schimke said a committee representing rural schools along with executives from the Colorado Association of Schools are working to prevent the bill from being too controlling.
"The committee has 10 to 12 members that want to make it something that leaves more to local control in the state," said Schimke.
A hearing on the bill is expected next week.
