New Jersey Governor Signs Law Prohibiting Book Bans in Public Schools, Libraries

New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy signed a law on Monday that prohibits banning books in state libraries and schools.

The Details: The law will require school boards and public library boards to establish standards for handling book complaints and removals. The law also provides legal protections for librarians against lawsuits related to book removal decisions. 

Key Passage: According to the law, books cannot be banned based on “the origin, background, or views of the material or of its authors,” or “on a disagreement with a viewpoint, idea, or concept, or solely because an individual finds certain content offensive, unless they are restricting access to developmentally inappropriate material for certain age groups.” 

For Context: New Jersey has become the third state to sign a law against book bans, following Minnesota and Illinois, both of which are also led by Democrats. 

How the Media Covered It: Associated Press (Left bias) wrote that because of “harsh” legislation in some 15 states, librarians worry about lawsuits, fines, or being imprisoned, and included perspectives of librarians who were happy about New Jersey’s new law. National Review - News (Lean Right bias) criticized PEN America’s criteria for what constitutes a book “ban.” AllSides has previously researched how book “bans” are determined, and how media have covered them, which you can read here.