On June 12, Gov. Pritzker signed into law a that would withhold grant money from libraries that would ban books.
“Book bans are about censorship, marginalizing people, marginalizing ideas and facts. Regimes ban books, not democracies,” Pritzker said at the signing, according to ABC 7.
Under the provisions outlined in the bill, libraries that fail to comply with the standards established by the American Library Association regarding book censorship would forfeit their eligibility to receive any financial assistance.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who holds the dual role of the state’s top librarian, has advocated for the legislation.
“Parents and only parents have the right and responsibility to restrict their children and only their children’s access to library resources,” said Giannoulias.
With the American Library Association reporting there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022, compared to just 41 the year before, House Bill 2789 declares it to be the policy of Illinois to “encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.”
