SB 120-05: Banning Books Bad Act - Passed

[PPT Spiral]

Banning Books Bad Act

SENATE BILL

to end the practice of banning access to reading materials due to partisan disapproval

Be it enacted,

Section I: Book Ban Penalties

1. No federal funds shall be awarded to any municipal, county, state, or regional library if such library bans or restricts access to a book or other resource within the library's collection because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

2. No federal funds shall be awarded to any municipal, county, state, or regional library if such library fails to adopt a policy that prohibits the practice of banning or restricting access to a specific book or resource because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

3. Notwithstanding any regional or federal law to the contrary, a board of education of a school district shall not ban or restrict access to a book or other resource within a school library's collection because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
a. The SubDepartment of Education is hereby authorized to withhold all of part of any federal aid paid to any school district for a board of education's failure to comply with the provisions of this law.

Section II: Implementation

1. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

Sponsor: Pyro

Debate has commenced and the Senator is recognized.

[Pyro]

Free access to information is a cornerstone in any democratic society. We must do everything in our power to prohibit book censorship meant to suppress the free flow of ideas. This proposal disallows libraries from receiving federal funds if they ban books, and furthermore authorizes the SubD of Education to restrict aid to any school district that bans books from its library - each specifically due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Proposing this amendment

Banning Books Bad Act

SENATE BILL

to end the practice of banning access to reading materials due to partisan disapproval

Be it enacted,

Section I: Book Ban Penalties

1. No federal funds shall be awarded to any municipal, county, state, or regional library if such library bans or restricts access to a book or other resource within the library's collection because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

2. No federal funds shall be awarded to any municipal, county, state, or regional library if such library fails to adopt a policy that prohibits the practice of banning or restricting access to a specific book or resource because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

3. Notwithstanding any regional or federal law to the contrary, a board of education of a school district shall not ban or restrict access to a book or other resource within a school library's collection because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
a. The SubDepartment of Education is hereby authorized to withhold all of part of any federal aid paid to any school district for a board of education's failure to comply with the provisions of this law.

Section II: Implementation

1. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

objecting

[PPT Spiral]

A vote on the OSR amendment will now be open for 72 hours.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

nay

[OSR stands with Israel]

Aye

[reagente]

Aye

[Pyro]

Proposing this amendment
...

Though not a requirement, I'd appreciate the inclusion of an advocacy statement in the future when introducing a consequential amendment such as this. The section you propose striking from the bill forbids school districts from banning books out of doctrinal disapproval. Do you favor book bans for such reasons?

Nay on the amendment.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Proposing this amendment
...

I'd appreciate the inclusion of an advocacy statement in the future, otherwise the Senate has no reason to approve such an amendment. The section you propose striking from the bill forbids school districts from banning books out of doctrinal disapproval. Do you favor book bans for such reasons?

Nay on the amendment.

How do you define “doctrinal disapproval” . For example I doubt school districts would allow books that contain Nazi propaganda to be in their libraries for obvious reasons

[Pyro]

Proposing this amendment
...

I'd appreciate the inclusion of an advocacy statement in the future, otherwise the Senate has no reason to approve such an amendment. The section you propose striking from the bill forbids school districts from banning books out of doctrinal disapproval. Do you favor book bans for such reasons?

Nay on the amendment.

How do you define “doctrinal disapproval” . For example I doubt school districts would allow books that contain Nazi propaganda to be in their libraries for obvious reasons

Under this law, a school district would be prohibited from removing library materials due to factors such as the author's political or religious views, their sexual orientation, race or nationality (else risk federal funding). Activist organizations or partisan school board members will not be allowed to demand content be pulled from shelves due to, for example, depictions of historical prejudice. This is intended to preserve libraries as an unbiased source of information.

[RFayette]

Aye

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Aye

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Would this act sanction schools that ban Mein Kampf from school libraries?

I generally think it's better if schools still have a say on what books can be read by people (or at least be available in school libraries). There are certain books such as erotic and pornographic literature that does not belong in a school library.

Therefore

Aye

[Adam Griffin]

We can work out measurements and definitions on what constitutes what, much to everybody's chagrin. We shouldn't be ready to strike enforcement mechanisms from a bill on the onset without considering such avenues first.

Nay

[Ragnaroni]

Aye

[Jay 🏳️‍⚧️]

Nay

[YE]

Abstain

[PPT Spiral]

Nay

[nerd73]

nay

[Dr. MB]

nay

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Nay

[PPT Spiral]

By a vote of 6 Ayes, 8 Nays, and 1 abstention, the amendment fails. Back to master debating.

[Pyro]

Motion for a final vote.

[PPT Spiral]

A final vote shall now commence for the next 96 hours. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.