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The North Star State has officially banned book bans.
Minnesota has banned book bans, making it illegal for libraries to remove titles based on ideology.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed HF3782 into law last week, which prevents libraries from removing books “based solely on the viewpoint, content, message, idea, or opinion conveyed.” Instead, content curation will be managed by “a licensed library media specialist, an individual with a master’s degree in library sciences or library and information sciences, or a professional librarian or person with extensive library collection management experience."
"Censorship has no place in our libraries. As a former teacher, I’m clear: We need to remember our history, not erase it," Walz said on Twitter/X. "Today, I signed a bill into law putting an end to book bans based on ideology in Minnesota."
Meanwhile, across the country, attempts at book censorship broke records in 2023. There were 4,349 instances of book bans in the first half of the 2023-2024 school year — more than all of previous school year combined, when there were 1,841 recorded book bans, according to an April report from PEN America. The bans have occurred in 42 states, across red and blue districts, with the majority targeting books with LGBTQ+ content.
The Minnesota bill aims to combat the wave of unprecedented censorship. Education Commissioner Willie Jett praised its passage in a statement last week, saying that his "administration is eager to engage in discussions regarding the recognition of invaluable contributions made by our professional librarians and the preservation of Minnesota’s public libraries as vital sources of information freely accessible to all."
Walz also signed into law last year HF366 and HF146, also known as "shield laws," which protect access to abortion and gender affirming care in the state, while preventing other states from prosecuting health care providers or patients that receive treatment in Minnesota.
