“This section of standards, in contrast, seeks to fuse curriculum with administration talking points — it tries to turn social-studies classrooms into another outlet for ‘spin.’” www.tampabay.com/news/educati...

This decision matters as lawmakers in Florida consider HB 1119 that has a new definition of “harmful to minors” that would also remove the value test. Their own Senate bill analysis of the companion bill names the constitutionality concerns, but the House is pushing forward anyway.

The next few days are critical in stopping HB 1119 & HB 31 from moving forward. Both of these bills have the potential to drastically increase viewpoint-based censorship in our school libraries. Please call or email your State Representative & the House Speaker ([email protected]).

“The majority of the groups who showed up to speak at the meeting spoke in opposition of the bill, including groups like Interfaith Alliance, Florida Council of Churches and the National Council of Jewish Women.” Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/state/f...

As HB 1119 moves to the House floor, legislators must understand that the overwhelming majority of FL’s public school parents support teen access to honest literature that reflects the modern world. www.fftrp.org/library_acce...

Another important detail: Judge Mendoza’s order applies to Rep. Bankson’s constituents in Orange County. If passed, the district could be put in the impossible situation of being either in contempt of court or out of compliance with the law. It’s irresponsible of him to sponsor this bill now. 🧵

Florida wants to do what the states in the QT'd have done and eliminate state property taxes. This would decimate local government services, including public libraries. That's by design. www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l...

Here are some key moments from yesterday’s committee hearing on HB 1119. The bill sponsor had to do quite a lot of dancing around a clear answer that might reveal why the greater public is so opposed to his bill. First up: Special Magistrate

Don’t obey in advance. Pulling books “just in case” teaches power what it can take. Libraries should stand firm, not shrink. Don’t pre-ban. #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans

HB 1119 moved through its last committee stop in the House today after hearing nearly 90 minutes of overwhelming opposition to the bill. Lawmakers used “parental rights” to justify expanding the law that removes books from school libraries despite local parent support to keep the book.

HB 1119 will be in its last House Committee tomorrow at 9:30am. HB 1071 will be in its second House stop on Wednesday at 3:30pm. There’s still time to email both committees about these bills. Learn more and grabs email addresses on our website: www.fftrp.org/bills_to_watch

Have you grabbed our free digital workbook, Turning the Page? Get tips, scripts, tools, and worksheets to fight book bans and protect the freedom to read. Download: www.freedomtoreadproject.org/turning_the_page #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans

The students who will begin college in the fall were in 8th grade when rampant book banning began in the USA. A look at the generational impact of book bans on teenagers–one of the most impacted groups by this First Amendment violation. bookriot.com/the-generati...

Florida escalates its battle on sociology with new curriculum, textbook. Professors push back (via @danielrivero.bsky.social)

This came up during yesterday’s debate on HB 1119. When the bill sponsor was asked about private schools still being able to offer access to complex works while public schools would be denied under the bill, the reply was “they can buy the book”- nevermind public schools’ promise of equal access.

HB 1119 is in Education Administration at 4pm today. All 55 titles they used last year as examples of a “loophole” are now gone after the FLDOE insisted there was nothing in the law that required districts to consider the works in their entirety. www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/01/21/c...

One parent’s objection shouldn’t empty an entire library. If every “objectionable” word meant removal, shelves would be bare. Censorship never stops at one book. Public schools serve *all* students. #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #LibrariesAreForEveryone #FirstAmendment

HB 1119 will get its first vote on 1/21 in the House Education Administration Subcommittee. This bill puts classic and award-winning literature at risk and creates a de facto statewide book ban, enforced through the threat of funding loss or other penalties. Email addresses in the video alt text.

This book banning bill would set the precedent that the Miller Test is irrelevant, which will legally imperil creators nationwide, especially queer creators. It died last year and it's shambling corpse has been trotted out to horrify us anew this year. If you're in FL pls call your state reps.

House Subcommittees are hearing bad bills on Wednesday (1/21): HB 1071, Curriculum Control Bill: 1-3pm Student Academic Success HB 1119, Book Ban Bill: 4-6pm Education Administration Both are in Room 102, House Office Building, if you’re local. www.fftrp.org/bills_to_watch

MLK Day is about action. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Dr. King Book bans silence voices and deny students opportunity. Today, stand up for the freedom to read: support librarians, share challenged books, and speak out. #MLKDay #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans

Urgent call to action, Texans: we need to write to our State Board of Education members and tell them NOT to adopt the proposed required reading list they’re considering at the the end of the month. It is BAD. I wrote about why here: franklinstrong.substack.com/p/call-to-ac...

“Use the word frozen. Use whatever word you want. But I promise you this, that if you're cheering when books are being pulled off the shelf, you will eventually be revealed as the bad guy in the story every single time.” www.wusf.org/the-florida-...

FWIW, this happened as part of their release about the ending of the "Book Ban Hoax." The book ban czar was a member of the OCR, hearing cases about discrimination related to literary access in schools. Anyway, a great way to claim there's no school discrimination is to fire the lawyers.

Florida’s 2026 Legislative Session is off and running. There’s a lot to watch this session, but here’s where we are focused: www.fftrp.org/bills_to_watch Click through to learn more about the two bad bills with major implications for the freedom to read and learn in Florida.

We had a wonderful time interviewing Angie Hayden and learning all about Read Freely Alabama and their work. Their grassroots advocacy shows how everyday people can defend intellectual freedom and keep libraries open and inclusive. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/_these_books...

Thanks, Jenna. Now show THE LIBRARIANS to your mom and get her to speak up. We’ve been taking it on the chin for FIVE YEARS, and not a peep from her. @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social

When a law requires the prohibition of books from the library regardless of reader need or interest, parent/community support for access, and professional expertise - that law bans books and the legislators that supported the law made the book bans possible.

Small actions add up: read a challenged book, leave a public review, show up to one meeting, speak for one minute, or send one email. Each step builds momentum, visibility, and community and reminds decision-makers that people are paying attention.

What do all 5 titles have in common? They were all on the list of 55 titles that our State Board of Education forced Hillsborough (and through copycat compliance, all other districts) to remove without a local objection or review/consideration of the works in their entirety back in June of 2025.

Florida’s HB 1119/SB 1692 is less about policy and more about making legal what was done without legal authority. Last June, state leaders ordered districts to remove books based on excerpts alone- the same books they used as examples to unsuccessfully argue a need for this very bill last session.

You combat hopelessness by doing something. In an era of unrepentant book bans and library attacks, you show up. You learn. You show up again. Activism and advocacy are a practice. Here are over 60 tasks for helping preserve the right to read, wherever you are. bookriot.com/how-to-defen...

We updated our censorship attempts tracking for the first time since Winter Break today. All activity is tied to two people and one special interest group in Clay, Nassau, Santa Rosa, Polk, and Escambia. Decisions posted for Clay & Nassau, still waiting on Polk PRRs. www.fftrp.org/florida_cens...

Last summer, right after the previous version of HB 1119/SB 1692 failed to become law, we saw state officials force districts to remove books without considering their overall value, and they did it out in the open for us all to see. The state apparently didn’t need the bill. So why is it back?

A new Florida bill would pave the way for schools to remove any book that mentions sex, from the Brave New World to The Bluest Eye. Literary, scientific, artistic merit would be stripped from consideration when deciding if a book should be accessible to someone younger than 18.

They tried and failed to pass this bill last year, in part bc it's wildly unconstitutional. The good news is these bills are identical to the ones last year. The bad news is if they pass, creators all over the country will be legally imperiled all over the nation.

The Senate companion to Bankson’s Book Ban Bill (HB 1119) dropped this afternoon right before the filing deadline. It was filed by Senator McClain under the number SB 1692 (same number as last year). Here’s coverage out this morning on the House version: www.tampabay.com/news/educati...

“Schools would not be allowed to consider the material’s…value — as current law requires with a nod to the SCOTUS’s Miller Test — when reviewing whether to keep the titles on their shelves. The bill would apply to public school districts, and not private schools.” www.tampabay.com/news/educati...

In this post, you'll find a spreadsheet you can save and use to track what you do all year long. WE have the power. WE have to exercise it. The efforts to preserve our Constitutional rights matter. THIS is the work. bookriot.com/how-to-defen...

It's 2026, and we're now well into the fifth year of book bans nationwide. What can you do? There are *many* things you can do. Here are 60+ small tasks to defend the right to read in your backyard and to help in the efforts nationwide. No one saves us except us. bookriot.com/how-to-defen...

Resolve to defend the right to read. @heykellyjensen.bsky.social has compiled another OUTSTANDING list of actions you can take to educate yourself and others about ongoing threats to intellectual freedom.

Only 0.05% of students’ parents opted them out of these books. Legislators are fighting a culture war to appease one twentieth of one percent of the population. We keep seeing this. @txfreedomread.bsky.social @flfreedomread.bsky.social @penamerica.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

My column in the Sun-Times today. And c'mon, what newspaper columnist gets to write about John Steinbeck on page two of a major metropolitan newspaper? Do I have a great job or WHAT? 😀 www.everygoddamnday.com/2026/01/in-t...

Looking for an escape from the news today? Read a book with your child (or on your own) and then create a zine inspired by the book!

“Censoring classical texts in service of political orthodoxy is antithetical to the goals of education. Universities exist to engage students in difficult inquiry and not to suppress ideas just because they make some uncomfortable.”

Just finished a great book with your child and want to keep the conversation going? Our guide shows you how to make a zine together: an easy, creative way to celebrate what you read, reflect on favorite moments & make something meaningful as a family. www.freedomtoreadproject.org/how_to_make_...

They're going 10000% in on ignoring the Miller Test.

Last year’s failed HB 1539 is back for the 2026 Legislative Session (HB 1119) filed by Rep. Bankson again. It would remove a district’s ability to review a work in its entirety to determine literary, artistic, scientific, or political value before forcing removal. www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill...

BIG NEWS! Utah's chapter of the ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the state for its banning of 22 books from all public school students. This case could have massive implications nationwide. bookriot.com/utah-sued-ov...

Even after four years of tracking, it’s still shocking to see a district remove the HS class sets of this book (that have nearly 60 circulations) along with every copy of this book from all of their HS libraries. It used to be taught, but now districts fear it’s “inappropriate” information.