South Dakota Senator Phil Jensen (R) changed his mind about making history with the first bill to ban discussion of gender identity and gender expression in K-7 classrooms throughout the state. Jensen originally proposed SB 160 because he felt gender was…
Tag: legislation
South Dakota Satirists Exempt from Prosecution in State Seal Bill
After criticism from the state ACLU and local advocates, a South Dakota legislator has modified her bill that would impose penalties for failing to render the state seal in a “full and complete” fashion. The offense could still result in…
Florida Governor Signs School Censorship Bill into Law
Florida governor Rick Scott yesterday approved legislation that will facilitate challenges to classroom materials, allowing any county resident to lodge a challenge against textbooks or supplemental materials that they claim fail to present “a noninflammatory, objective, and balanced viewpoint on…
Utah Repeals Rules on ‘Advocacy of Homosexuality’ in Classrooms
Following action by the Utah legislature to repeal a statewide ban on “advocacy of homosexuality” in schools, the state’s Board of Education unanimously voted last week to also repeal its corresponding administrative policy. The ban notably led the Davis School…
Florida Legislature Passes Classroom Censorship Bills
The Florida Senate today approved the House version of a bill that would facilitate challenges to classroom materials, sending the legislation on to Governor Rick Scott. The Senate also had its own version of the bill, but not enough time remains in…
Florida Classroom Censorship Bills Pass Through Committee, Await Final Hearing Before Vote
The two nearly identical bills in the Florida legislature that would facilitate challenges to classroom materials have both advanced through the Education Committees in their respective chambers, despite warnings from CBLDF and our partners in the National Coalition Against Censorship…
Arkansas Bill Would Ban Howard Zinn Books from Classrooms Statewide
A state legislator in Arkansas earlier this month introduced a bill with a very specific and highly unconstitutional goal: to ban all books by or about historian Howard Zinn from public school classrooms in the state. The bill is scheduled…
Florida Classroom Censorship Bills Return for Second Year
Much like Virginia, the state of Florida now has its own set of “zombie bills” that have returned to the legislature for the second year running, in an attempt to weaken education standards and allow any taxpayer–not just parents–to raise…
CBLDF Joins Opposition to South Dakota Science Education Bill
Late last week, CBLDF joined a coalition of free-speech advocates objecting to a bill in the South Dakota legislature that attempts to weaken science education standards in the state by allowing teachers to advance their own views on topics such…
VICTORY in Virginia: State Board Rejects Classroom Censorship Proposal
VICTORY in Virginia! At a meeting last week, the state Board of Education rejected a proposed regulation that would have required schools to warn parents about educational materials containing “sexually explicit” content. CBLDF and our partners in the National Coalition…