Gov. JB Pritzker signs law prohibiting book bans at Illinois libraries
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois is the first state in the U.S. to outlaw book bans, after Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed legislation that would cut off state funding for any Illinois library that tries to ban books.
The new law comes as predominantly Republican-led states continue to restrict books some consider offensive in schools and libraries across the country.
"Book bans are about censorship; marginalizing people, marginalizing ideas and facts. Regimes ban books, not democracies," Pritzker said before signing the legislation Monday at the Harold Washington Library in the Loop.
According to the American Library Association, there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022.
Under the Illinois Library System Act, Illinois libraries would only be eligible for state funding if they adhere to the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, which holds that books "should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval."
The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.
