California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to ban school boards from rejecting textbooks based on their teachings about the contributions of people from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities.
Newsom called the measure “long overdue.”
“From Temecula to Tallahassee, fringe ideologues across the country are attempting to whitewash history and ban books from schools,” Newsom said in a statement. “With this new law, we’re cementing California’s role as the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the freedom to decide what’s right for them.”
This needs to be a federal law. It sadly never will be. Too much power rests in states that want to limit the education of children.
Good for Gavin.
Ban the ban!
I look forward to Johnny the Walrus in all California schools.
The law isn’t quite so sloppy as that:
The governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school shall not refuse to approve the use or prohibit the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or other curriculum for classroom instruction or any book or other resource in a school library on the basis that it includes a study of the role and contributions of any individual or group consistent with the requirements of Sections 51204.5 and 60040 [requiring the accurate portrayal of LGBT people and racial minorities], unless the study of the role and contributions violates Section 51501 or 60044 [prohibitions on materials that “reflect adversely upon persons because of their race, sex, color, creed, handicap, national origin, or ancestry”].
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1078
