ACTION: Book Bans, Attacks on Academic Freedom, Criminalizing Teaching

Contact Kelly Ayotte and tell her book bans are WRONG for New Hampshire.

• Call the Governor (603) 271-2121
• Email the Governor
• Use the form shared by AFT NH

From our friends at AFT NH (click here for the full legislative bulletin): 

The extremist majority in Concord was at it again this week, undermining students’ ability to get the robust public education they have a right to in our public schools. This week the Senate passed HB 324, a bill that would make it easier to remove books and classroom materials from public schools by categorizing them as obscene, age-inappropriate or harmful to minors. The terms in the bill are vague and entirely subjective. Similar bills in other states have led to the removal of dictionaries from school libraries, as well as banning classic plays by William Shakespeare as well as the Bible.

This is the first time a book ban has passed both bodies of the legislature. This is a shameful action. New Hampshire is better than book bans and New Hampshire students deserve a robust public education complete with protection of their right to access a wide variety of materials in their school libraries. The bill is unconstitutionally vague, and besides just banning books, it criminalizes teachers and administrators for protecting students’ first amendment rights.

Governor Ayotte now has a choice. She can cave to the far right, extremist anti-education, anti- freedom politicians who voted for this bill or she can side with the majority of Granite Staters who want their educators, local community, and parents to work together to make decisions on what books and materials are best for their schools, not have one parent make the decision of what books are appropriate for other parents’ kids.

Contact Gov. Ayotte – 603-271-2121, governorayotte@governor.nh.gov, and use her “Share My Opinion” form.