Bill advancing at Texas Capitol gives school boards, parents process to remove books in public school libraries
New bill would give Texas parents more control over books in public school libraries
New bill would give Texas parents more control over books in public school libraries
New bill would give Texas parents more control over books in public school libraries
Texas lawmakers are taking a step closer to passing a bill that will give local school boards the ability to pull books from school library shelves.
Parents will also be able to challenge books in the school libraries under the legislation.
The Texas House passed Senate Bill 13, authored by Senator Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, along party lines Monday.
Lawmakers in the House were set to give final approval Tuesday, but that has been pushed back until Wednesday morning. From the House, the measure will return to the Senate to review changes made by the House.
Under the legislation, the state will establish a definition for harmful materials. According to legislative records, indecent content would portray sex organs or activities in a way that's patently offensive. Profane content would include grossly offensive language considered a public nuisance.
There is a difference between the House and Senate versions in at least one provision, which allows the creation of a school library advisory council.
The Senate version says it should be mandatory, while the House version says it should be optional.
Republicans, including Representative Brad Buckley of Salado, support the bill because it gives more local control.
"Senate Bill 13 understands that too often, for too long, libraries have been filled with agendas," said Buckley. "It's time to end that. But the way to end it is to empower our local leaders and our parents locally to find some resolution."
Democrats, including Representative Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, expressed concerns over the legislation and said she opposes it.
"Senate Bill 13 may not call itself censorship, but in effect is the same thing: giving the government the authority to decide what stories are too uncomfortable, too complicated or too real for our students to read," Plesa said.
In addition to Senate Bill 13, the Texas House gave final passage to Senate Bill 6. It will allow ERCOT, the power grid operator, the ability to shut off power to large customers, such as data centers, during emergency situations. Those customers would have to have backup power.
It comes as ERCOT has forecast that demand for power will surge in Texas by 2030. The bill will have to go back to the Texas Senate to work out differences.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming
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