Latest news with #HB324
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It could be that some New Hampshire Republicans just need to do a little more reading
"The far right now dominating the American Republican Party is selling an idea of liberty that in practice amounts to unfettered freedom but only for the like-minded." (Getty Images) I don't spend a lot of time thinking about why Democratic politicians struggle so much to connect with working-class voters. That's for the party leaders and candidates to figure out. But it's entirely possible that Fyodor Dostoyevsky partially diagnosed the problem almost 150 years ago, when he wrote in 'The Brothers Karamazov': 'The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.' Recent Republican success winning over the working class is a little easier to understand considering America's Puritan roots. The right has long made political hay by convincing millions of voters that the degradation of society is most evident not in corrupt fiscal policies but in expressions of human sexuality. Every legislative session has its examples, and this year one of them is a book banning bill now headed to the governor's desk. House Bill 324 is touted by conservatives as 'parental rights' legislation meant to keep certain books out of the hands of impressionable young people. It reads: 'This bill prohibits material that is obscene or harmful to minors in schools and creates a procedure for removal and cause of action.' 'Obscene,' of course, always refers to sexuality and not the cherished Americana of extreme violence. And, importantly, it does not encompass the most glaring national obscenity: economic inequality. Whether or not you buy the Republican argument that HB 324 targets only 'flat-out pornography' in schools — which seems unlikely because that's already covered under New Hampshire's existing obscenity laws — author Jodi Picoult is correct in her assessment of the bill's true intent and the price we all pay for censorship: 'These parents will tell you that the books are exposing kids to topics that are salacious or revolutionary. What kids are really being exposed to are lives and mindsets different from their own, which creates compassion and empathy.' The bottom line is that what Republican New Hampshire lawmakers — and many conservative parents — don't like is LGBTQ themes in literature. Why? Because they are convinced that the four horsemen of the American apocalypse will ride into town dressed in drag. But the riders they should worry about have always been with us, gulping the rarefied air of Pullman palace cars and private jet cabins. The American right's fixation on sexuality is bad enough on its own, but it is downright confounding when coupled with Republican-backed efforts that exacerbate economic inequality. Only one of those things is an existential threat to the American experiment, and I promise you it's not Picoult's 'Nineteen Minutes.' HB 324 is an unnecessary bill that exists only to scratch the Republican itch to crush content it deems symbolic of Western decline. But the real threats to society are found elsewhere. For example, consider New Hampshire Republicans' myopic repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax, an action undertaken in service to the state's economic elite. That move should be constantly discussed and dissected in this state, especially now as lawmakers work at cutting hundreds of millions from the next state budget. But conservatives would rather fish in libraries for words and themes to be offended by. Meanwhile, those with the least in New Hampshire are on the threshold of fresh harm from the right's cold budget priorities. If you want more evidence of this dynamic, consider the 'big beautiful bill' now in the works in Washington, D.C. Once again, a few will win and the struggling many will lose. But the trick to sneaking garbage like that through is to make people look for threats in the wrong places. Immigrants, diversity programs, books with titles like 'Gender Queer.' Republican voters are made to believe that those are the issues pulling at America's seams and not the obvious culprit: the 1 percent's scorched-earth pursuit of limitless wealth. Riding shotgun with all of this is the rot of hypocrisy. The far right now dominating the American Republican Party is selling an idea of liberty that in practice amounts to unfettered freedom but only for the like-minded. That is why the party so consistently defends bigots and punches down on the vulnerable. You can see evidence of this in the always-uneven Republican application of 'local control.' How is HB 324 in alignment with local control? How are any of the laws targeting transgender rights in alignment? Well, they're not, because 'local control' isn't a Republican principle. It's a label applied or removed as a matter of philosophical convenience. The New Hampshire Legislature's latest go at book banning is unsurprising, considering the puritanical forces as old as the nation itself that continue to influence conservative ideology. But if they're as concerned about the degradation of society as they say, one can only hope that they'll realize before it's too late that the call is coming from inside their house. Because sexual content in a novel isn't going to be America's undoing, but the continuation of policies that increase the nation's already obscene levels of economic inequality almost certainly will.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill derided by authors as enabling book banning heads to Ayotte's desk
HB 324 would require all New Hampshire school boards to adopt a complaint process that parents could use to object to obscene materials – and potentially remove them. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) If New Hampshire adopts a law to make it easier to remove books from school libraries, 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult could be one of them. The 2011 novel, set in the fictional Upper Valley New Hampshire town of Sterling, depicts a deadly school shooting committed by a student who was bullied for his sexual orientation. It has been banned in more than 50 school districts; many of those removals were driven by its inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and themes. This year, Picoult and other authors are warning that the proposed New Hampshire bill, which is heading to Gov. Kelly Ayotte's desk, amounts to a book banning bill and should be vetoed. Those pushing for the bill say it is targeted only at obscene content with no educational value. 'We know from history what the next chapter looks like when we don't fight book bans, and we know that that is a story that does not end well,' said Picoult at a May 12 press conference hosted by the organization Authors Against Book Bans. On May 15, the Republican-led Senate voted on party lines to advance the bill, House Bill 324, to Ayotte. HB 324 would require all New Hampshire school boards to adopt a complaint process that parents could use to object to obscene materials — and potentially remove them. Currently, school districts can choose their own policies for how to allow parents to object to materials. Under the proposed law, parents may submit written complaints alleging that a book or other material is obscene. To qualify, the content must appeal 'to the prurient, shameful or morbid interest of minors,' and depict nudity, sexual acts, or sadomasochistic abuse in a way that is 'patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable for minors.' The material must also lack 'serious literary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value for minors,' and be inappropriate to the age group to which it is made available. If it doesn't meet all four of those requirements, it cannot be removed. Under the law, the school principal has 10 school days to review the material in the complaint and determine whether it violates the law; if a parent disagrees with that decision, they have 14 calendar days to appeal to the local school board. If the school board also deems the material to be appropriate, a parent can appeal one more time to the State Board of Education, a seven-member panel whose members are appointed by the governor and Executive Council; that board will have the final say on the material. The law carries consequences for school districts and teachers who don't comply with it. School districts can be sued by the state's attorney general, Department of Education, or any person 'claiming to be aggrieved' by the district for not following the law, and educators can face discipline for violating the educator code of conduct. Rep. Glenn Cordelli, the Tuftonboro Republican who proposed the bill, disagrees that it is meant to ban books. 'I see it more as a parents' rights bill for parents to object to materials in some schools,' Cordelli said in an interview Thursday, just before the Senate vote. Cordelli has read on the House floor passages from some books he says should be removed, including 'Here and Queer: A Queer Girl's Guide to Life,' a 2022 advice book for teenagers, and Speak, an award-winning 1999 young adult book about a high school freshman who is raped. Both books are present in New Hampshire school district libraries, Cordelli says. But Picoult and a handful of other authors at the press conference said the excerpts are often taken out of the context of the bigger story that is being told. Picoult said she respects a parent's right to read books themselves before reading them to their kids, something she did too when her children were growing up. 'But there's a colossal problem when that parent decides the book isn't right for anyone's child,' she said. 'These parents will tell you that the books are exposing kids to topics that are salacious or revolutionary. What kids are really being exposed to are lives and mindsets different from their own, which creates compassion and empathy.' Lara Prescott, the author of the 2019 novel 'The Secrets We Kept,' about the CIA's plot to smuggle Boris Pasternak's 'Dr. Zhivago' out of the U.S.S.R., noted that her book was banned from publication in China due to a love story between two women. 'It's hard to believe we're seeing echoes of that in our own country today: teachers and librarians being criminalized for the books in their classrooms,' Picoult said at the press conference. She added: 'I want my son to grow up exposed to all kinds of stories, perspectives, and voices,' Picoult is a plaintiff in a 2024 lawsuit featuring authors challenging a similar law in Florida, and she said if HB 324 were signed in New Hampshire, the state could expect similar litigation. The bill touched off heated debate on the Senate floor Thursday. Democrats said the definition went too far and could be used to apply to classic works of literature, such as Shakespeare, which sometimes includes sexual content. And Democrats said the state already has obscenity laws that make it illegal to provide pornographic materials to students; HB 324 is aimed at broader books that feature LGBTQ characters, they alleged. Sen. David Watters, of Dover, argued the bill would allow parents who have particular beliefs about LGBTQ students or other political beliefs to remove materials that other parents might be OK with. 'It violates free speech,' Watters said. 'It violates the right of certain parents and their children to have access to materials.' Republicans said concerns over banning Shakespeare were overblown, pointing to the four criteria that must be met, including that the material has no 'literary' or 'artistic' value. 'Shakespeare is there to stay,' said Sen. Daryl Abbas of Salem. 'I wasn't always a fan of Shakespeare, but his books are staying.' And they said the bill is aimed at obscene material. 'We're talking about flat-out pornography and things that if I, as just a regular citizen, handed to a child, I could be arrested for,' said Sen. Victoria Sullivan of Manchester. 'And this is why it's escalated to this point.' 'All people should be represented. You know, if you want to have a book (with) two moms, two dads, great. But with 'Gender Queer' in a second grader school, and it's got pornographic drawings, and the parents find that, and they go to their school board and they read excerpts from it, that's a problem,' said Sen. Denise Ricciardi, of Bedford, referring to a book often removed from school libraries for sexual content. The bill will make its way to Ayotte's desk in the coming weeks. At that point, she can sign it, veto it, or allow it to pass without her signature.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poll: Most in N.H. oppose prosecuting over controversial school materials
A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll done by a national political action committee for libraries and MomsRising Together found most Granite State residents opposed a pending bill to make educators subject to criminal prosecution under state obscenity laws. The same poll found strong support (59% for, 19% opposed) for disciplining teachers who 'knowingly' provided harmful materials to students and for having a complaint process (66% for, 29% opposed) for parents to object to their children having access to specific books or materials. John Chrastka is executive director of EveryLibrary, which partnered in the poll. "The poll numbers are clear. New Hampshire voters do not want to see a bill that would criminalize educators, school boards, and school librarians as education policy,' Chrastka said. 'Voters don't like Concord telling local schools what students can read and how parents can parent. States like Indiana and Oklahoma have put criminalization provisions in place, and it's not building better schools there.' The Senate Education Committee will hold likely the last public hearing for the House-approved bill (HB 324) this Thursday. Along partisan lines, the House late last month approved the bill, 193-148, with only three Republicans joining all but one Democrat in opposition. Rep. Glenn Cordelli, R-Tuftonboro, said he worked with Attorney General John Formella's office on how to close a loophole since education was exempt from the state's obscenity laws. 'It is our duty to protect minor children,' said Cordelli, who chairs the new House Education Policy and Administration Committee. 'This bill is about materials that are harmful to minor children in schools and the ability for parents to object to them.' During its first public hearing last February signed up in support while 1,355 opposed it. 'Our attorney general feels that it would be only the most extreme case for a criminal case to be opened for K-12 education, but that option should be available in such a case,' Cordelli said in written testimony to the House. Poll details The total of 1,372 completed the survey for UNH along with 62 respondents who were recruited via text message from March 20-24. The margin of error for the poll was plus or minus 2.6%. On criminal prosecution, 36% said they could oppose that provision, 52% opposed it, 7% were neutral and 5% didn't have an answer. Politically, certain circles support giving parents more of a say in what their children are exposed to in public schools. Last December, outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu had to withdraw his pick to fill the vacant post of state librarian because the candidate, Assistant Librarian Mindy Atwood, had spoken at conferences about how library advocates should work to defeat proposed book bans. A clear majority on the GOP-led Executive Council told Sununu his pick of Atwood was dead on arrival for this reason. During House debate, Rep. Peggy Balboni, D-Nashua, pointed out state law already allows parents to review all instructional materials. "But while parents can decide what materials their child can access, they do not have the right to determine which materials are available for other students; that is censorship," Balboni said. MacKenzie Nicholson is senior director for MomsRising Together & MomsRising Education Fund. 'Parents in the Granite State aren't asking for this. HB 324 is an extreme bill that goes too far and opens the door to criminalizing teachers and school librarians for doing their jobs,' Nicholson said. 'The Senate should table this bill and come back to the issue with a more thoughtful, balanced approach that actually reflects the values of families in the Live Free or Die state.' Asked how such a law would affect teacher recruitment, 55% told the poll this would make it harder, 9% said it would be easier, 29% said this will have little effect and 7% don't know. The poll also found if Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed the bill, a moderate plurality (41%) said they would be less likely to vote for her in 2026 compared with those who said it would make them more likely (30%) to support her. The third-largest group (24%) said it would make little or no difference and 5% did not know. klandrigan@
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans advance bills to create book removal process in public schools
The House and Senate are moving to require New Hampshire schools to allow parents to challenge books and other materials they deem obscene, and to create formal appeals processes for weighing those challenges. (Getty Images) If a New Hampshire parent wants to remove a book from their school district for being too obscene, the process depends on their district. Some school boards have passed policies laying out an explicit mechanism to challenge books or other materials; others have much sparser language. This year, Republican lawmakers are seeking to make the process easier. The House and Senate are moving to require New Hampshire schools to allow parents to challenge books and other materials they deem obscene, and to create formal appeals processes for weighing those challenges. 'This bill is about materials that are harmful to minor children in schools and the ability for parents to object to them,' wrote Rep. Glenn Cordelli, a Tuftonboro Republican and the chairman of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee. But Democrats, public school advocates, and civil rights groups have strongly objected, arguing the new process could allow parents to target materials that tackle race and LGBTQ+ issues, and arguing that school districts should design their own policies. A representative from Penguin Random House, the book publisher, submitted written testimony to the committee in early March objecting to the bill. 'HB 324 is problematic due to overly broad language, redundancy with existing laws, and potential intimidation of educators and librarians that will negatively affect book and material selection in New Hampshire's schools and libraries,' wrote Skip Dye, the chairman of the publisher's Intellectual Freedom Taskforce. Dye continued: 'Ultimately, it will deprive young readers access to literature that is crucial for their intellectual and emotional development. And without non-discrimination provisions, the lowered standard in this bill may be weaponized against minority voices.' The legislation echoes efforts by Republicans in past years. This year, lawmakers appear more likely to succeed. House Bill 324 passed the House on March 26, 183-148, along a near party line vote, while the Senate passed Senate Bill 33 on March 30 with a 16-8 vote. But the chambers don't yet fully agree on key issues. The House-endorsed bill goes further than its Senate counterpart, including more appeals processes for parents and more potential penalties for schools. HB 324 would mandate that school boards pass policies that allow parents to complain that certain materials are harmful to minors and should be removed from the school district. In order to be 'harmful to minors,' the material must 'predominantly appeal to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors'; must depict or describe nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse; must be 'patently offensive to prevailing standards' of what is offense to minors; must lack 'serious' literary, scientific, medical, artistic, or political value; and must be inappropriate to the age group to which it is available, according to the bill. The material must meet all of those conditions in order to qualify as harmful, according to the bill. The material could include books, magazines, movies, pamphlets, recordings, photos, figures, statues, plays, dances, and any other visual presentation, web-based content, and live performance. Under the bill, school boards must pass policies that allow a parent or guardian to make a complaint alleging that a teaching material in that school district violates the law. At that point, the school's principal or a designee would have 14 calendar days to make a decision whether the material was in violation and whether it should be removed. If the principal decided the material did not violate the law, the parent could appeal the decision to the school board. SB 33 requires a similar complaint process. But HB 324 adds two additional provisions that have vexed opponents. First, if the school board also rules against the complaining parent, that parent can appeal a final time to the State Board of Education, HB 324 states. The State Board's decision is final. Second, under HB 324, school districts and individual teachers can face consequences if a material is decided to be prohibited and the school continues to provide that material anyway. School districts can be sued by parents; teachers and other staff can face disciplinary sanctions by the State Board of Education for violating the educator code of conduct. It is not clear which version of the legislation might pass both the House and Senate. The chambers could enter 'committee of conference' negotiations to find agreement in June. Barrett Christina, executive director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association, says the association objects to HB 324 for two reasons: the potential liability it creates for school boards who are sued by parents, and the ability for the state board to override the school board's authority over the materials. 'We think that the local school board should have the authority to determine what's in their local libraries,' Christina said. He added: 'The primary reason why we don't think an appeal to the State Board of Education is appropriate is that it leaves voters without any local recourse. If the local school board chooses to keep a book in the library and the voters don't like that decision, they can vote for new school board members at the next election.' Since 2004, the School Boards Association has had a model policy it has recommended that schools adopt that covers challenges to materials in school. And Christina says he understands the desire to standardize the process to reduce confusion, especially as book challenges have become more frequent in the past five years. But to Christina, any policy passed by the Legislature should meet two criteria: There should be well-defined deadlines for parents and school officials, and there should be clear definitions for what type of material violates the statute. HB 324 doesn't meet those criteria, he argued. Absent that clarity, the law could prompt school districts to agree to move more books than they should, he said. 'Nobody wants to be sued and nobody wants to subject themselves to civil penalties,' Christina said. 'So the potential is that it may create a chilling effect with respect to what books local school boards decide to keep in their libraries.' Speaking from the floor, Cordelli argued the state board should be included in the process. 'HB 324 establishes a minimum process for which parents can bring what they consider inappropriate materials to their principal and the school board, and yes, if necessary, to the state board,' he said. 'Because we have in statute a duty of the state board to hear complaints from parents.' Cordelli added: 'This is not banning of books. It is about making sure that our children — your children — have books that are age-appropriate.'
