Bill to regulate explicit books in school libraries killed
ABC News
A Virginia Senate committee has killed legislation that would have required parental consent for students to check out sexually explicit books from school libraries
FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- A Virginia Senate committee on Thursday killed legislation that would have required parental consent for students to check out sexually explicit books from school libraries.
Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, introduced the bill after parents across the state complained about library books that included graphic depictions of sex acts. It was one of several school-related issues that animated Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's victory in November.
The legislation initially required school systems to give parents a say in the review of materials before they were made available in school libraries. But DeSteph significantly reworked his bill ahead of Thursday's committee meeting. The revised proposal that was quashed would have simply required written permission from a parent before a student could check out a book with explicit content.
“We’re not trying to ban books. We’re trying not trying to burn books,” DeSteph said.
