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In the 2023-24 school year, the State Library of Oregon reported the highest number of challenges to books and other materials in libraries and schools since 1987, when it first began collecting data.
On Monday, the Oregon Senate responded by passing Senate Bill 1098 by an 18-10 vote. The bill, which now goes to the House of Representatives, would ward off book bans in school libraries based exclusively on the book containing mentions of race, sex, religion or any other group protected by law in Oregon.
All senators voted along party lines, except state Sen. Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City), who sided with Democrats. Two members (a Republican and Democrat) were excused.
In Oregon, the State Library reported 87% of titles challenged were about one or more underrepresented groups, 66% focused on LGBTQ+ people, and 22% were about Black, Indigenous or other peoples of color. Those trends match up with a nationwide book-banning movement (the American Library Association reported record numbers in 2023).
“Discriminatory book bans in schools—and the censorship that goes along with them—undermine Oregon values, and prevent students from learning about the history, experiences, and viewpoints of all communities,” Sen. Lew Frederick (D-Portland), one of the bill’s chief sponsors, said in a statement.
The bill would also require people filing complaints about books to be connected to the school. Senate Democrats said it would still allow school community members to make decisions about materials based on criteria like age appropriateness, vulgarity and educational value.
In a neutral statement to legislators on behalf of the State Library, state librarian Wendy Cornelisen wrote that the government branch believes challenges to titles in the state have been underreported.
“Despite the anonymity of the reporting process, staff also may decline to report for fear of political blowback, job repercussions, or media attention on their organization,” she wrote.
She added that many challenges have been handled “quietly” by removing materials from libraries with no review process, and that teacher-librarian staffing shortages only complicate the process.
Senate Republicans mostly opposed the bill, which they said took away agency from individual communities to make decisions for their students. In a proposed amendment to the bill (that failed 11-17), they argued that it was up to local school districts to control their materials and that there were inappropriate books that shouldn’t be shown to kids.
“We need parents to encourage their children to read from school libraries without having to worry about them finding inappropriate books on their shelves,” Sen. Noah Robinson (R-Cave Junction) said in a release.
Republicans also said there were bigger problems for Oregon to face on the reading front. Sen. Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook) said the state should focus on improving “abysmal” reading and math scores.
“Right now, three out of four eighth graders in Oregon can’t read at grade level,” Weber said in a release. “That’s a crisis. Instead of tackling real problems, Democrats passed a bill that expands government control and keeps inappropriate books on school shelves. Our kids deserve better.”