Legislature Eyes Making Book-Banning At Utah Schools Easier

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Utah lawmakers are looking at a proposal to make it easier to remove books from school libraries across the state. West Jordan Republican Representative Ken Ivory’s plan would set off removal of a single title from all Utah schools if at least three school districts find it to be “objective sensitive material,” or if at least two school districts and five charter schools make that finding. Yesterday, the Legislature’s Education Interim Committee moved to pass the plan on a 10-to-4 party line vote, with all of the panel’s GOP members voting “yes” and only Democrats voting “no.” The measure will be debated further when the next legislative session begins in January.