In the News

The Nashville Public Library (NPL) launched a campaign celebrating the "freedom to read,” a rebuttal to state legislators' efforts to make it easier to ban books in schools.

A limited-edition library card proclaims "I read banned books" as part of the library's drive to distribute 5,000 new cards in one month.
Both new and existing cardholders can pick up one of the limited-edition cards at any library branch through May 26.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed into law Monday an overhaul he proposed for the formula for funding the state's multibillion-dollar K-12 education system.

The Republican signed the law at Franklin High School, where he attended school. Lawmakers in the Republican-supermajority General Assembly passed the bill last week. There were some crossover votes, with Democrats supporting it and Republicans opposing it.

Tennessee lawmakers closed out their annual legislative session Thursday, striking a deal that would let a politically appointed panel remove books from public school libraries statewide through a new veto power over local school board decisions.

Legislative Republicans in Tennessee on Thursday dialed back a controversial bill policing school libraries but still passed legislation giving a politically appointed commission power to effectively issue blanket bans of challenged books.

The bill, HB 2666, tasks the state's textbook commission with creating an appeals process for challenged books if a student, family member or school employee disagrees with a decision made by a local school board.

Tennessee's Republican-dominated General Assembly neared the finish line Wednesday of an overhaul of the state formula for funding its multibillion-dollar K-12 education system, angering Democratic lawmakers who were abruptly blocked from floor discussion of one of this year's most sweeping pieces of legislation.

A group of Tennessee parents and public school students gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol this morning to express opposition to legislation that would effectively ban books from public school libraries by creating an "approved book list" developed by the Tennessee Textbook Commission.

Gov. Bill Lee’s signature education funding reform initiative passed today even as concerns have been raised that the plan will do little to fundamentally alter the status quo for school districts in a state consistently ranked 45th in the nation in school funding.

William “Doc” Holladay felt he could no longer sit on the sidelines while Williamson County Schools implemented a curriculum he saw as misaligned with his political and religious values.

So the Franklin resident joined in protest starting in 2020 alongside other residents, such as Robin Steenman and Gary Humble.

The Republican-led Tennessee legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would require public school librarians to submit to the state a list of book titles for approval, as a GOP lawmaker suggested burning books that are deemed inappropriate.

State Rep. Jerry Sexton said Wednesday he would “burn” books found obscene by an expanded state textbook commission charged with policing school library selections.

In debate with Sexton over legislation requiring school districts to submit lists of library books to the commission, state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, asked what the state would do with the books, put them out in the street or set them on fire?

Late Monday night, Speaker Cameron Sexton snuck in a last-minute amendment to HB2666 that would require that all school boards and librarians not only provide a list of library books, but would also require them to get approved from the TN textbook commission, which includes controversial Laurie Cardoza-Moore. Ahead of the House’s vote on the bill at 9am this morning, pastors, parents, students, and public school advocates spoke out in defense of librarians and against censorship by politicians.

Tennessee Republicans advanced legislation Wednesday that would place more scrutiny over what books are placed in public schools libraries, moments after the bill’s House sponsor said any inappropriate book should be burned.