Book-banning prevention bill passes IL Senate

SPRINGFIELD (25News Now) - Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced that a bill to prevent book banning passed the Senate Wednesday.

House Bill 2789 passed the House in March, and it awaits the signature of JB Pritzker.

“The concept of banning books contradicts the very essence of what our country stands for,” said Secretary Giannoulias. “It also defies what education is all about - teaching our children to think for themselves.”

Currently, Illinois law does not contain language related to book banning or the eligibility for state grants if a library bans items from its collection.

Giannoulias said the number of attempts to ban books has been surging.

According to the American Library Association, more than 2,500 different books were objected to last year, compared to 1,858 in 2021 and just 566 in 2019.

If signed into law, HB 2789 would take effect on January 1, 2024.