New Jersey becomes latest state to prohibit bans on books in school, public libraries

Associated Press

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a law to prohibit book bans in the state and enshrine protections against civil and criminal charges for librarians who comply with the law. New Jersey becomes the latest Democrat-led state to enact a ban on book bans, joining Illinois and Minnesota. Murphy signed the bill at Princeton’s public library, a short walk from Princeton University’s ivy-draped campus. Under the law, public and school libraries are barred from excluding books because of the origin, background, or views of the material or of its authors. Censoring books will also be prohibited solely because a person finds them offensive.