On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) approved a new law that imposes restrictions on individuals without students in a particular school district from raising objections to books within those districts. The comprehensive education bill, HB 1285, stipulates that individuals without children in the school district can only raise one objection per month. However, parents with children accessing materials in the district, including those with homeschooled children, retain the ability to file unlimited objections.
“In a press release regarding the bill, Governor DeSantis stated, ‘Florida is the number one state in the country for education. By prioritizing core academic subjects and rejecting classroom indoctrination, we’ve set a standard for educational excellence. The legislation I signed today builds upon our state’s previous achievements.’
The new law aims to address the challenges stemming from a highly controversial 2022 legislation, which granted individuals increased authority to challenge books accessible to K-12 students in school libraries.
Additionally, the law mandated that materials be age-appropriate for students. Critics have vehemently opposed the law, citing a surge in banned books across Florida, many of which contain race-related themes or LGBTQ characters. Notable banned works include the Holocaust graphic novel ‘Maus’ and Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.'”
However, the law has encountered logistical hurdles as book objections inundate school districts following its enactment. The statement issued by the governor’s office implicitly recognizes the limitations of the 2022 legislation. It asserts that the new law “safeguards schools from activists seeking to politicize and interfere with a district’s book review procedure.”