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The Texas READER Act, which was passed in 2023 with the goal of keeping explicit material out of Texas public schools, has been blocked by a federal judge who claims that the rating system required by the READER Act is a violation of free speech.
The law requires that vendors provide a rating, similar to that of TV and movies, on any books they provide to Texas public school libraries, so that parents or school administrators can determine whether those materials are appropriate for public school children.
Supporters of the legislation argue that it’s far from being a free speech violation. It simply requires school libraries to adhere to the same standards as everyone else. Author Ed Rush pointed out, “I’ve written six books, published far more than six on Amazon, and you’re required to lift your finger and click a mouse button to say whether or not the book is appropriate for kids.”
He went on to say that, at the end of the day, this isn’t a free speech issue; it’s a parental rights issue. He said, “What I can say as a parent is, I would like to know what’s being put in front of my kids, and I would like the ability to say, ‘No, I don’t want them to read that particular book.’”
In the end, Rush said this looks more like another example of lawfare from an ideologically driven judge and expects it to be overturned shortly.