Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte vetoed House Bill 324 in Concord, New Hampshire. The bill aimed to ban certain books in public schools and criminalize educators, librarians, and school board members. Currently, the state has a law allowing parents to opt their children out of specific coursework or materials they find objectionable. The proposed bill would have extended beyond this by imposing individual parental objections on all families.
A recent poll by the University of New Hampshire indicates that most residents oppose such proposals.
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, expressed support for the governor’s decision: “Every student deserves to see themselves reflected in the pages of their books. NEA-New Hampshire applauds Governor Ayotte for standing up for the freedom to read in New Hampshire. We hope this book ban bill veto represents a changing tide at the State House and call on lawmakers to listen to Granite Staters who overwhelmingly oppose classroom censorship efforts.”
NEA-New Hampshire is noted as the largest union of public employees in the state with over 17,000 members. It was originally founded as the New Hampshire State Teachers Association in 1854 and became part of forming the National Education Association in 1857.
