Kelly Ayotte / Hew Hampshire Office of the Governor (Left), Adobe Stock (Right)
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, vetoed a bill July 15 that would have allowed parents to challenge books they consider to be inappropriate and have them removed from public schools.
The Center Square reported that the bill, HB 324, would have created a new process for parents to submit complaints regarding books with nudity, sexual conduct, and other inappropriate content that do not have a serious value and are not relevant to the age of the minors consuming the content.
Despite general Republican support of the bill, Ayotte said the legislation was unnecessary because parents already have the option to opt their children out of reading or viewing the inappropriate material.
Ayotte continued in her veto message, “As a parent, I understand and appreciate the concerns parents have about their children being exposed to age-inappropriate or objectionable materials in schools.”
She added, however, that the state does not need to, “nor should it, engage in the role of addressing questions of literary value and appropriateness.”
Ayotte also took issue with the fact that any fines issued because of indecent books would be based on “subjective standards.” She added that the legislation could create an environment of “extensive legal action” over books available to children and lead to “unnecessary litigation from out-of-state groups.”
The New Hampshire branch of the National Education Association (NEA-NH) had opposed the bill and celebrated Ayotte’s decision to veto it, according to The Center Square.
“Every student deserves to see themselves reflected in the pages of their books,” Megan Tuttle, president of NEA-NH, said, expressing hope that the veto will spur lawmakers to “oppose classroom censorship efforts.
The Center Square reported that several parental groups and conservative organizations, as well as right-leaning lawmakers, have begun calling in recent years for specific books to be banned, especially those dealing with LGBT topics, sex, and race.
