3.17.25
“Keeping Books Banned by Prisons Out of Students’ Hands”
By Donna Garner
****PLEASE SEE ACTION STEP FOR TEXANS FURTHER ON DOWN THE PAGE
[COMMENTS BY DONNA GARNER: If certain books are deemed too explicit for prisoners to read, then certainly school students should not be reading them either.
If these books might incite violence and perversion among inmates, then neither should children and young people be reading them either.
This seems to be a "no brainer " to me if we truly want to protect our treasured children and young people who only come this way once.
They cannot "unread" whatever goes into their minds. Neither can they "unsee" explicit content.
The frontal lobe of the brain helps in decision making, planning, and the controlling of inhibitions.
The frontal lobe does not develop fully until young people are in their mid-20's.
Therefore, it is up to us adults to do whatever we can to help children and young people to keep their God-given naiveté until such time as their brains have reached full development.
Please see the ACTION STEPS FOR TEXANS posted at the bottom of this page.]
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3.14.25 – “New Legislation Would Block School Library Books Deemed Too Explicit for Prisons” – by Will Biagini – Texas Scorecard -- https://texasscorecard.com/state/new-legislation-would-block-school-library-books-deemed-too-explicit-for-prisons/
Excerpts from this article:
A new measure targeting children’s access to sexually explicit materials in schools has been filed just ahead of the [TX] legislature’s filing deadline.
The measure was drafted by conservative activist Bonnie Wallace — who has long been outspoken against schools making graphic content available for children. She stated:
“My question to school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, and librarians all across Texas is ‘Why are the minds of hardened criminals better protected in Texas than the minds of our innocent children in Texas schools?'”
The proposal, House Bill 5021 by State Rep. Andy Hopper (R–Decatur), would prohibit public schools from purchasing or possessing any books listed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s register of books prohibited to prisoners.
The TDCJ lists more than 10,000 books with enough sexually explicit content to make them unsuitable for prison inmates.
HB 5021
HB 5021 BY TX STATE REP. ANDY HOPPER (R – Decatur) PROHIBITS PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES FROM THE BOOKS BANNED FOR PRISONERS -- 3.14.25
https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB5021
(A) prohibits the possession, acquisition, and purchase of [PUBLIC-SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS]
(i) harmful material, as defined by Section 43.24, Penal Code;
prohibits the possession, acquisition, and purchase of:
(iv) library material included on the list maintained by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice of publications an inmate may not receive in a correctional facility;
TO SEE LISTS OF BOOKS BANNED IN STATE PRISONS ACROSS AMERICA, PLEASE GO TO: “The Books Banned in Your State’s Prisons” – by the Marshall Project – updated on 2.23.23 --- https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/12/21/prison-banned-books-list-find-your-state
MORE INFORMATION
1.13.25 – “Thousands of Texans Urge Gov. To Prioritize ‘Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids’” – by Luca Cacciatore – Texas Scorecard -- https://texasscorecard.com/state/thousands-of-texans-urge-gov-to-prioritize-stop-sexualizing-texas-kids/
ACTION STEPS FOR TEXANS:
GO TO THE TEXAS ONLINE LEGISLATURE WEBSITE: https://capitol.texas.gov/
ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE, LOCATE SENATORS’ AND HOUSE MEMBERS’ NAMES.
CLICK ON THEIR NAMES TO LOCATE THEIR WEBSITES WHICH CONTAIN THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION.
PLEASE WRITE A BRIEF NOTE ASKING YOUR TEXAS LEGISLATOR TO VOTE FOR HB 5021. YOU MIGHT WANT TO CUT/COPY/PASTE STATEMENTS USED IN THIS ARTICLE.