Illinois Takes Stand Against Book Bans with New Law.

Illinois has passed a law prohibiting book bans in public schools and libraries, with Governor J.B. Pritzker calling it the first of its kind. The law directs public libraries in the state to adopt or write their own versions of a library bill of rights, which asserts that materials should not be removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. Libraries that don't comply could lose state funding. The move comes amid a rise in book-banning efforts across the country, especially in Republican-led states, where lawmakers have made it easier to remove library books that political groups deemed objectionable.