A pile of challenged books appear at the Utah Pride Center in Salt Lake City on Dec. 16, 2021. Attempted book bannings and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, according to a new report from the American Library Association. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Officials from Illinois’ major political parties are making clear one issue they’ll be taking sides on heading into the 2024 election cycle.
Illinois still has a primary to get through in March. But, heading into November next year, things are expected to heat up. One issue Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias put in the national spotlight during testimony to a U.S. Senate committee this week was that of access to controversial books.
“Tragically, our libraries have become the thunder domes of controversy and strife across our nation, the likes of which we’ve never seen before,” Giannoulias said.
The Democratic statewide official promoted the Illinois measure he spearheaded to withhold taxpayer-funded grants to public and school libraries that he said “ban books.”
“This right to read legislation will help remove the pressure that librarians have tragically had to endure over the last couple of years,” he said.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias during a U.S. Senate committee hearing
Giannoulias was read obscene materials* some say should be allowed in school, which he acknowledged was offensive.
Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy said he was baffled by the Democrat’s position.
Read more here.
I think “Random parent Giannoulias” needs to get out of politics- he seems to be in WAY over his head.