Dear Governor Cox:
On behalf of more than 18,000 Utah educators, the Utah Education Association is asking you to veto a bill that is poor policy for public education.
HB 29 Sensitive Materials Review Amendments allow as few as one parent in each of three school districts to challenge a book and, if the book is removed in all three districts, automatically triggers a statewide ban of the book.
The bill shifts the determination of what books and instructional materials are considered appropriate, meaningful and relevant for students away from locally elected school boards. A statewide ban usurps the ability of parents to make choices that best fit their individual child. It also eliminates the ability of locally elected school boards to represent their constituents through a sensitive materials review process conducted locally with input from parents, students, educators and the community.
During committee and floor debates, the bill sponsor and other legislators referred to sensitive materials as “criminal pornography” and likened the statewide ban to only a single person being necessary to report a crime. Calling school materials “criminal” is due to the original misapplication of criminal code to library books and school materials. Such statements imply there is no room for interpretation, context or consideration of the value of a material taken as a whole. Further, these statements imply educators are criminals for the selection of such materials which is not only offensive but patently untrue. Such rhetoric is dangerous and leads to the next step that became HB 417 School Materials Amendments (unheard this session), which would, in fact, criminalize educators for using certain books and instructional materials.
Finally, it is significant to note that if HB 29 is vetoed, it would not mean schools lack an open and public review process when a book or instructional material is challenged. Such processes have been in place for two years. Some individuals dissatisfied with the legitimate outcomes of these reviews is not a reason to change processes that were time intensive and costly to establish, which allow for local community input, and which are effective.
Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.
Respectfully,
Renée Pinkney
President, Utah Education Association
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