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| McAuliffe vetoes bill permitting parents to block sexually explicit books in school | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| RICHMOND — Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) on Monday vetoed a bill that would have made Virginia the first state in the country to allow parents to block their children from reading books in school that contain sexually explicit material. | RICHMOND — Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) on Monday vetoed a bill that would have made Virginia the first state in the country to allow parents to block their children from reading books in school that contain sexually explicit material. |
| The measure became known in the General Assembly as the “Beloved bill” because supporters have cited the seminal work of fiction by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison as an example of a book too graphic for some students. | The measure became known in the General Assembly as the “Beloved bill” because supporters have cited the seminal work of fiction by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison as an example of a book too graphic for some students. |
| It would have required K-12 teachers to identify classroom materials with “sexually explicit content” and notify parents, who would have been able to “opt out” their children and request that the teacher give them an alternative assignment. | It would have required K-12 teachers to identify classroom materials with “sexually explicit content” and notify parents, who would have been able to “opt out” their children and request that the teacher give them an alternative assignment. |
| McAuliffe said a state law is “unnecessary” because the Virginia Board of Education is already considering changing state policy to accommodate parents’ concerns. | McAuliffe said a state law is “unnecessary” because the Virginia Board of Education is already considering changing state policy to accommodate parents’ concerns. |
| “School boards are best positioned to ensure that our students are exposed to those appropriate literary and artistic works that will expand students’ horizons and enrich their learning experiences,” he said in the veto message. | “School boards are best positioned to ensure that our students are exposed to those appropriate literary and artistic works that will expand students’ horizons and enrich their learning experiences,” he said in the veto message. |
| Opponents have said the approach could lead to book banning — a claim McAuliffe did not address, despite his criticism that the bill did not take into consideration a book’s overall value apart from a few potentially troubling scenes. | Opponents have said the approach could lead to book banning — a claim McAuliffe did not address, despite his criticism that the bill did not take into consideration a book’s overall value apart from a few potentially troubling scenes. |
| “This legislation lacks flexibility and would require the label of ‘sexually explicit’ to apply to an artistic work based on a single scene, without further context,” he said. | “This legislation lacks flexibility and would require the label of ‘sexually explicit’ to apply to an artistic work based on a single scene, without further context,” he said. |
| But Republican supporters of the bill say it’s a parent’s right to control their children’s exposure, even if the books are considered classics. | But Republican supporters of the bill say it’s a parent’s right to control their children’s exposure, even if the books are considered classics. |
| Del. R. Steven Landes (R-Augusta), who is chairman of the House Education Committee, sponsored the bill at the request of House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), making it a top priority for the overwhelmingly Republican House. | Del. R. Steven Landes (R-Augusta), who is chairman of the House Education Committee, sponsored the bill at the request of House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), making it a top priority for the overwhelmingly Republican House. |
| The bill does not appear to have the votes to override the governor’s veto. | The bill does not appear to have the votes to override the governor’s veto. |
| [Special delivery to Va. lawmakers: 22 copies of ‘Beloved,’ ‘The Bluest Eye’] | [Special delivery to Va. lawmakers: 22 copies of ‘Beloved,’ ‘The Bluest Eye’] |
| At first Democrats in the House joined Republicans to vote for the bill in a block of other uncontested pieces of legislation, but as opponents’ expressed concerns, many Democrats took notice and voted “no” when it came back to their chamber for a second look. | |
| In the Senate, the only Democrat to join Republicans in voting for it was Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. (Accomack). | In the Senate, the only Democrat to join Republicans in voting for it was Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. (Accomack). |
| The bill stemmed from a complaint made by Laura Murphy, a Fairfax County woman who said she was horrified to discover that one of her sons, a high school senior, was reading “Beloved” in his Advanced Placement English class. | |
| The National Council of Teachers of English and National Coalition Against Censorship oppose the bill; the Family Foundation of Virginia favors it. | The National Council of Teachers of English and National Coalition Against Censorship oppose the bill; the Family Foundation of Virginia favors it. |
| About half of Virginia school districts already require teachers to give parents advanced warning of “potentially sensitive or controversial materials in the classroom,” according to a 2013 survey by the state Department of Education. |