North Dakota’s GOP Governor Vetoes Library Restrictions, School Voucher Program | The Minnesota Star-Tribune
North Dakota’s Republican governor vetoed a library bill that would have expanded the state's 2023 prohibition on ‘’explicit sexual material’’ in public libraries to school districts, and require those entities to have policies for relocating such material to an area in the library not easily accessible to minors.‘’ The bill also mandated that libraries have technology to stop K-12 students from accessing certain online content and required local prosecutors to weigh in on alleged violations of the state’s restrictions. In his veto message, Armstrong said the bill “represents a misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship. The bill imposes vague and punitive burdens on professionals and opens the door to a host of unintended and damaging consequences for our communities." He also said the bill ‘’is redundant, overly burdensome, and places local librarians, school districts, and state’s attorneys in an untenable situation.‘’

Texas Moves to Punish Bookstores That Sell 'Obscene' Books | Newsweek
The bill introduced to the Texas Legislature could result in bookstores facing fines and legal costs if they place material deemed "obscene" within an area accessible to minors. 

North Carolina Librarians Hold Town Hall Fighting for Funding, Opposing Book Bans | WRAL
School librarians, educators, and families gathered at a town hall in Raleigh, NC, to advocate for increased funding for school libraries and to oppose proposed legislation aimed at banning certain books. The Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators hosted the event at a facility in Raleigh with more than 70 people in attendance.

Students Gather at Michigan State Capitol to Protest Book Bans | WLNS
Students gathered at the Michigan State Capitol to read banned books, part of a protest highlighting what they say is a growing concern. Books have been banned in a few Michigan school districts, including Dearborn, Portage, and Davison. No Mid-Michigan school districts have banned books, but students at Tuesday’s rally believe they need to fight back against what they call “non-inclusive curricula” for the sake of all students.

Another Book Removed from Georgia District's School Libraries | WSB-TV2
The Cobb County (GA) School District has removed another book from the shelves of its libraries. The district announced that it would be removing American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. The novel is told from the perspective of banker-by-day, serial killer-by-night Patrick Bateman. It was the basis for the 2000 film of the same name starring Christian Bale.

10th Circuit Clears Path for Colorado School District to Return Restricted Books to Shelves as Ordered | Colorado Politics
The Denver-based federal appeals court declined to put a trial judge's order on hold, instead clearing the path for the Elizabeth (CO) School District to return 19 restricted books to its library shelves as directed earlier this month. In March, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney found the elected school board had likely violated the First Amendment rights of students and authors by removing books with "sensitive" topics based on political ideology. The titles included The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Beloved by Toni Morrison, #Pride: Championing LGBTQ Rights by Rebecca Felix, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Penguin Random House Dropped a 'Book Ban' Clothing Line; 100% of Profits Will Help Libraries | GoodGoodGood
Partnering with Online Ceramics, a Los Angeles-based clothing brand that makes hand-dyed apparel (most notably for A24 and the Grateful Dead), Penguin Random House has debuted a clothing collaboration, aptly titled “Reading Is A Right.”

ACLU-TN Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Families, PEN America to Halt Book Bans in Rutherford County Schools | WGNS
The ACLU of Tennessee and PEN America filed a lawsuit against the Rutherford County (TN) School Board for banning more than 145 books from school libraries. The lawsuit argues that banning books that talk about LGBTQIA+ issues, race, and racism violates students’ First Amendment rights. 

Florida House Passes Bill Overhauling School Book Removal Process. What now? | WUSF
The Florida House passed a bill that opponents warn will dramatically increase book removals—including classic literature. The legislation says if a book is challenged in schools for allegedly being harmful to minors, officials can't consider its “potential literary, artistic, political, or scientific value” when deciding whether to keep it on shelves. Republicans say this will protect children from age-inappropriate books that remain on school shelves despite recent laws making it easier to challenge material. The bill defines “harmful to minors” as nudity and sexual content that “predominantly appeals to prurient, shameful, or morbid interest” and “is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material or conduct for minors.”

New York District Schools Retain Library Books After Objections Filed |WHAM
The Penfield (NY) Central School District has decided to keep three library books that had objections filed against them, according to a letter sent to families. Parents do have the right to flag their child's account to prevent them from checking specific books out. Three books, including The Rainbow Parade, which sparked controversy that disrupted two school board meetings in February, underwent committee review. The other books that were reviewed are Aliens and Other Visitors (Not Near Normal: The Paranormal), which features historical stories and modern-day accounts of alien encounters, and The Bluest Eye, a 1970 novel that tells the story of a Black girl from an abusive home who experienced racism.

How Could a Department of Education Shutdown Impact Book Bans? | People
 A complete shuttering of the Department and OCR would impact the ongoing battle against book bans. On Jan. 24, the OCR dismissed 11 pending complaints related to book banning, and “rescinded all department guidance issued under the theory that a school district’s removal of age-inappropriate books from its libraries may violate civil rights laws” effective immediately. David Levithan, a founding member of the Authors Against Book Bans coalition, notes that a complete shutdown of the Department of Education would lead to a “free for all.”
“The DOE and the Office of Civil Rights, we trust them to be there to make sure that there are safeguards against abuses in which some voices are erased,” he says. “The actual threat here is the lack of oversight.”