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Illinois Secretary of State backs legislation aimed at preventing book bans

WSIU Public Broadcasting | By Ethan Holder
Published March 8, 2023 at 2:19 PM CST
Alexi Giannoulias
Nathan Mandell
/
Provided

In Illinois, the Secretary of State is also the State Librarian

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is taking a stance against book censorship with new legislation.

He says efforts to ban certain books have been on the rise nationally, and in Illinois.

The bill he’s backing - HB 2789 - ensures only libraries that refuse to ban books will be eligible for funding from his office.

During the last fiscal year, the Secretary of State’s office awarded more than 1,600 grants to Illinois libraries, totaling over $62 million.

Giannoulias to Libraries: We're United Against Banning Books
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State of Illinois BooksAlexi Giannoulias
Ethan Holder
Ethan Holder is a student contributor for WSIU Public Broadcasting located at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email wsiunews@wsiu.org
See stories by Ethan Holder
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