HB324

I believe this to be a ruse or trick to use calling something obscene to get rid of something that is objected to for other less credible reasons

I oppose this draconian bill. HB 324 jeopardizes my parental rights and subjects my children's teachers to legislation that is overly broad and entirely unnecessary. Parents already have the ability opt their children out of school work believed to include exposure to questionable material. I urge you to reject this bill. Banning Books is unAmerican.

I am both a parent and a librarian. Library collections are not assembled randomly. Build are selected according to a collection development policy that is approved by the local authority (typically local elected officials). There is zero need for the state to interfere in local matters in this way. Each public library and school can set a collection development policy that fits their community. Librarians who are acting in good faith to follow their policies should be legally protected from prosecution for doing their jobs. As a parent, I want my children - and all children - to have access to a wide range of information, viewpoints, and resources. I am perfectly capable of supervising my own children and their reading material. I do not need or want the state making those decisions for me. The very idea is against the values of New Hampshire.

As a librarian, I strongly oppose HB 324, which creates unnecessary legal and financial risks for schools and imposes harmful barriers between students and essential educational materials. It would chill learning and target the educators and school librarians who serve our communities with care and professionalism. The censorship that HB 324 seeks to impose is profoundly immoral and un-American.

This bill is wrong for NH education. The broad language will lead to censorship. Bottom line, reading leads to empathetic, educated citizens. This isn't a worry for those who proposed this bill; I'm sure their kids are in front of video games and have never set foot in a library.

I oppose this bill in the name of freedom of speech & fair access to information. We do not automatically become or believe the information we consume. In fact, information, whether we support it or not, makes us critical thinkers. It is the critical thinkers have been responsible for the forward movement throughout the span of humanity.

Enough with the book banning! We should have literature available for ALL to learn.

These book banning bills are becoming absolutely absurd. The idea that any children's library is shelving sexually explicit content is beyond absurd. If you are concerned about what your child is reading, be the parent. Principals should not have sole jurisdiction to ban books based on the vague language in this bill. We all know this isn't about protecting children. This is about controlling people. Plain and simple. Enough is enough.

Our First Amendment would be violated if this bill were made into law.

Yet another extremist book ban bill. History shows that those who try to ban (or burn) books are never the reasonable good guys.

This bill is a dangerous kind of overreach into the operations of schools in towns across the state. It undermines both the quality of education, the rights of families, and the local decision-making authority of school boards.

There should be no book banning in public education.

I am morally opposed to banning books especially in public schools. Elizabeth Motta M.Ed

I oppose the banning of books and believe it should be left to each parent to decide what their children should read. NOT the government. Thank you!

Thank you Chairperson and members of the House Education Committee for receiving testimony on this bill. My name is Sara Tirrell, and I am the mother of two teenagers—one currently in high school and the other attending a public university here in New Hampshire. I am here today to strongly oppose HB 324-FN because I believe that this bill is not only unnecessary but harmful to the education and intellectual development of our children. Throughout their public school education, my children have had unrestricted access to books. They have explored the works of classic authors, learned about the complexities of history, and engaged with literature that challenges them to think critically about the world. Some of these books contained difficult themes—racism, oppression, identity, and injustice—but rather than shield my children from these realities, these books helped them develop empathy, resilience, and a broader understanding of the human experience. I trust my children's teachers and librarians to curate materials that are appropriate for their educational growth. I also trust my children to engage with challenging material in a way that is meaningful to them. If I ever had a concern about what they were reading, I would have a conversation with them about it. That is what parenting is. It is not about restricting access to knowledge, but about guiding our children as they learn and grow. HB 324-FN threatens to take that choice away from parents like me and place it in the hands of a few individuals who may not share the same values or educational goals for their children. A single complaint could result in books being removed from classrooms and libraries—not just for one child, but for all children. This is not about protecting students; it is about censorship. The language of this bill is dangerously vague, leaving room for misinterpretation and overreach. What is considered "harmful" to one person may be profoundly educational and eye-opening to another. Works of literature that address important social and historical issues—books that have been read and taught for generations—could be banned simply because they make someone uncomfortable. But education is not meant to be comfortable all the time. It is meant to challenge, to inspire, and to open minds. Moreover, this bill places an undue burden on educators, who now may have to defend their curriculum against vague and subjective standards. Our teachers should not have to fear legal repercussions for doing their jobs—jobs that require them to prepare our children for the complexities of the real world. I do not want my children's education dictated by fear, censorship, or the preferences of a vocal minority. I want them to continue to learn freely, to ask difficult questions, and to engage with diverse perspectives. This is how we raise informed citizens, critical thinkers, and compassionate individuals. For the sake of intellectual freedom, for the trust we place in our educators, and for the future of our children’s education, I urge you to reject HB 324-FN. Thank you for your time and consideration.

This is a limitation on access to information for children and teens that are trying to learn their way in the world. Parents and guardians are within their rights to manage what material children are reading and a government does not have the right to take this from them,

While sounding simple, this bill leaves open harassment of librarians and administrators, letting individuals decide what others can or cannot read. Parents already can opt their children out of subjects or material they personally oppose.

Book banning is done by cowards who are afraid of educated people

This is shameful! The idea of book bans doesn't belong in thisl country. THIS IS NOT RUSSIA!

This is shameful! The idea of book bans doesn't belong in thisl country. THIS IS NOT RUSSIA!