"None of These Books Are Obscene": Judge Strikes Down Much of FL's Book Ban Bill
10 days ago
- #book-ban
- #First-Amendment
- #Florida
- Judge Carlos Mendoza ruled Florida's HB 1069 book ban law unconstitutional, calling it 'overbroad'.
- HB 1069 allowed removal of books with 'sexual content' without considering literary value, leading to hundreds of bans.
- Plaintiffs, including publishers and authors, sued, arguing the law violated First Amendment rights.
- The ruling emphasizes the Miller Test, requiring books to be judged as a whole, not by excerpts.
- Judge rejected the 'government speech' argument, stating book bans stifle disfavored viewpoints.
- Books like 'The Color Purple' and 'The Handmaid’s Tale' were banned but deemed not obscene.
- Florida officials may appeal, but the ruling sets a precedent against censorship in schools.