State Sen. Rachel May criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s veto of her bill, the Freedom to Read Act, which aimed to prevent book bans in New York libraries.
May, D-Syracuse, introduced the bill after an increased number of book bans were reported across the country. In 2022, there was an attempt to ban a book with LGBTQ themes in the Auburn school district.
According to the American Library Association, there were 821 attempts to censor books and other materials in 2024. Those pressure campaigns targeted 2,452 unique titles, the organization said.
May’s bill, the Freedom to Read Act, would’ve required the state education commissioner and school libraries to establish policies that empower staff to “curate and develop collections that provide students with access to the widest array of developmentally appropriate materials available,” according to the legislative text.
In a memo supporting the bill, May wrote that providing access to these books and other materials would let students “pursue a love of learning and reading that can transport them to the distant past, to imagined futures or into the far reaches of our galaxy.”
“By ensuring that students have access to many perspectives, they have the option to enrich their minds and broaden their perspectives,” May continued. “Whether they embrace or reject those perspectives, the opportunity to explore challenging ideas is valuable to students’ development as learners, as community members and as citizens.”
The state Assembly and Senate passed the bill in June. Although most supporters were Democrats, there were a few Republicans who voted for the legislation.
Despite the bipartisan support, Hochul vetoed the bill.
Hochul’s veto message acknowledges the importance of school library staff. However, she detailed existing measures in place — including guidance from the state Education Department that aims to ensure libraries offer a range of perspectives.
“I am concerned that the unclear wording of this bill will do more to confuse than to clarify schools’ obligations and school librarians’ roles,” Hochul wrote.
May responded in a statement posted on social media. She called the veto “misguided and deeply frustrating.”
“This bill is common sense and simple,” May said. “It did not dictate content or override local control. It asked for something basic and reasonable: that decisions about school library materials be made through clear, professional processes, not through political pressure campaigns or ad hoc censorship.”
Although Hochul vetoed the bill, May remains committed to protecting students’ freedom to read.
The cause is important to May, who has discussed the backlash her grandparents and father received after they co-wrote a textbook that included information about civil rights and the women’s suffrage movement.
“The governor’s veto will send would-be censors the wrong message,” May said. “It says, to some, that New York is unwilling to draw even the simplest line against viewpoint-based suppression in schools. It leaves librarians exposed, collections vulnerable to challenge and students caught in the middle of political fights they are often not even aware of.”