Bill Text: NY K01076 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 22-28, 2024, as Banned Books Week in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-04-04 - adopted [K01076 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K01076-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 1076

BY: M. of A. Lunsford

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        September 22-28, 2024, as Banned Books Week  in  the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official weeks that are set aside to celebrate the freedom to  read  and
to draw attention to banned and challenged books; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 22-28, 2024, as
Banned Books Week in the State of New  York,  in  conjunction  with  the
observance of National Banned Books Week; and

  WHEREAS,  Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign promoted
by the American Library  Association  and  Amnesty  International,  that
celebrates the freedom to read, draws attention to banned and challenged
books, and highlights persecuted individuals; and

  WHEREAS,  Held  since  September of 1982, the United States campaign
stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox
or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them and the requirement
to keep material publicly available so  people  can  develop  their  own
conclusions and opinions; and

  WHEREAS,  The  international  campaign  notes individuals persecuted
because of the writings they produce, circulate or read; and

  WHEREAS, Some of the events that occur during Banned Books Week  are
The Virtual Read-Out and The First Amendment Film Festival; and

  WHEREAS,  According  to a study by PEN America, during the 2022-2023
school year, 3,300 books were banned, a 33% increase from  the  previous
school year; and

  WHEREAS,  That  same study found that the books banned or challenged
overwhelmingly featured themes about race and racism or contained  LGTBQ
characters; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  imperative  that the citizens of this great Empire
State  have  access  to  all   literature,   either   controversial   or
non-controversial,   which   supports   our   nation's  First  Amendment
guaranteeing the freedom of  expression  by  prohibiting  Congress  from
restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely; now,
therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 22-28, 2024,  as
Banned Books Week in the State of New York; and

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.