Office of Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26th, 2024
Contact
Lisa Gerlach
Chief of Staff, Office of the Lt. Governor
(802) 636-7047
Lisa.gerlach@vermont.gov
NEWS: Lt. Gov. Zuckerman Statement on S. 220
MONTPELIER, Vt: On Tuesday, the Vermont Senate advanced S.220, an act relating to Vermont’s public libraries. Senators also included an amendment to the bill to establish clear procedures for reviewing any book challenges. These procedures would not allow books to be removed from school libraries for reasons including partisan disapproval; sexual orientation, gender identity, or race of characters or of the author; or an individual's discomfort with content due to personal morality, political views, or religious views.
Following the successful vote, Lt. Governor David Zuckerman released the following statement:
“I am pleased that Vermont will join Illinois in standing up for free speech, civics, history, critical thinking, and individual parental rights. In this moment when too many are trying to restrict children’s access to factual history, gender and sex education, and diverse thoughts and perspectives, it is critical that we support our teachers and librarians to use their professional expertise without political pressures.”
This past summer and fall, the Lt. Governor hosted a series of banned book reading events around the state to promote free speech, inclusion, democracy, and open dialogue. You can view a full list of the past events on the Lt. Governor’s website.
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