New York Governor Kathy Hochul Vetoes State's Freedom to Read Bill
In a statement, the bill's architect, State Senator Rachel May, said Hochul's veto was "misguided and deeply frustrating."
In a move that surprised and disappointed library supporters, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed S1099, the state's Freedom to Read Act. The December 20 veto came without a statement, part of a flurry of veto and bill signings as the year comes to an end.
Passed in June, the bill would have required the state to establish new guidelines and policies to ensure that public school libraries and library staff, "including but not limited to certified library media specialists," are "empowered to curate and develop collections that provide students with access to the widest array of developmentally appropriate materials available to school districts."
In a message posted to her Facebook account, State Senator Rachel May, the bill's architect, called Hochul's veto "misguided and deeply frustrating."
"This bill is common sense and simple. 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," May said. "The Governor’s veto will send would-be censors the wrong message. 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."
New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman also criticized Hochul's veto.
"The Governor’s veto of the Freedom to Read Act is a missed opportunity to combat censorship in New York and solidify students’ right to read free from viewpoint discrimination," Lieberman said, in a statement. "Schools should be havens where students can safely explore new ideas, read stories that reflect their lives, and take a look into other worlds. With this ill-advised, disappointing veto, the Governor has failed our public school students and their parents."
The veto comes after PEN America, NYCLU, the American Booksellers Association, and NY Authors Against Book Bans held a Freedom to Read Act Read-In and rally on December 8 in support of S1099. In a release PEN America noted that while other states have faced more book bans, New York has seen "at least 25 books" banned in the state in recent years.
Julia Goldberg
Hochul is facing reelection in 2026, and currently is polling well ahead of her Republican challengers, the most high-profile of which, U.S. Rep Elise Stefanik recently withdrew from the race.
