Judge issues written order barring implementation of Texas’ book rating law – By Brittanie Shey (Chron) / Sept 19, 2023
A U.S. district judge ruled the law violates the First Amendment.
The fight over Texas’ so-called book rating law isn’t over yet.
Nearly three weeks after issuing an oral ruling temporarily pausing enforcement of HB 900, also known as the Reader Act, U.S. A District Court Judge Alan D. Albright has issued a formal written order barring implementation of the law, writing that it “violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.”
Meanwhile, the state has indicated its intention to appeal the ruling by Albright. Prior to the release of Albright’s written order, the state also asked Albright to allow the law to go into effect as written. Albright denied that request. The law was originally set to go into effect on Sept. 1.
The Reader Act would have required any book vendor that does business with a Texas school district to rank every book that’s ever been sold by the vendor based on sexual content. Two independent bookstores, Houston’s Blue Willow Bookshop and Austin’s BookPeople, as well as a coalition of professional publishing organizations, sued the state over the law, arguing that not only was it unconstitutional, but also that it created an undue burden on private businesses, was unenforceable, and was too broadly written.
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