Why it matters: The move against what Newsom calls “textbook censorship in schools” follows an unprecedented wave of book bans in Florida and across the U.S.
- The legislation is in direct response to efforts by conservative leadership in some California school districts to censor or remove books — notably one in the Riverside County city of Temecula that opposed featuring content on slain San Francisco gay rights leader Harvey Milk.
What they’re saying: “From Temecula to Tallahassee, fringe ideologues across the country are attempting to whitewash history and ban books from schools,” Newsom said in a statment after signing the legislation that took immediate effect Monday.