Earlier this month on Beacon Hill, a gathering of authors, librarians, legislators and free-speech advocates rallied in support of “An Act Regarding Free Expression,” which would ensure that “no material could be removed from school and public libraries for ‘personal, political or doctrinal views or bias,'” according to a March 11, 2026 article in the Greenfield Recorder.

The bill passed through the Massachusetts state Senate back in November and is now under review in the Bay State’s House of Representatives.

Reports the Greenfield Recorder:

“With the recent introduction of H.R. 7661, which the United States House of Representatives mendaciously titled ‘Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,’ the federal government is well on its way to tell us what we can and can’t read,” said Malinda Lo, a National Book Award-winning author and member of the Massachusetts Freedom to Read coalition. “The people most affected by bills like this are also the most vulnerable: LGBT people, people of color and young people. But we can fight back here in Massachusetts. Using our state laws to protect Massachusetts residents and send a message to Washington that we can decide for ourselves what we want to read, that we support our First Amendment rights and the freedom to read. …

Lo joined other authors and legislators at the State House on Tuesday, where a book fair featuring books that had been challenged in Massachusetts was being held, to advocate for legislation requiring that books be added or removed from school and public libraries in accordance with collection development policies. The bill would allow parents and community members to continue questioning books in collections, as long as the concern is about the material as a whole rather than just portions of it, and as long as it is not due to political, personal or religious reasons. …

State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, said in a phone interview Wednesday that “An Act Regarding Free Expression” is a “significant guardrail” against politically motivated book bannings, and she is proud to have worked on the bill. Comerford had filed an amendment while the bill was in the Senate, requiring that the material being reviewed be considered as a whole, and not restricted or banned based on just portions of it.

Read the complete Greenfield Recorder story here.

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