Support the RI Freedom to Read Act!

Thank you for lending your support! Here's how you can help protect our right to read:

1) Send the letter template available on this page. Just click "Send Letters" and your message will be sent to the House Committee on State Government.

Welcome back, Jacquelyn!

Not Jacquelyn? Wrong recipients? Click here.

Write To Chairman Evan Shanley
Write To Vice Chair Mary Mesier
Write To 2nd Vice Chair Arthur Corvese
Write To Representative Edith Ajello
Write To Representative Jacquelyn Baginski
Write To Representative Jon Brien
Write To Representative Matt Dawson
Write To Representative Katherine Kazarian
Write To Representative Brian Kennedy
Write To Representative Jason Knight
Write To Representative Michelle McGaw
Write To Representative Christopher Paplauskas
Write To Representative Brian Newburry
Write To Representative Jennifer Stewart
Write To Representative David Morales
Write To Representative Teresa Tanzi
Write To Committee State Government Clerk

Your Letter

Your Letter Subject *

Your Message *

I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill #5726: the Rhode Island Freedom to Read Act. This bill is essential to protecting Rhode Islanders’ fundamental rights to free speech, free inquiry, and access to diverse ideas — values enshrined in both the First Amendment and the Rhode Island Constitution.

We are witnessing an unprecedented rise in censorship efforts across the country and right here in Rhode Island. According to the American Library Association, in 2023 alone, there were 1,247 documented demands to censor books and other library materials, with 4,240 unique titles challenged—an alarming increase from just 223 in 2020. These challenges are not isolated events. They are part of a coordinated movement by organized groups seeking to limit public access to books, particularly those representing LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices.

Rhode Island is not immune to these attacks. In our own state, we have seen an increase in book bans targeting school libraries, with 28 titles challenged by outside groups. These actions undermine the rights of all Rhode Islanders to seek information freely and make their own reading choices.

The Rhode Island Freedom to Read Act is a necessary safeguard against these growing threats. Specifically, it would:
- Protects librarians, teachers, and museum staff from unjust legal and professional consequences simply for fulfilling their responsibilities. Rhode Island must align with over 40 other states that already provide these protections.
- Establishes a legal recourse for those harmed by censorship, allowing students, authors, publishers, and booksellers to challenge improper government censorship, with legal fees covered outside of library funding.
- Upholds parental choice by allowing families to determine appropriate reading materials for their own children while ensuring that no single group can dictate what others are allowed to access.

This bill is not about limiting choice—it is about protecting it. The vast majority of Americans—71%—oppose book bans, and 91% agree that no one should control what other families can read. Libraries and schools should remain places of learning, exploration, and free expression, not battlegrounds for political and ideological censorship.

I urge you to stand with Rhode Island’s educators, librarians, and families by supporting the Rhode Island Freedom to Read Act. Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate your leadership and commitment to protecting intellectual freedom in Rhode Island.

Support the RI Freedom to Read Act!

Write To Chairman Evan Shanley

Write To Vice Chair Mary Mesier

Write To 2nd Vice Chair Arthur Corvese

Write To Representative Edith Ajello

Write To Representative Jacquelyn Baginski

Write To Representative Jon Brien

Write To Representative Matt Dawson

Write To Representative Katherine Kazarian

Write To Representative Brian Kennedy

Write To Representative Jason Knight

Write To Representative Michelle McGaw

Write To Representative Christopher Paplauskas

Write To Representative Brian Newburry

Write To Representative Jennifer Stewart

Write To Representative David Morales

Write To Representative Teresa Tanzi

Write To Committee State Government Clerk

Your Letter