The California Legislature approved a bill on Thursday that would allow fines against school boards that ban textbooks based on their inclusion of LGBTQ+ and race lessons — an attempt to halt escalating culture wars playing out in right-leaning enclaves of the liberal state.
The legislation, AB 1078, strengthens the state’s enforcement of laws that require diverse and inclusive education, and appears sure to get the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor helped craft the legislation after a conservative Temecula school board rejected a lesson featuring slain San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, a gay rights icon.
The bill comes after some local school boards backed by conservative majorities have taken up textbook content and gender identity issues, echoing national talking points about alleged infringements on parental rights.
Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
