Bill Text: NY K00873 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 18-24, 2022, as Banned Books Week in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-05-10 - adopted [K00873 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-K00873-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 873

BY: M. of A. Rules (Lunsford)

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        September 18-24, 2022, as Banned Books Week  in  the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official weeks that are set aside to celebrate the freedom to  read  and
to draw attention to banned and challenged books; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 18-24, 2022, as
Banned Books Week in the State of New  York,  in  conjunction  with  the
observance of National Banned Books Week; and

  WHEREAS,  Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign promoted
by the American Library  Association  and  Amnesty  International,  that
celebrates the freedom to read, draws attention to banned and challenged
books, and highlights persecuted individuals; and

  WHEREAS,  Held  during  the  last  week of September since 1982, the
United  States  campaign  stresses  the  importance  of   ensuring   the
availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish
to  read them and the requirement to keep material publicly available so
people can develop their own conclusions and opinions; and

  WHEREAS, The international  campaign  notes  individuals  persecuted
because of the writings they produce, circulate or read; and

  WHEREAS,  Some of the events that occur during Banned Books Week are
The Virtual Read-Out and The First Amendment Film Festival; and

  WHEREAS, Maus, a nonfiction book which  was  recently  banned  by  a
School  District  in Tennessee, is presented in the graphic novel style,
written by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman; and

  WHEREAS, Serialized  from  1980  to  1991,  it  depicts  the  author
interviewing  his  father  about  his  experiences  as  a Polish Jew and
Holocaust survivor; and

  WHEREAS, Critics have classified Maus as memoir, biography, history,
fiction, autobiography, or a mix of genres; in 1992, it became the first
and so far only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize (the Special Award
in Letters); and

  WHEREAS, It is imperative that the citizens  of  this  great  Empire
State   have   access   to   all  literature,  either  controversial  or
non-controversial,  which  supports   our   nation's   First   Amendment
guaranteeing  the  freedom  of  expression  by prohibiting Congress from
restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely; now,
therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 18-24, 2022, as
Banned Books Week in the State of New York; and

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.