Texas lieutenant governor threatens school rating drops over objectionable books
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced plans to lower the state performance grades of schools that keep books he deems obscene, citing a 2025 law that should have already removed them.
At a press event on the Texas Capitol steps, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presented printed covers of books he described as filthy, dirty, vulgar, and pornographic, asserting that they remain on public school shelves despite a 2025 law aimed at their removal. He claimed that most school boards have failed to act under Senate Bill 13, which shifted removal authority from librarians to board members responding to complaints. Patrick proposed that schools found with any disallowed book could be docked an entire letter grade in the state’s annual performance rating, a tool that can lead to state control of districts.
He stressed that the measure does not constitute a ban, but rather a refusal to use taxpayer money for such material, and said over 90% of parents and grandparents would oppose the books in question. The lieutenant governor, who presides over the Texas Senate and is up for reelection against state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, framed the initiative as enforcement of existing law.
Why it matters
The proposal could reshape Texas school funding and control by penalizing districts that keep contested books.
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