"Federal Appeals Court Deems Texas Book Bans Unconstitutional"

A federal appeals court ruled that a Texas law banning "sexually explicit" books from public schools likely violates the First Amendment, partially upholding a preliminary injunction. The court found that the law mandating sexual-content ratings for library material violates freedom of speech and that compliance costs alone could cause irreparable harm to the plaintiffs. The law, passed in 2023, is one of several in GOP-controlled states that restrict schools from carrying certain books.