Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill aimed at limiting challenges to library books and other educational materials, responding to over 1,200 objections filed during the previous school year. The legislation restricts challenges to materials by nonparents or guardians. This wide-ranging bill, known as HB 1285, not only addresses book challenges but also includes provisions to facilitate charter schools taking over operations at failing traditional public schools. The move to limit challenges follows heightened scrutiny of library books and classroom materials in the wake of measures approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Governor DeSantis. According to a Senate staff analysis, over half of the 1,218 book objections during the 2022-2023 school year were concentrated in Clay and Escambia counties. Consequently, 186 books were removed in these two counties alone as a result of the objections. Under the new bill, individuals residing in the county who are not parents or guardians of students with access to school district materials are limited to objecting to one material per month. Governor DeSantis remarked during a recent event that individuals who filed numerous objections to books had undermined the process, and called it a "mockery." Talking about the traditional schools that fail to perform, the newly signed bill will expedite the conversion process by imposing deadlines on districts to finalize charter contracts. Schools transitioning to charters must have contracts executed by October 1 of the subsequent school year, with charter organizations assuming "full operational control" by July. #Queer Up Politics