Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pushes SB 13 book removals

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing Texas schools to remove nearly 2,200 books from libraries under SB 13, calling them 'vulgar' and 'filthy.' He cited a list compiled by the Christian conservative activist group Recover America, which he described as containing 'so pornographic' material. In August, Patrick pressured school administrators to act on this list, intensifying a climate of fear and caution among educators and librarians statewide.

Impact on classrooms

English teacher Frank Strong, now in his 12th year at an Austin charter school, finds his classroom library under new scrutiny. Seven years ago, he stocked 20 copies of 'I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter' for his students. Strong and others argue many books on the contested list are not lewd but appear included for political messaging. 'These were supposed to be dirty, filthy books, but a lot of them are very clearly not on there for their sexual content,' Strong said.

Some titles on Recover America's list have been part of Texas classrooms for years. They include classic and award-winning works.

Librarians note that other books on the list, like 'Lolita' and 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' are titles schools would not typically carry.

Law in action

Senate Bill 13, now in effect, grants school boards the authority to approve and remove books based on complaints. The law's implementation has directly impacted procurement. Lubbock Independent School District made no book orders from August 2025 to February 2026, a pause district officials attributed to SB 13. This freeze was confirmed by a public information request.

Local response

Local pressure preceded the lieutenant governor's statewide call. The day before Patrick's announcement, Lubbock's Turning Point USA chapter held a news conference condemning the district for having books like 'Crank' and 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.' Lubbock ISD Superintendent Kathy Rollo defended the latter title as a 'legacy book' deemed appropriate by a local committee before the new law passed. The book was removed from elementary and middle schools but kept in high schools. The district held a special meeting to address an appeal to remove those books. Rollo stated the district's policy is based on current law, with parental rights and transparency as dominant themes.

Broader context

The administrative burden is growing. Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association, said districts statewide have been inundated with similar book challenges, consuming administrators' time. Some advocacy groups file hundreds of challenges, changing the professional climate for librarians. They report a longer, more tedious process for cataloging and procuring books under SB 13.

Carolyn Foote co-founded the grassroots librarian group Texas FReadom Fighters five years ago as debates about book bans heated up. She describes a fraught environment. 'It’s like librarians have become the whipping boy to stir up votes and elections and become the scapegoat for everything,' Foote said.

This push occurs within a wider shift in Texas education policy. Earlier this summer, the State Board of Education overhauled required reading lists for public schools, mandating some Bible stories. Last year, new laws required public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and to set up formal processes to challenge library books. Patrick insists the move to remove books is not a ban because titles remain available elsewhere, but argues tax dollars should not be spent on them for kids to access in school.