Ant Thornton, Senator of New Mexico, expressed his opposition to an education bill that progressed through committee but was halted before reaching a floor vote. He warned that Democrats plan to reintroduce it in 2026. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
"I'm on the Senate Education Committee and we voted against this bill earlier this year," said Anthony Linn Thornton, New Mexico State Senator from 198th District (R). "Unfortunately it passed through Committee, but thankfully was denied a vote on the floor. The Democrats are trying to push it through for the upcoming session in 2026… we can't let this happen."
The bill in question is SB 552, known as the "Protection of School Library Materials Act." According to the New Mexico Legislature, the Senate Education Committee adopted a substitute version of the bill in March 2025. The bill aimed to establish due-process rules for acquiring, reviewing, and removing school library materials while protecting librarians from retaliation. Despite these efforts, agency and Public Education Department (PED) analyses confirm that the bill stalled without final passage in 2025. No formal refiling for 2026 has been posted yet, although the legislative session is set to open on January 20, 2026.
The New Mexico Public Education Department issued process guidance instead of bans regarding library materials. PED's analysis of SB 552 indicated that districts would have been required to submit their library-materials policies between July 1 and September 1, 2025. These policies were expected to include standards for reconsideration and transparency. Recent rule updates show ongoing changes but no statewide content prohibitions from 2023 to 2025.
Litigation in other states suggests potential risks associated with similar legislation. Federal courts have repeatedly blocked Iowa’s school-book law from 2023, while a judge found Florida’s K-12 book removal law overly broad and unconstitutional. Publishers have also sued Idaho over its "harmful to minors" library law. These legal outcomes highlight First Amendment concerns that could impact any similar efforts in New Mexico.
Anthony "Ant" Thornton serves as a Republican state senator for District 19. He assumed office on January 1, 2025, after winning the general election on November 5, 2024. Thornton serves on several committees, including Senate Education, placing him directly in discussions related to K–12 policy debates within the Senate Education Committee.
