New Jersey Gov.

Wildwood Crest - New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed the Freedom to Read Act, which prohibits the state’s schools and public libraries from arbitrarily banning books. Calling it a measure to protect “intellectual freedom,” Murphy made clear in a statement that the law is a response to censorship elsewhere. As progressives fight to expand our political possibilities and quell repressive legislation, laws like New Jersey’s Freedom to Read Act should be a signal to lawmakers and governors in more liberal states that it’s time to play offense.