GOP Governor Kelly Armstrong Vetos Bill On Books and Schools

North Dakota Republican Governor Kelly Armstrong made headlines this week when he vetoed a controversial bill aimed at restricting access to books deemed "sexually explicit" in the state’s public schools.

Senate Bill 2307, which would have expanded existing library regulations to school classrooms and libraries, fell to Armstrong’s pen on Tuesday, igniting a fierce debate over free speech, censorship, and the role of government in education.

In a sharply worded veto message, Armstrong did not mince words. While acknowledging the concerns behind the legislation, he called SB 2307 a “misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship.” He warned that the bill’s vague language would impose heavy burdens on educators and administrators, while opening the floodgates to endless challenges over perfectly legitimate literature.

The bill would have created a formal process for concerned parties — including parents — to challenge materials they found objectionable, escalating cases to oversight boards and even local prosecutors. Violations could have led to criminal prosecutions, putting school officials in a precarious position over content decisions.

Armstrong’s veto message dismissed this framework as “unworkable” and “redundant,” noting that current laws already require public libraries to restrict access to explicit materials in children's sections.

Beyond logistical concerns, Armstrong made a broader cultural argument. In a digital world saturated with streaming services, social media, and online content, he argued, focusing massive public resources on micromanaging book placements in school libraries was a misplaced priority. “The amount of time, money and taxpayer resources spent on where a book is placed in a library would be better used elsewhere," he wrote.

Supporters of the bill, however, remained adamant that protecting children from graphic content should be paramount. “We are harming our children, that’s all there is to it,” state Senator Keith Boehm said during hearings, defending the legislation as a safeguard for minors without infringing on adult access.

The measure had passed narrowly through North Dakota’s Republican-controlled legislature, clearing the Senate by a 27-20 vote and the House by 49-45. But Armstrong’s veto sends it back to the legislature, where a two-thirds majority would be needed to override — an unlikely prospect given the original vote margins.

Armstrong also flexed his veto power on another Republican-backed measure this week, striking down a school choice bill that would have created Education Savings Accounts for private school students. While supportive of the concept, he criticized the bill for failing to address the unique needs of rural students, where nonpublic schooling options are scarce.