The House Education Committee has approved a measure aimed at encouraging diversity when it comes to book choices for New Mexico schools.
The nonbinding memorial got the OK on Wednesday. Earlier this week, it was the focus of a debate between sponsor Democrat Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas of Albuquerque and Republican Rep. Nora Espinoza of Roswell.
Maestas says his memorial is in response to an Arizona school district's move to dismantle its Mexican-American studies program and remove seven books from its classrooms.
Albuquerque television station KRQE reports Espinoza objected to content in some of the books and referred to them as racist.
Espinoza says she's not against students learning about different cultures, but she thinks the seven books listed on the memorial have no place in New Mexico classrooms.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.