Several student journalists and other supporters of student press freedom, including a representative from the Student Press Law Center, testified at a public hearing of Wisconsin’s Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue on Dec. 6 in support of SB 571.
The legislation, based on the Student Press Law Center’s model bill, ensures that Wisconsin’s public sixth grade through college student journalists determine the content of student media and cannot be censored except in certain rare circumstances. The legislation also prevents student media advisers from facing retaliation when they refuse to unlawfully restrict their students’ rights.
Simon Mehring, the student leader of New Voices Wisconsin and a participant in SPLC’s 2023 New Voices Student Leaders Institute, joined several other students, journalism advisers and others in explaining why student journalism needs and deserves the protections SB 571 provides.
SPLC Staff Attorney Jonathan Gaston-Falk provided both in-person and written testimony and answered questions from lawmakers about the bill. His written testimony is below.
The Committee did not take a vote at the hearing but could do so in a future meeting. The Wisconsin Assembly unanimous approved a similar bill in November.