Utah’s House Education Committee has tabled the state’s New Voices bill for now, but committee members spoke favorably about student press protections in a Jan. 27 hearing. They also demonstrated willingness to work on the bill, one of the first New Voices introductions in Utah.
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, the bill’s sponsor, and Milan Venegas, a freshman at the University of Utah, testified in support of the bill. As a former student journalist, Venegas said one of the safest places to have controversial conversations is in a journalism classroom.
“We’re taught ethics and accuracy and responsibility,” Venegas said. “Having bills like this is protecting those teaching environments. It just makes journalism better.”
HB 227, known as the Student Journalist Amendments, would protect student journalists from censorship based on vague or ambiguous reasons, providing robust protections for students to report truthfully, without fear. The bill would also protect student media advisers from administrative retaliation for defending their students’ rights to report.
“It teaches students guidelines for expressing themselves in appropriate ways,” Moss said during the hearing. “Journalism today is under assault; many people don’t have a lot of faith in it.”
Maryann Christensen, executive director of Utah Legislative Watch, testified against the bill, stating that part of teaching journalism is correcting students when they go against best practices. Some legislators also expressed concerns with the bill, including that it would make it easier for students or parents to take action against the school for violating these new rights.
Despite their concerns, many legislators also expressed that protections for student journalists are important, and they were willing to work on the language of the bill.
“I come from a newspaper family,” Rep. Karen Peterson said in the hearing. “I very much appreciate the ability to train up young journalists.”
After the discussion, the committee voted 9-3 to table the bill for this legislative session.
Receiving a hearing is a big step for New Voices bills, particularly when lawmakers show interest in protecting student voices. While HB 227 will not move forward this year, Venegas expressed interest in trying again.
“I think there is potential in trying to run the bill again,” Venegas said. “A lot of the people that also voted no on it…are retiring or they’re not running for reelection. I feel like there definitely is an opportunity and a chance to maybe run [the bill] in 2027.”
A recording of the hearing can be found here, and the discussion of HB 227 begins at 1:50:00 on Recording 2.
About New Voices: New Voices is a student-led, nonpartisan movement working to end censorship of student media by passing state laws that protect students’ right to report freely. The Student Press Law Center powers this movement by convening coalitions, educating lawmakers, sharing model policies and equipping students with the training and confidence they need to stand up for press freedom.