Current Status: The Florida legislature is in session, and advocates are seeking a New Voices bill sponsor. Join the movement by emailing the SPLC’s Advocacy and Organizing Team at newvoices@splc.org.
Join the Movement
- Contact your state legislators to let them know why this bill is important to you. Find out who your legislators are here. Not sure what to say? Check out our phone script and letter-writing tips here, and download and mail our printable postcards.
- Talk with SPLC’s New Voices Advocacy and Organizing Team (newvoices@splc.org) about ways to bring New Voices to Florida.
Other Ways to Get Involved
- Refine your thoughts with talking points, find answers to frequently asked questions, or find other resources here.
- Locate a copy of your school district’s student media or student expression policy. This toolkit can tell you everything you need to know about your policy and what you can do with it. Some student media policies offer legal protection equal to or even exceeding New Voices protections. If that’s the case, spread the word! (And let SPLC know, too.)
- Help your colleagues better understand student press freedom by inviting an SPLC expert to join you: SPLC In The Classroom.
- Spread the word about New Voices. Enlist all your friends in Florida to raise their voices in support of this measure, which ensures the basic First Amendment rights of student journalists and protects their advisers from retaliation.
Why Florida needs New Voices
- OPINION: A free press is important for schools, too. Spinnaker, University of North Florida. (2-24-23)
- Florida high school won’t have to cover yearbook photos of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ student walkout WTSP 10 Tampa Bay (5-10-22)
- West Broward high school yearbook distribution resumes after weekend suspension CBS Miami (6-9-22)
- SPLC fights Florida yearbook censorship and promotes improved school student media policies Student Press Law Center (5-2-23)
- Haley Jackson shares her experiences writing one of her favorite, and most challenging, stories: “Critical Controversy” Student Press Law Center (1-11-23)
- Florida college SGA cuts paper’s budget following election violation story Student Press Law Center (3-27-20)
- FAU student newspapers detailing alleged rape by quarterback found in trash Student Press Law Center (9-18-19)
- Bringing New Voices to Florida Student Press Law Center (3-8-18)
History of New Voices in Florida
- 2022: S 1860, sponsored by Senator Tina Scott Polsky, was introduced. The bill did not receive a hearing before the legislature adjourned for the year.
Endorsements
You can see the list of national endorsers at the bottom of this page.