To learn more about Texas New Voices, click here.
Current Status: New Voices has not yet been introduced in Texas in 2023.
2021: HB 422 sponsored by Mary González was introduced on Feb. 25, 2021 and referred to the Public Education committee. The legislation did not move forward by the end of the session. Texas did not have a 2022 legislative session.
Shortcuts:
• Get involved
• Why Texas needs New Voices
• Endorsements
• Recent news
Get involved
- 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.
- Refine your thoughts with talking points, a printable flyer and other resources here.
- Get looped in with volunteer coordinators to let them know about your efforts and learn about other ways to get involved:Hillary Davis, hdavis@splc.org
- Follow and share content from @VoicesTexas on Twitter
- Like and follow New Voices of Texas on Facebook.
- Enlist all your friends in Texas 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.
- If you are a student or adviser who was censored, intimidated or retaliated against, contact SPLC’s legal hotline.
Why Texas needs New Voices
- INTERACTIVE INFOGRAPHIC: Student Press Freedom Day highlights importance of censorship-free student journalism UHCL The Signal, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston (2-25-21)
- Why Are Student Press Rights Important? New Voices Texas (2-23-20)
- Texas principal censors paper, bans all editorials and ousts award-winning adviser Student Press Law Center (5-23-18)
- Prosper High’s Newspaper Staff Says New Principal Censored Stories, Ousted Adviser Dallas Observer (6-8-18)
- Most states are failing student journalists like me CNN (3-25-19)
Endorsements
- You can see the list of national endorsers at the bottom of this page.
Recent news
- OPINION: Class papers: Bill seeks to better protect student publication content Yahoo News (3-18-21)
- Opinion: New Voices Texas fights censorship of student journalists The Hawkeye, Hebron High School, Carrollton, TX (10-23-20)
- New Voices Texas Advocates to Stop Censorship of Student News The Horizon Westwood High School, Austin, TX (9-18-20)
- New Voices bill introduced; aims to give student journalists full free rights the Fuel, Judson High School, Converse, TX (3-8-19)
- OPINION: A free press law is imperative for Texas Eagles Nation Online, Prosper High School, Prosper, TX (1-31-19)
- “New Voices” equals new hope for student journalists The Bridge, Bridgeland High School, Cypress, TX (1-30-19)
- Texas New Voices bill times out, will be reintroduced in 2021 Student Press Law Center (1-21-19)