Current status: The Nebraska legislature is in session. LB 1071 has been introduced but failed to move out of the Judiciary committee. To join the movement, email the SPLC’s Advocacy and Organizing Team at newvoices@splc.org.
Join the Movement
- Contact your state legislators to let them know why this legislation 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.
- Talk with SPLC’s New Voices Advocacy and Organizing Team (newvoices@splc.org) about ways to bring New Voices to Nebraska.
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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska needs New Voices
- Student newspaper not yet revived online by Northwest Public Schools, despite promises. The Grand Island Independent (2-25-23)
- Nebraska school shuts down student newspaper after L.G.B.T.Q. publication The New York Times (8-29-22)
- Nebraska student journalists take fight for press rights to Legislature Omaha World-Herald
- Wayne State College dismisses two faculty from adviser positions, Student Press Law Center (7-29-16)
- A list of incidents suppressing student expression in Nebraska, compiled by the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska
- OPINION: High school journalists have the right to free speech too The Daily Nebraskan (8-31-22)
- Editorial, 3/26: Protections for student journalists are needed Lincoln Journal Star (3-25-21)
- Local student-journalist gets story published by SPLC NBC Nebraska News 2 (3-15-21)
- Nebraska high school journalist refuses to back down, publishes her censored article on Confederate flags and racism at school in local paper Student Press Law Center (3-11-21)
- Westside journalism students object to administrators’ review of controversial content Omaha World-Herald (3-2-21)
- Nebraska high school censors student editorial about censorship, and journalism adviser resigns Student Press Law Center (2-9-21)
- Giving way to new voices Star-Herald (1-23-20)
- Editorial: LB 206 shows importance of autonomous student journalism Wayne Stater (2-15-19)
- Editorial: First Amendment rights should apply to student journalists The Thunderbeat (1-30-19)
- EDITORIAL: Students deserve equal rights Scottsbluff Star Herald (1-20-19)
- Students’ right to speak Kearney Hub (7-9-18)
- OPINION: Support student journalism Doane Online (2-21-18)
- Editorial, 2/9: Student journalists deserve more protection Lincoln Journal-Star (2-9-18)
- Nebraska student journalists take fight for press rights to Legislature Omaha World-Herald (2-19-18)
- Give freedoms back to student journalists North Platte Telegraph (2-8-18)
- Students celebrate freedom of the press Wayne Stater (1-22-20)
- District sued over axing of student paper after LGBTQ issue APNews (3-31-23)
- Lawsuit claiming Nebraska high school violated First Amendment dismissed Nebraska Public Media (10-16-23)
History of New Voices in Nebraska
- 2019: LB 206 In February 2019, 19 students and advocates testified before the Judiciary committee in support of the legislation. The legislation was then unanimously approved by the committee.
- On Jan. 14, 2020, the full unicameral legislature voted in favor of moving the legislation forward. To see how legislators voted, click here. The bill was been placed on the “select file” and need to be approved twice more before moving to the Governor’s desk. Despite the widespread support, a small number of legislators levied a filibuster against the legislation. This included introducing amendments designed to gut the protections for high school students and otherwise render the bill ineffective. Debate on the bill timed out under Nebraska’s legislative rules. The legislature could have voted to bring the bill back for consideration and end the debate, but a combination of hesitation by legislative leadership and the interruption of the legislative session by COVID-19 meant that vote never happened and the bill died for the year.
- 2020: LB 206
- 2021: LB 88, sponsored by Senator Adam Morfeld, was passed, 28 – 15 (with two not voting) out of General File, and it moved to the Select File stage of debate. On April 14, 2021, the bill died in the Select File stage of debate. The legislature voted 30-17 (with two not voting) to overcome a filibuster by opponents. It needed 33 votes to move forward. Earlier in the year, Jan. 29, 2021, student and advisers testified before the Nebraska Judiciary committee in support of LB 88, sponsored by Senator Adam Morfeld. The time allotted for testimony was confined to thirty minutes each for proponents and opponents, but the committee heard testimony from ten students and advisers in support of the bill. The committee received a further 16 letters and six pieces of written testimony, including from organization like the Student Press Law Center, the Nebraska State Education Association, the ACLU of Nebraska and the Nebraska Press Association. Two opponents testified, including the Council of School Administrators, and three letters of opposition were filed.
- 2022: LB 88
Endorsements
- Nebraska Press Association
- Nebraska Broadcasters Association
- Nebraska High School Press Association
- Nebraska Collegiate Media Association
- Nebraska State Education Association
- Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska (AFCON)
- ACLU of Nebraska
- You can see the list of national endorsers at the bottom of this page.
Recent News
Advocates to testify for Nebraska New Voices bill at hearing Student Press Law Center (2/21/24)
Letter: Student journalists deserve protection Lincoln Journal Star (2/19/24)
Nebraska court cautions against illegal student media censorship in lawsuit dismissal Student Press Law Center (10/19/23)