To learn more about Nebraska New Voices, click here.
Current status: New Voices has not yet been introduced in Nebraska in 2023. The Nebraska legislature holds a two-year session, and legislation can be introduced at any point during the session.
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.
2020: Legislative Bill 206, sponsored by Senator Adam Morfield, was introduced Nebraska on Jan. 11 2019.
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.
Shortcuts:
• Get involved
• Why Nebraska needs New Voices
• Endorsements
• Recent news
Get involved
- You can make a difference by contacting your state senator to let them know why this legislation matters to you. Find out who your senator is here. Not sure what to say? Find our phone script and letter-writing tips here.
- Refine your thoughts with our FAQs, distribute this flyer, or find other resources here.
- Get looped in with volunteer coordinators to let them know about your efforts. And, please get in touch if you are or were a student journalist (or adviser) who was the target of censorship, intimidation or retaliation:
- Hillary DeVoss, hillaryjdevoss@gmail.com
- Michael Kennedy, michaeldkennedy1954@yahoo.com
- Like and follow the New Voices of Nebraska Facebook page.
- 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.
- If you are a student or adviser who was censored, intimidated or retaliated against, contact SPLC’s legal hotline.
Why Nebraska needs New Voices
- Student newspaper not yet revived online by Northwest Public Schools, despite promises. The Grand Island Independent (2-25-2023)
- Nebraska school shuts down student newspaper after L.G.B.T.Q. publication, The New York Times
- Nebraska student journalists take fight for press rights to Legislature, Omaha World-Herald. Includes interview with students who say their journalism adviser at Millard West High School was punished for standing up for their First Amendment rights.
- Wayne State College dismisses two faculty from adviser positions, Student Press Law Center
- A list of incidents suppressing student expression in Nebraska, compiled by the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska
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
- OPINION: High school journalists have the right to free speech too The Daily Nebraskan (8-31-2022)
- 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 (3-15-2021)
- 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 (3-11-2021)
- Westside journalism students object to administrators’ review of controversial content Omaha World-Herald (3-2-2021)
- Nebraska high school censors student editorial about censorship, and journalism adviser resigns Student Press Law Center (2-9-2021)
- Protections for student journalists gets first-round OK, Lincoln Journal Star (1-14-2020)
- Giving way to new voices, Scottsbluff (Neb.) Star-Herald, (1-23-2020)
- Nebraska New Voices bill times out for this session, but will be back in 2020. Student Press Law Center (6-20-19)
- New Voices Bill hits Nebraska Senate Floor, The Catalyst, Millard West High School, Omaha, Neb. (3-14-2019)
- Student journalists would get protection under bill endorsed by Missouri House, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (2-26-2019)
- Editorial: LB 206 shows importance of autonomous student journalism, Wayne Stater, Wayne (Neb.) State College (2-15-2019)
- Senator Morfeld brings Student Press Freedom LB206 before Nebraska’s Judiciary Committee, The Thunderbeat, Bellevue West Senior High School (2-7-2019)
- Free speech protections proposed for student journalists, advisers, Unicameral Update, (2-1-2019)
- Student journalists testify in favor of bill that would give student publications greater freedom, Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (2-1-2019)
- Bill protects student journalists, The Antelope, University of Nebraska-Kearney (1-31-2019)
- EDITORIAL: Students deserve equal rights, Scottsbluff (Neb.) Star Herald (1-20-2019)
- Students’ right to speak, letter to the editor, Kearney (Neb. ) Hub (7-9-2018)
- OPINION: Support student journalism, Doane Online, Doane College, Crete, Neb. (2-21-2018)
- Editorial, 2/9: Student journalists deserve more protection, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star (2-9-2018)
- Nebraska student journalists take fight for press rights to Legislature, Omaha World-Herald (2-19-2018)
- Give freedoms back to student journalists, guest column in the North Platte (Neb.) Telegraph (2-8-2018)
Background on past efforts
Daily Nebraskan story about LB886 introduction
Introduction of 2016 New Voices bill to protect only college students