08/15/06

California lawmakers pass bill extending press freedom to college journalists


SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The state Senate sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that would make California the first state to prohibit college administrators from censoring student newspapers.

Democratic Sen. Debra Bowen said the bill would give college journalists the press rights as their professional colleagues. Administrators still could discipline students for publishing hate speech, and campus newspapers would still be subject to libel and slander laws.

Schwarzenegger, who received the bill Aug. 10, has not said whether he will sign it.

The bill is in response to a ruling last year by the 7th U.S. District Court of Appeals in Chicago. The court said university administrators could review articles before publication if their student newspapers are published under the auspices of the college.

The California Newspaper Publishers Association and free-speech advocates had argued that administrators might try to apply the ruling in other court districts.