LINCOLN-Sen. Adam Morfeld's priority bill, LB88, a bill extending free press protections to student journalists and media advisers failed to
advance on Wednesday. LB88 would have prohibited school districts from censoring student publications but fell three vote shorts of reaching the threshold needed to shut off debate, effectively killing the bill for this year. The opposition said the bill circumvented the school district's right as publisher and would turn school newspapers into social media.
The debate took an odd turn though after Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte dismissed Matt Hansen and other senators' understanding of constitutional law, along with the schools they attended.
"I don't consider anyone having taken a constitutional law class unless they went to Hillsdale (College, a politically conservative private college) or the University of Chicago or George Washington (University)," Groene said. "Not some place that's ranked 87th in the country like UNL."
That led to several lawmakers, many of whom hold degrees from NU law to defend their alma mater. Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward suggested Groene, a UNL graduate himself, return his degree to the school.
Sen. Mike Flood, an owner of a broadcasting company, supported the bill by saying not allowing student journalists the full protections of the free press will not lead to any real learning.
"While we came up short by three votes for a super majority to end debate, we elevated the need for basic protections of constitutional rights from government interference," Morfeld said.