DENVER – College students’ ability to use their First Amendment rights on public campuses just got a boost.
Senate Bill 62, which prohibits colleges from restricting free expression by students unless the expression inhibits education on campus, or the restrictions are reasonable and justified without reference to the content of the speech, was signed Tuesday by Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton and sponsor of the bill, said the bill represented a bipartisan effort to find a Colorado solution to the issue of censorship of higher education students.
The bill changed along the way but retained the underlying mission of preventing institutions of higher education from placing value judgments on students’ beliefs.
“The fundamental goal of the bill is to expand and protect free speech for students on campus, and I think that’s how it started and that’s how it ended,” said. Rep Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and House sponsor of the bill.
Questions over whether the bill would extend to hate speech was a point of contention when SB 62 came out of committee in the Senate, and led two Democrats in the chamber to vote against the measure.
After an explanation of how it applied in cases of actionable speech was clarified in the House, it was accepted unanimously by both chambers.
The bill goes into effect Nov. 9.
lperkins@durangoherald.com
