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Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, on Tuesday vetoed legislation asking public institutions to punish students who interfere with “the free expression of others,” Nola.com reported. It also required campuses to adopt a statement in support of free speech, noting that they won’t shield students from unwelcome or offensive speech, and will permit demonstrations. The Louisiana Board of Regents also would have had to create a committee on free expression to report annually on challenges to free speech on campus.
The Republican-sponsored bill passed the Louisiana Legislature with overwhelming support, but Edwards said he found it to be “a solution in search of a problem,” and “unnecessary and overly burdensome.” In a letter explaining the veto, he said that the “protection of speech has survived and flourished in the 226 years since the adoption of the First Amendment, and it will continue to do so without House Bill 269 becoming the law of Louisiana.”
The bill was similar to others proposed in several states this year. It was reportedly modeled after legislation passed in Arizona last year, which banned designated free speech zones on public campuses.
