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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is 
published every Thursday during the 
spring and summer terms by students 
at the University of Michigan. One copy 
is available free of charge to all readers. 
Additional copies may be picked up at the 
Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall 
term, starting in September, via U.S. mail 
are $110. Winter term (January through 
April) is $115, yearlong (September 
through April) is $195. University affiliates 
are subject to a reduced subscription rate. 
On-campus subscriptions for fall term 
are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. 
The Michigan Daily is a member of The 
Associated Press and The Associated 
Collegiate Press. 

2

Thursday, May 4, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS

Michigan senator 
introduces bill for 
campus free speech

The bill would require 
campuses to allow all 
invited speakers to 

express ideas

By CALEB CHADWELL

Daily Staff Reporter

Two pieces of legislation — aimed 

at ensuring intellectual debate and 
free speech are allowed on college 
campuses — were introduced in the 
Michigan legislature by state Sen. 
Patrick Colbeck (R – Canton) on 
Tuesday.

If implemented, Senate Bills 349 

and 350 would require colleges and 
universities to adopt policies that 
would allow any speaker invited to 
campus and practicing legal speech 
to participate in a debate, lecture or 
forum.

Illegal speech such as defamation, 

sexual harassment and threats of 
violence would continue to be barred.

In 
a 
press 
release, 
Colbeck 

explained barring free speech does 
not depend on whether or not others 
believe it to be objectionable. He also 
noted the importance of preventing 
the beliefs of students on campus 
from impacting their logical decision-
making, a social psychology term 
called “groupthink.”

“Constitutional 
experts 
agree 

that the litmus test for when free 
speech should be barred has little to 
do with whether others believe it is 
objectionable,” he said. “...We do not 
need a First Amendment to protect 
against the speech we agree with. 
Groupthink is the last thing we want 
to see on our campuses.”

In University of Michigan’s official 

position on freedom of speech and 
expression, E. Royster Harper, the 
University’s vice president for student 
life, said opposing viewpoints have 
the right to be voiced and diverse 
opinions are valued.

“The University of Michigan 

strives to create an environment 
in which diverse opinions can be 
expressed and heard,” Harper said. 

“It is a fundamental value of our 
University that all members of the 
community and their invited guests 
have a right to express their views 
and opinions, regardless of whether 
others may disagree with those 
expressions.”

Furthermore, Colbeck also said 

he believes peaceful spontaneous 
assembly is an integral part of 
the First Amendment and SB 350 
outlines continued protection for 
peaceful protest within the limits of 
the First Amendment.

“Students 
and 
faculty 
are 

permitted to assemble and engage in 
spontaneous expressive activity as 
long as the activity is not unlawful and 
does not materially and substantially 
disrupt the functioning of the 
University, as the First Amendment 
permits,” Senate Bill 350 states.

Colbeck 
also 
said 
protesters 

attempting to interrupt free speech 
with violence should be policed for 
barring the First Amendment. 

“If campus leaders believe some 

speech creates a safety concern 
because of unruly audience members 
wishing to use violence, they must 
police those who would break the law 
in order to stifle free speech, and not 
punish speakers by taking away their 
voice,” Colbeck said. “Intellectual 
freedom on our campuses must not 
be bullied into silence.”

Public 
Policy 
junior 
Lauren 

Schandevel, 
Communications 

Director 
of 
the 
University’s 

chapter of College Democrats and 
a columnist for the Daily, said in an 
email interview she takes issue with 
Colbeck’s legislation because she sees 
it as an attempt to silence protesters.

“Senator Colbeck claims his bill 

promotes and protects free speech, 
but he advocates for disciplinary 
sanctions against students and faculty 
who participate in ‘violent, abusive, 
indecent, 
profane, 
boisterous, 

obscene, unreasonably loud or other 
disorderly conduct’ in response to 
campus speakers,” Schandevel said. 
“That sounds a lot like a thinly-veiled 

attempt to silence protesters, who 
also happen to be protected under the 
First Amendment.”

In a February interview, LSA 

junior Andrew Krieger, president 
of the University’s chapter of Young 
Americans for Liberty, said he 
believes the University plays an 
important role in maintaining free 
speech, but his peers could work on 
being open to the ideas of others.

“So we believe that free speech 

allows for you to challenge your ideas 
and to change the ideas of others,” 
Krieger said. “As far the University 
censoring those ideologies, I think 
that makes racism worse in that 
it solidifies their convictions and 
doesn’t allow for them to hear the 
other side.”

Recently, violent protests on the 

campus of University of California, 
Berkeley were staged in response 
to a planned talk from conservative 
commentator Ann Coulter, and the 
university canceled her appearance. 
Last year, The Michigan Review 
hosted a debate with controversial 
figures Milo Yiannopoulos, who 
recently lost a book deal due to his 
comments on age-of-consent laws, 
and Julie Bindel, who is labled 
as transphobic by many feminist 
advocates. 
With 
both 
banned 

from several schools in the United 
Kingdom, many University students 
took issue with the hosting of the 
event. 

Harper states in the University’s 

official position that protesters have 
the right to oppose the viewpoints 
of others, but not in such a way that 
would limit the speaker’s freedom of 
speech.

“This (freedom of speech) includes 

the right of protesters to oppose 
the expression of views or opinions 
of others, but not in such a way as 
to limit or prevent the speaker or 
performer’s freedom of expression,” 
Harper said.

Colbeck’s office did not respond 

for interviews with the Daily at the 
time of publishing.

THE MIGHIGAN CAPITOL BUILDING. CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily 

