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Doug Ducey veto of student press rights bill draws wide criticism

Doug Ducey veto of student press rights bill draws wide criticism
Posted at 1:08 PM, May 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-24 16:08:38-04

Student press advocates are widely criticizing Gov. Doug Ducey for vetoing legislation they say would have showed Arizona backs student journalists for their investigative work.

The bill Ducey vetoed shielded high school and college level journalists across the state from administrative censorship for work under their school-sponsored media.

Republican state Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Yee's measure also limited schools' guidelines to restricting content that is libelous, invades personal privacy, violates federal or state law, or "materially and substantially disrupts the orderly operation" of the school.

Ducey said in a veto letter that it might have unintended consequences, especially on high school campuses where adult supervision is most important.

Frank LoMonte of the Student Press Law Center says Ducey's veto is a deviation from other Republican governors' support of similar legislation.