Freedom of Speech Attacked, Defended During Public Hearing

MacIver News Service | May 15, 2017

[Madison, Wisc…] Advocates and Opponents of campus free speech testified at an Assembly Hearing on a bill that would require the UW Regents to adopt policies to safeguard the First Amendment throughout the UW System.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Representative Jesse Kremer are co-authors of the bill. They cited an event at UW-Madison in November where protesters blocked a speech by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro for over a half-hour.

Conservative and Liberal students talked about the importance of free speech on campus. However, some students, like Savion Castro, also presented a unique interpretation of the First Amendment, where speech is considered a luxury and their right to not be offended takes precedence over other’s constitutional rights.