SD Senate committee rejects campus free speech proposal

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PIERRE (AP) – South Dakota senators have shelved a bill that would have allowed students to sue public universities if they were blocked from protesting.

The Argus Leader reports the Senate Education Committee voted 4-3 Thursday to reject the bill.

The sponsors say they proposed the bill after seeing an editorial in the University of South Dakota’s student-run newspaper pushing the institution to reconsider its free speech areas and learning about a 2015 controversy over a film showing.

Supporters say the bill was necessary to stop policies that would abridge campus free speech rights. Critics say it was redundant.

Board of Regents General Counsel Guilherme Costa says he plans to examine the board’s policies on free speech this year.

A House committee earlier this month killed a twin version of the plan.