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Mission

The New Voices Movement has a primary objective to restore the First Amendment press freedom rights of young people in public high schools. It is nonpartisan and student-driven, overseen by the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), a national legal services nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. New Voices operates all over the country through state-based grassroots advocacy campaigns which work within their respective state legislatures to introduce and pass laws that protect student journalism programs from unwarranted censorship.

New Voices legislation is making its way through the country, and has been successfully enacted in 16 states as of May 2022.

Learn more about SPLC

New Voices of Michigan

Campaign Background

SB 848

New Voices of Michigan previously introduced a bill titled the Student Free Press and Civics Readiness Act on March 8, 2016. The bill was sponsored by Sens. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge; Steven Bieda, D-Warren; Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; and Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton. It was referred to the Senate’s Committee on Judiciary. New Voices of Michigan’s advocates and partners testified in support during the committee hearing, and the bill was unanimously passed on March 24, 2016. However, the bill was unable to advance, as it was not placed on the schedule for a full senate session before the end of the state legislative session.

HB 4551

New Voices legislation was reintroduced the following legislative session in Michigan. The bill, titled Student Press Freedom Act, was introduced and referred to the House’s Committee on Education Reform on April 27, 2017. It was sponsored by Reps. Darrin Camilleri, D-Brownstown Township; Jim Ellison, D-Royal Oak; Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield; Brian Elder, D-Bay City; Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn; Kristy Pagan, D-Canton; and Erika Geiss, D-Taylor.

2022-2023 Campaign Leadership

Co-Campaign Director

Kelli Higgins

Hello, My name is Kelli Higgins. I am from Jackson, Michigan, and a current 11th grade student at Jackson High School. As of now, I serve on the JHS Reflector Newspaper as both copy editor and business manager. I am highly passionate about journalism and politics; which has motivated me to now fight for free speech regarding the press. I enjoy educating others on important topics crucial to one’s life and well-being, through journalism.

Co-Campaign Director

Louisa S.

My name is Louisa, from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I founded a school newspaper at Washtenaw International High School and produced award-winning student journalism work. As a 2021 attendee of the Student Press Law Center's Advocacy Leadership Institute, I've been working on this campaign for the past two years. Empowering youth voices is something I believe leads to positive changes for our future, and that is at the core of everything New Voices stands for.

Co-Campaign Director

RJ Doroschewitz

My name is RJ Doroshewitz from Plymouth, Michigan. I’m a senior at Salem High School and the editor-in-chief of the P-CEP Perspective. I have a strong love of free and independent journalism and an even greater love of our governmental and political institutions. In the future, I hope to attend college in Washington D.C., and I hope that I will be able to leave a positive mark on my state before I’m gone through the New Voices Michigan campaign.

Co-Campaign Director

Raiha Khan

Hi my name is Raiha Khan and I am a student journalist having served in Eisenhower’s Journalism News Media for two years, and will soon be interning for Detroit Free Press. Throughout my experience on staff, I have come to learn the value of being able to voice my opinions to the public by means of writing. Emphasis on passing the New Voices Law remains important to me because the fact that it is legal for people who hold higher authority than student journalist and their advisors can take down a story that makes THEM look bad whenever they want to, by means of threatening and exploitation, is immoral and a violation of student journalists’ first amendment rights. By advocating and speaking up, great change can be made. Granted, it will take time, but we must be consistent.