A federal judge has temporarily blocked key parts of Texas’ new law limiting expression on campuses after dark. (Fox News)
"The Court cannot trust the universities to enforce their policies in a constitutional way while Plaintiffs are left in a state of uncertainty, chilling their speech for fear that their expressive conduct may violate the law or university policies," Ezra continued.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed the lawsuit last month against the University of Texas System to block the legislation, which creates rules for campus protests and gives university systems’ governing boards the authority to limit where they can be held.
FIRE attorneys said that the law violates the First and 14th Amendments because it bans protected speech on campuses from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Tuesday's ruling "is a victory not only for our plaintiffs, but all of those who express themselves on college campuses across Texas," FIRE senior supervising attorney JT Morris said in a statement. "The First Amendment protects their freedom of speech on campus, every hour of the day, every week of the year."
University of Texas System spokesperson Ben Wright said in a statement that the system cannot comment on the lawsuit but that it "complies with the law and court orders."
SB 2972, authored by former GOP state Sen. Brandon Creighton creates new limits on how people can protest on campus and establishes bans on expressive activity during overnight hours.
Republican lawmakers pushed for SB 2972 in response to the pro-Palestinian protests held last year on campuses across the country. (Jay Janner/American-Statesman)
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Republican lawmakers pushed for SB 2972 in response to the pro-Palestinian protests held last year on campuses across the country.
Creighton, who resigned from the Texas Senate earlier this month to become Texas Tech University System’s chancellor, claimed that his legislation strengthens free speech protections on college campuses by promoting openness while also protecting students, faculty and campus property from disruption by outside groups.
"The ruling represents only a temporary stay by one judge, and I’m confident the law will ultimately be upheld," Creighton said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-blocks-part-texas-law-limits-campus-protests-after-dark-1st-amendment-does-not-have-bedtime