{"id":8813,"date":"2026-02-27T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/27\/missouri-house-approves-bill-codifying-protections-for-political-expression-in-schools\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T07:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:00:44","slug":"missouri-house-approves-bill-codifying-protections-for-political-expression-in-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/27\/missouri-house-approves-bill-codifying-protections-for-political-expression-in-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Missouri House approves bill codifying protections for political expression in schools"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Missouri House passed a bill Thursday protecting student free speech rights sponsored by state Rep. Darin Chappell of Rogersville. Chappell is shown speaking during a March 20224 Missouri House debate (Tim Bommel\/Missouri House Communications).<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Protections for religious expression in K-12 schools could also be expanded to guard ideological and political speech through <\/span>a bill<\/span><\/a> that passed Thursday in the Missouri House.<\/span><\/p>\n

State Rep. Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville and the bill\u2019s sponsor, said the legislation is intended to guard First Amendment rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want anyone\u2019s political ideas to be squelched just because someone in authority has different ideas,\u201d Chappell said during a Tuesday debate.<\/span><\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t want public schools to tell students what they can and can\u2019t think or say, he said, acknowledging some exceptions to the rule.<\/span><\/p>\n

The legislation passed on a 99-47 vote would allow schools to take action against expression that is \u201csubstantially disruptive\u201d or prevents other students from equal access to educational opportunities. Speech not protected by the First Amendment, like obscenity, is also excluded.<\/span><\/p>\n

The legislation largely codifies protections already in place through federal law.<\/span><\/p>\n

State Rep. Ian Mackey, a St. Louis Democrat, said he is not sure the bill \u201cwill change a darn thing in our schools\u201d but said it could have \u201cunintended consequences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A chief concern among Democrats was a provision that would bar public schools from discriminating against student clubs because of their views and certain leadership requirements. Last year, lawmakers passed a <\/span>bill<\/span><\/a> that codified these protections in the state\u2019s public universities.<\/span><\/p>\n

State Rep. Wick Thomas, a Democrat from Kansas City, asked Chappell if the bill could \u201cprotect Nazi student clubs,\u201d giving a hypothetical about a group of fourth graders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am not sure how many Nazi fourth graders there are,\u201d Chappell replied. \u201cBut sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mackey warned the House not to overlook the issue, pointing out that Affton High School was <\/span>vandalized with racist graffiti<\/span><\/a>, including a swastika, last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo think that they wouldn\u2019t want to form a club,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re brushing off something that is a lot more serious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, a Democrat from St. Louis, also worried the legislation could open doors for hateful groups.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAllowing them to have spaces like this is going to create more contention,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chappell repeatedly said Tuesday that he believes the best remedy to \u201cbad speech\u201d is \u201cmore speech,\u201d saying he dropped \u201cstupid\u201d ideas after his peers corrected him as an adolescent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis bill protects everyone equally, and I believe the First Amendment is for everybody,\u201d he told Bosley. \u201cAnd if somebody sounds like a moron, that\u2019s our opportunity to clue them in that they\u2019re sounding like a moron.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Democrats also worried about the cost of lawsuits that could arise from the bill, which empowers students to sue public schools who violate their free speech rights. The legislation waives the state\u2019s immunity to be sued, which Chappell said was intended to remove school districts\u2019 claims at sovereign immunity as political subdivisions of the state.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bill received broad support from House Republicans, who saw it as common sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPolitical and ideological speech should be protected,\u201d said state Rep. John Simmons, a Republican from Washington. \u201cIt is kind of shameful that we have to add it to existing language.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A nearly identical bill was filed in the Senate, passing a Senate committee in a 5-2 vote last month. It has stalled since, not yet making it onto the Senate\u2019s calendar for consideration.<\/span><\/p>\n

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