West Virginia Code 18B-21-2 – Legislative findings
(a) The Legislature finds that:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 18B-21-2
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- School-sponsored media: means any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast, in any media, by a student journalist at a public high school, college, or university under the supervision of a student media adviser and distributed or generally made available to members of the student body. See West Virginia Code 18B-21-3
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(1) Freedom of expression through high school, college, and university sponsored media is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article III, section 7 of the West Virginia Constitution;
(2) A high school, college, and university student press can contribute to the continuing development of informed and civic-minded citizens; and
(3) Instructors and administrators who defend their students’ freedom of expression may sometimes do so at professional risk.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to protect freedom of expression in school-sponsored media at public high schools and institutions of higher education in this state, and to protect the instructors and administrators who support that right, in order to encourage students to become educated, informed, and responsible members of society.