• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Education / Walker ready to sign mascot bill

Walker ready to sign mascot bill

December 18, 2013 By Bob Hague

Governor Scott Walker is signaling that he’ll sign a bill weakening the state’s law regarding Indian mascots. The controversial measure is ready for the Republican governor’s signature, and he’s indicating that he’ll sign it, although it was not a priority issue for him.

“If I could personally change things, I would find a way to deal with any school or local entity that had a nickname or a slogan or a mascot that was offensive. and find a way to change that so that it didn’t offend Native Americans and others,” Walker told reporters in Stevens Point on Wednesday.

AUDIO: Governor Scott Walker 1:30

But Walker said current law restricts the freedom of speech of school districts to choose nicknames and mascots. “Freedom of speech means freedom of speech whether I think it’s good speech or bad speech or bad speech, whether I agree with it or not, whether it’s offensive or not,” Walker said. “Once you start reining in speech just because someone or a group of people don’t like it, that’s a slippery slope. That’s the balance between empathy towards the concerns raised, but an equal concern about freedom of speech.”

Critics of the bill charge it will weaken current state law to the point where it will be virtually impossible to force districts to drop offensive mascots.

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics / Govt



Featured Stories

Wisconsin veterans cheer passage of PACT Act

Lasry leaves U.S. Senate race and endorses Barnes

Trump will host Waukesha campaign rally for Tim Michels

U.S. House passes Respect for Marriage Act

Former UW Chancellor Blank’s cancer diagnosis means she will not take Northwestern job

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

Williams likely out for the season with broken hand

Packers releasing TE Jace Sternberger

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC

 

Loading Comments...