Proposed bills focus on free speech in N.H. schools The New Hampshire State House in Concord on Oct. 4, 2018 Sarah Pearson Published: 2/26/2021 5:55:44 PM Lawmakers in the New Hampshire State House are considering several bills aimed at protecting students' free speech and curtailing what their sponsors see as liberal political bias in schools. House Bill 234 would establish rules for protecting First Amendment rights of students and speakers on campus. Much of the bill's language is drawn from model policies penned by the conservative Washington, D.C.- based American Legislative Exchange Council. Ben Mickens, a vice chair of the N.H. College Republicans and student at Saint Anselm College, told lawmakers that New Hampshire needs to take a bolder step in protecting students like him.