{"id":2341676,"date":"2024-09-16T07:43:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T11:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-brags-about-passing-laws-that-restrict-speech\/"},"modified":"2024-09-16T07:51:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T11:51:09","slug":"tim-walz-brags-about-passing-laws-that-restrict-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-brags-about-passing-laws-that-restrict-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Walz Brags About Passing Laws That Restrict Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftim-walz-brags-about-passing-laws-that-restrict-speech%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341676&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This week, a federal court is set to review a case involving a \u2063Minnesota law enacted in 2023 that\u200b forbids\u2064 employers from discussing religious or political\u2064 issues during mandatory meetings, including discussions about elections, regulations, and union membership. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, \u200ca Democrat, has publicly endorsed this law, indicating that\u200c non-compliance could \u200bresult in criminal penalties for employers. The law has generated controversy, \u200dparticularly\u200d due to Walz&#8217;s appointment of individuals to the\u2063 state&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/factchecker-falsely-claims-mnb-didnt-ban-christian-teachers\/\" title=\"Factchecker Falsely Claims MNB Didn&#039;t Ban Christian Teachers\">teacher licensing board<\/a> who have introduced regulations compelling teachers \u200dto support students&#8217; \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elite-private-school-students-anonymously-accused-school-officials-of-racism-the-school-caved\/\" title=\"Elite Private School Students Anonymously Accused School Officials Of Racism. The School Caved.\">gender identities<\/a> and embrace\u2063 social justice principles. Critics argue that this \u200dundermines First Amendment rights and echoes oppressive regimes rather than fostering a\u200c culture of\u2062 freedom. The editorial highlights a broader issue concerning the increasing pressure on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platforms<\/a> and public discourse, suggesting that the current climate favors controlling narratives \u2062over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twitter-ceo-reveals-details-of-freedom-of-speech-not-reach-policy\/\" title=\"Twitter CEO shares new policy prioritizing freedom of speech over reach.\">allowing free expression<\/a>. While acknowledging the need to combat hate and misinformation, the editorial stresses that in a free society, individuals must be allowed to \u200bexpress all viewpoints, including those that may be unpopular or offensive. Ultimately, the \u2062argument posits that safeguarding speech, \u2062even if it is distasteful, is essential \u200bto \u2064maintaining genuine freedom and democracy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This week, a federal court will take up a case challenging a 2023 Minnesota law that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/tim-walz-minnesota-free-speech-employers-labor-unions-religion-politics-2d709299\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prohibits employers from discussing religious or political matters<\/a> at required meetings, including meetings on elections, regulations, and whether employees should join a union.<\/p>\n<p>According to a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., bragged about the impact of the new law, saying that employers will either have to toe the line or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/opinion\/tim-walz-minnesota-free-speech-employers-labor-unions-religion-politics-2d709299\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">be sent to jail<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Making matters worse, Walz also personally appointed all the members of Minnesota&rsquo;s teacher licensing board, which recently instituted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/walz-behind-appointment-board-requiring-minnesota-teachers-affirm-students-gender-identity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new rules restricting and coercing teachers&rsquo; speech<\/a>. These new regulations&nbsp;&ldquo;require educators&nbsp;to &lsquo;affirm&rsquo; their students&rsquo; gender identities, have &lsquo;racial consciousness,&rsquo; and learn to &lsquo;disrupt oppressive systems,&rsquo;&rdquo; according to Fox News. Count me in as one of those who are shocked yet perhaps not terribly surprised that Walz believes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2024\/08\/actually-tim-walz-the-first-amendment-does-protect-misinformation-and-hate-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">there should be no guarantees to free speech<\/a> in America.<\/p>\n<p>Couple Walz&rsquo;s attacks on free speech with attempts from the political left (and Walz&rsquo;s attorney general in particular) to put <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/tim-walzs-ag-appears-celebrate-brazil-x-ban-leading-musk-say-dems-want-destroy-first-amendment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">public pressure on social media platforms<\/a>, such as Elon Musk&rsquo;s X, and the message is clear. Our First Amendment is under attack.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Jefferson&rsquo;s response to accusations that we are entertaining too much liberty was to compare our freedom of speech and the press directly with our freedom of religion. Namely, that <a href=\"https:\/\/oll.libertyfund.org\/pages\/1798-kentucky-resolutions-jefferson-s-draft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a violation of any one freedom<\/a> would be a violation of all the others, and &ldquo;that libels, falsehood, and defamation, equally with heresy and false religion, are withheld from the cognizance of federal tribunals.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Our First Amendment rights are no less sacred to Virginians than our Statute for Religious Freedom. Yet more than platitudes, policies limiting speech speak more to the values of East Germany than American freedom.<\/p>\n<p>When we see social media spaces pressured into censorship, or when we see political opinions forced upon the vast majority by government fiat, one wonders aloud whether we really believe in what the words democracy and freedom entail.<\/p>\n<p>For Jefferson, truth had nothing to fear so long as reason was left free to combat it. Virginians and Americans understand that our First Amendment rights are not polite codes of behavior, but rather a sacred duty and a charge.<\/p>\n<p>Yet in today&rsquo;s world, we see more of the impulse to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/10-hollywood-movies-that-snuck-conservative-themes-on-screen\/\" title=\"10 Hollywood Movies That Snuck Conservative Themes on Screen\">control narratives<\/a> rather than allow ideas to be freely challenged and explored. Walz is only saying the quiet part out loud. In today&rsquo;s relentless media culture, counterpoints are not merely inconvenient to the narrative; they are dangerous to those seeking to impose their values on an unsuspecting public.<\/p>\n<p>Critics and little Robespierres will always be quick to charge that such freedom is dangerous to their interests. Such critics are probably worth the criticism. Yet there are two areas in particular that Walz mentions, namely whether there is the freedom to be odious and hateful in the public square, and likewise whether one has the right to spread misinformation under the First Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>Let me be explicitly clear on this point. Acts of hate are neither ignored nor tolerated in Virginia. As Virginia attorney general, I have exhausted this office in identifying and prosecuting violence, whether it is the targeting of Jewish students on college campuses or our African American citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Yet as the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear time and time again, no one in a free society has the right <em>not<\/em> to be offended. No one in America has the right never to be challenged on his opinions or views. Everyone has the right to be wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously there are laws against defamation and libel in the United States, though nowhere near as draconian as the laws in other nations. In such instances, we are not talking about the free exercise of speech or press but rather their abuse. Yet our latitude in such instances tests the very meaning of the word inexhaustible, precisely because our faith in our fellow human beings ought to be likewise.<\/p>\n<p>This Jeffersonian optimism was once the hallmark of Americans in both political parties. Consisting of a singular belief in the promise of the American spirit, our shared belief in the common goodness of our friends and neighbors is the spirit that made America great. Self-governance and self-government should triumph above every busybody and scold.<\/p>\n<p>We lost this spirit, or at the very least we allowed ourselves to be distracted from this optimism by the times. Yet every Sept. 11, we seem to remember who we are. Every July 4, we seem to remember that no matter what we might believe or what opinions we might hold, together we are all Americans. Our differences remain our strength.<\/p>\n<p>For myself, the idea that such differences should be stomped out by a heavy-handed thought police isn&rsquo;t just the difference between Minnesota and Virginia; it&rsquo;s the difference between a former Soviet republic and the American experiment.<\/p>\n<p>What Ronald Reagan understood and what Jefferson believed about our basic constitutional freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment stand entirely at odds with how the Biden administration has operated and what Tim Walz believes is necessary for an open public square.<\/p>\n<p>Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are values as old as Jefferson, and rights that no government can suppress for long. Our First Amendment is first for a reason. Tim Walz knows better, and if he doesn&rsquo;t, one might suggest a quiet evening re-reading the American Constitution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Jason Miyares is the attorney general for Virginia.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week, a federal court will hear a case contesting a Minnesota law enacted in 2023 that forbids employers from addressing religious or political topics during mandatory meetings, which include discussions about elections, regulations, and union membership. A recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal highlighted that Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota proudly claimed the law&#8217;s effectiveness, stating that employers must comply or face imprisonment. Additionally, Walz appointed all members of Minnesota\u2019s teacher licensing board, which has recently implemented new rules that restrict and pressure teachers regarding their speech. These regulations mandate educators to &#8220;affirm&#8221; their students&#8217; gender identities, possess &#8220;racial consciousness,&#8221; and learn to &#8220;disrupt oppressive systems,&#8221; as reported by Fox News. It is shocking yet perhaps not surprising that Walz seems to believe there should be no guarantees for free speech in America.<\/p>\n<p>When combined with efforts from the political left\u2014particularly from Walz\u2019s attorney general\u2014to exert public pressure on social media platforms like Elon Musk&#8217;s X, it becomes evident that our First Amendment rights are under threat. Thomas Jefferson responded to concerns about excessive liberty by equating freedom of speech and press with freedom of religion; he argued that infringing on one would violate all others and stated that issues like libel and falsehoods should not be subject to federal courts.<\/p>\n<p>For Virginians, our First Amendment rights hold equal importance as our Statute for Religious Freedom. However, policies limiting speech reflect values more akin to East Germany than American ideals of freedom. When we observe social media being pressured into censorship or when government mandates impose political views on the majority, it raises questions about our commitment to democracy and freedom.<\/p>\n<p>Jefferson believed truth could withstand scrutiny as long as reason was allowed to prevail against it. Virginians and Americans recognize our First Amendment rights are not mere guidelines but rather sacred responsibilities. Yet today\u2019s environment often favors controlling narratives over allowing open debate of ideas; Walz is merely vocalizing what many may think quietly.<\/p>\n<p>In today&#8217;s media landscape where dissenting opinions threaten established narratives\u2014deemed dangerous by those wishing to impose their values\u2014critics will quickly argue such freedoms jeopardize their interests. While these critics may deserve scrutiny themselves, two specific areas arise: whether individuals can express hateful views publicly or disseminate misinformation under the First Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>To clarify: acts of hate are neither overlooked nor accepted in Virginia; I have dedicated my office&#8217;s efforts toward prosecuting violence targeting Jewish students on college campuses or African American citizens.<\/p>\n<p>However, as reiterated by the U.S. Supreme Court repeatedly: no one has an inherent right not to be offended in a free society; everyone is entitled to hold incorrect opinions without fear of retribution.<\/p>\n<p>While defamation laws exist within the U.S., they are far less severe than those found elsewhere globally; thus we differentiate between exercising free speech versus its misuse\u2014a distinction testing our understanding of tolerance based on faith in humanity itself.<\/p>\n<p>This optimistic view once characterized Americans across party lines\u2014a shared belief in each other&#8217;s goodness fueled America&#8217;s greatness through self-governance over meddling authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Though we may have lost this spirit\u2014or at least been distracted\u2014we remember who we are every September 11th and July 4th: regardless of differing beliefs or opinions\u2014we stand united as Americans where diversity strengthens us.<\/p>\n<p>The notion that differences should be suppressed by authoritarian oversight represents more than just a contrast between Minnesota and Virginia\u2014it symbolizes a divide between democratic principles versus totalitarianism reminiscent of former Soviet states.<\/p>\n<p>What Ronald Reagan understood\u2014and what Jefferson championed regarding constitutional freedoms enshrined within the First Amendment\u2014stands starkly opposed against how President Biden&#8217;s administration operates alongside Governor Tim Walz\u2019s vision for public discourse.<\/p>\n<p>Freedom of expression remains an enduring value rooted deeply since Jefferson&#8217;s time\u2014a right no government can suppress indefinitely\u2014and it&#8217;s paramount why our First Amendment holds its primary position among constitutional protections.<\/p>\n<p>Tim Walz oughta know better; if he doesn\u2019t grasp this fundamental truth perhaps he should spend some quiet time revisiting America\u2019s Constitution.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Jason Miyares serves as Virginia&#8217;s attorney general<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3432,"featured_media":2341677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Copy-of-Untitled-2024-09-12T162143.448.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32311,4762,36160,36113],"class_list":["post-2341676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-free-speech","tag-legislation","tag-political-controversy","tag-tim-walz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Copy-of-Untitled-2024-09-12T162143.448.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3432"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}