On Thursday during the evening floor session, only a handful of Arizona House Democrat lawmakers voted against HB2615, which protects of free speech on college campuses. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Anthony Kern, passed on a 40 – 16 vote.
The bill removes the free speech restricting “free speech zones” on college and university campuses.
Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom filed Mirelez v. Dale in federal court which involves a student who is challenging a restrictive speech zone at Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC). In that case, Brittany Mirelez, a student at PVCC, set up a table in the speech zone to talk with other students about joining the Young Americans for Liberty student group she was trying to start at PVCC and to hand out copies of the U.S. Constitution. YAL is a non-partisan, grass-roots political advocacy group that promotes liberty values on college campuses throughout the country.
That lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, argues that the college’s policy unconstitutionally chills protected student speech and disables the ability of students to speak freely on campus about recent and unfolding events.
HB2615 Vote May 5, 2016
| Member Name | Vote | Member Name | Vote | Member Name | Vote |
| J. Christopher Ackerley | Y | John M. Allen | Y | Lela Alston | N |
| Richard C. Andrade | N | Brenda Barton | Y | Jennifer D. Benally | N |
| Reginald Bolding Jr. | Y | Sonny Borrelli | Y | Russell “Rusty” Bowers | Y |
| Paul Boyer | Y | Kate Brophy McGee | Y | Noel W. Campbell | Y |
| Mark A. Cardenas | Y | Heather Carter | Y | Ken Clark | Y |
| Regina Cobb | Y | Doug Coleman | Y | Diego Espinoza | NV |
| Karen Fann | Y | Eddie Farnsworth | Y | Charlene R. Fernandez | N |
| Mark Finchem | Y | Randall Friese | N | Rosanna Gabaldón | N |
| Sally Ann Gonzales | NV | Rick Gray | Y | Albert Hale | N |
| Anthony Kern | Y | Matthew A. Kopec | Y | Jonathan R. Larkin | Y |
| Jay Lawrence | Y | Vince Leach | Y | David Livingston | Y |
| Phil Lovas | Y | Stefanie Mach | N | Debbie McCune Davis | N |
| Juan Jose Mendez | N | Javan D. “J.D.” Mesnard | Y | Eric Meyer | Y |
| Darin Mitchell | Y | Steve Montenegro | Y | Jill Norgaard | Y |
| Justin Olson | Y | Lisa A. Otondo | N | Warren H. Petersen | Y |
| Celeste Plumlee | N | Franklin M. Pratt | Y | Rebecca Rios | N |
| Tony Rivero | NV | Bob Robson | Y | Macario Saldate | N |
| Thomas “T.J.” Shope | Y | David W. Stevens | Y | Bob Thorpe | Y |
| Kelly Townsend | NV | Michelle B. Ugenti-Rita | Y | Ceci Velasquez | N |
| Jeff Weninger | Y | Bruce Wheeler | N | David M. Gowan Sr. | Y |
| AYES | 40 | NAYS | 16 | NOT VOTING | 4 |