It was Yee's personal experience as a student journalist in 1991 at Greenway High School in Phoenix, having her stories and cartoons quashed by administrators that first sparked her interest.

The state House voted 41-19 Monday to guarantee free speech to student journalists despite claims it will give "children'' more rights than their professional adult counterparts enjoy.

A bid to guarantee First Amendment rights to student journalists cleared a critical hurdle on April 27 despite claims by some lawmakers that students aren’t responsible enough to handle them.