Zara Bukhari is the Editor-in-Chief of the Three Penny Press at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas, and serves as the Legislative Officer for New Voices Texas.

“I believe that it is necessary to pass a New Voices law in Texas because student journalists deserve the freedom to report accurately and responsibly without unnecessary censorship. I fight for student press rights because our voices have the ability to cause change. When students are able to write without the fear of censorship and tell the truth, they inspire others to speak up and use their own voices to stand up for what is right.”

What I Do

As the Legislative Officer for New Voices Texas, I work to advocate for stronger legal protections for student journalists and my priority is to strengthen our relationship with policymakers and legislators. Furthermore, I aim to create more of an understanding about what our New Voices bill is and what it consists of.

I am responsible for tracking our legislative developments, collaborating with my fellow officers and our adviser, helping students become engaged in this movement to protect student journalism and communicating with our community about updates to our legislative movement.

I will measure success as an officer by the number of students engaged in our advocacy movement and the relationships that we’d have built with legislators and organizations alongside our progress we make toward advancing New Voices legislation here in Texas.

By the end of the school year I want to accomplish meaningful progress toward passing a New Voices law in Texas and expand students’ involvement in legislative advocacy.