Announcing the 2026–2027 New Voices Texas Student Leadership Team
With the 2027 Texas Legislative Session only a few months away, New Voices Texas is thrilled to officially introduce our 2026–2027 Student Leadership Team!
This school year marks a pivotal moment for student press freedom in the Lone Star State. As we gear up for the opening of the 89th Legislative Session in January 2027, our student advocates are ready to lead the charge, build statewide coalitions, and fight for the legal protections student journalists need and deserve.
Meet the Team Driving the Movement
We are excited to welcome 16 dedicated student leaders from across Texas who will be spearheading our legislative advocacy, outreach, and educational initiatives this year. You can learn more about each of these inspiring young journalists and advocates on our 2026–2027 Student Leaders Page.
What’s New This Year?
- Three College Outreach Specialists (First Time Ever!): For the very first time, we have expanded our team to include three dedicated College Outreach Specialists. Censorship and administrative overreach don’t stop at high school graduation. These specialists will focus on connecting with collegiate newsrooms, university journalists, and higher-education press freedom allies across Texas.
- Four Regional Organizers: Texas is huge, and building a grassroots movement requires strong local connections. Our four Regional Organizers will serve as primary points of contact for student journalists, advisers, and advocates in their respective regions of the state. They will coordinate local advocacy, assist student newsrooms facing censorship, and mobilize support as we ramp up our legislative campaign.
Want to see how we divide our grassroots efforts across the Lone Star State? Visit our Regional Organizing Team Webpage to find your regional contact and see how your county fits into our statewide coalition.
Building on Last Year’s Momentum
Our incoming leadership team builds on a powerful foundation laid over the past year. Thanks to the relentless efforts of our outgoing officers and dedicated supporters, New Voices Texas achieved significant milestones during the 2025–2026 school year:
- Community Education & Outreach: Hosted statewide events during Scholastic Journalism Week, including legal rights webinars and interactive press freedom quizzes in partnership with the Student Press Law Center (SPLC). Watch the full video presentation and discussion on our YouTube Channel.
- Expanded Media Reach: Launched outreach via the New Voices Podcast (including series such as Beyond the Byline) to amplify the real stories and challenges facing student newsrooms across Texas. Listen to our podcast episodes on the go via Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch full video versions on YouTube.
- Advisory Board Launch: Successfully formed our new Advisory Board, uniting veteran journalists, attorneys, educators, and First Amendment advocates to provide strategic guidance and mentorship to our student leaders.
Our Priority This Fall: Finding Our Legislative Sponsors
In 2025, we were honored to have State Rep. Gina Hinojosa file our New Voices bill in the Texas Legislature. As Rep. Hinojosa pursues her campaign for Texas Governor, she will be stepping down from her seat in the House.
Our top priority this fall is to identify state lawmakers in both the Texas House and Senate who support student press rights and will agree to serve as our primary bill sponsors for the 2027 legislative session.
Finding champions in the Capitol is crucial, but lawmakers act when they hear directly from their constituents. That is why we need YOU to join us right now.
How You Can Take Action as a Supporter
Whether you are a student, journalism teacher, parent, professional journalist, or First Amendment advocate, here is how you can support the movement today:
1. Contact Your State Lawmakers Today
We urge all supporters to reach out to their local State Representatives and State Senators now before the legislative session begins in January.
- Tell them why student press freedom matters to your community.
- Educate them on the urgent need to pass a New Voices law in Texas to protect student journalists from arbitrary censorship and protect journalism advisers from administrative retaliation.
- Remind them that student journalists perform a crucial public service by telling the vital stories that impact their schools and towns.
2. Share Your Censorship Story (For Students)
If you are a student journalist who has faced censorship, administrative hurdles, or editorial interference, your voice matters more than ever. State lawmakers need to hear real, firsthand accounts of what it is like to work as a student journalist in Texas today.
Please take a few minutes to fill out our Student Censorship Survey. Your responses will help us compile powerful testimony to share with legislators as we advocate for press freedom protections.
3. Support Our Fundraising Efforts
Running a statewide advocacy campaign requires financial resources. From maintaining our website to providing travel subsidies and lobby training for students visiting the Capitol in the spring, every dollar makes an impact.
- Donate directly: Make a tax-deductible contribution through our Donorbox Donation Page.
- Wear your support: Purchase an official New Voices Texas t-shirt through our Bonfire Store, with proceeds going directly to our advocacy work.
4. Listen, Follow & Spread the Word
- Tune in and subscribe to our podcasts on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts to stay informed on current student press freedom topics.
- Follow and tag us on Instagram (@newvoicestx) and share our posts with your network.
- Share our educational resources and presentation materials with your local school boards, journalism classes, and community groups.
Standing Together for the First Amendment
When we censor student journalists, we teach the next generation that truth requires administrative approval and that constitutional rights end at the schoolhouse door. With 16 dynamic student leaders leading the charge and a passionate network of supporters across Texas, we are ready to make 2027 the year Texas cures Hazelwood and secures press freedom for all students.
Thank you for standing with our student leaders. Let’s make history together!
To get involved or report censorship in your school, email us at newvoices4texas@gmail.com or visit newvoicestx.com.
New Voices of Texas 