Scott Walker Signs Bill Making it Harder to Change Native American Mascots

As pressure mounts from activists nationwide on schools that use Native American mascots for their sports teams, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation last week that would make it harder for Wisconsin public schools to change their name.

The Republican measure requires a petition to trigger a state review of a nickname — a departure from current law, which states a single complaint is enough to prompt an evaluation. It also wipes out all previous state orders for schools to drop race-based mascots.

Walker, a Republican, signed the measure privately Thursday afternoon. He released a statement saying he's worried current law infringes on free speech. A person's right to speak doesn't end just because what they say is offensive, he said. The best approach is to educate people about how some phrases and symbols are offensive when used as nicknames and mascots, he added.

"If the state bans speech that is offensive to some, where does it stop?" Walker wrote.

Source