Secretary of state announces new ‘Idaho Free Speech Summit’ in partnership with UI, BSU

A new gathering aims to bring together policymakers, students and the public to discuss the U.S. Constitution’s protections for free speech and encourage civil discourse.

The inaugural Idaho Free Speech Summit will take place on Oct. 13 in Boise through the partnership of the Secretary of State’s Office, the University of Idaho’s College of Law and Boise State University’s Institute for Advancing American Values, according to a Secretary of State’s Office press release.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who has championed Disagree Better, a national, nonpartisan initiative “designed to reduce inflammatory rhetoric and foster a culture of healthy debate,” according to its website.

“Free speech is fundamental to our system of government, but protecting it requires more than simply agreeing that it is important,” said Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane. “It means listening to people we disagree with, defending their right to speak, and being willing to have difficult conversations. That is what we hope to accomplish with the Idaho Free Speech Summit.”

Sessions at the summit will explore First Amendment issues “ranging from campaign finance and campus free speech to the broader challenges of maintaining civil discourse in an increasingly divided political environment,” the press release said.

Cox will talk about how Americans can disagree without abandoning strongly held beliefs, a theme he explores in his new book, “Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt,” according to the release.

“We are pleased to be part of a discussion centered on one of our nation’s most important constitutional freedoms,” said Brian Kane, University of Idaho College of Law dean, in the release. “The University of Idaho College of Law is a natural partner for this conversation. Law schools should be places where difficult constitutional questions are examined carefully and where people learn how to engage seriously with ideas they may not share.”

The daylong summit will have presentations and panel discussions, followed by an evening reception. A continuing legal education credit will also be available for participating attorneys.

“Universities have an important role to play in creating spaces where people can wrestle with difficult questions and hear perspectives different from their own,” said Boise State University’s Andrew Finstuen in the release. “The Summit provides an opportunity to model the kind of thoughtful, constructive dialogue that is essential to a healthy civic culture.”

Registration and additional information, including the Summit schedule and speaker lineup, are available at FreeSpeechIdaho.com.

“Our goal isn’t to bring together people who all agree,” McGrane said in the release. “It is to bring together people who recognize that our constitutional freedoms are strongest when we defend the right of others to speak, listen to one another, and engage in good faith.”