Gov. Jay Nixon said Friday lawmakers should repeal the entire section of a new state law restricting public school employees from full use of the Internet's various "social media" pages, including "Facebook."
But the sponsor of the bill with the controversial provision said the language needs to be fixed, not dropped.
"The attorney general feels the law we have now is constitutional (and) very adequate," state Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, said in an interview. "I feel very confident that this clarification language that we're coming up with will pass constitutional muster, also."
Nixon added the issue to his call for a legislative special session beginning Sept. 6.
The language Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem temporarily blocked, and Nixon wants lawmakers to erase, says, in part: "No teacher shall establish, maintain or use a non-work-related social networking site which allows exclusive access with a current or former student," as long as that former student is 18 or younger and still in high school.
But Cunningham said again that language has been misunderstood.