(Photo by Casey Kuhn - KJZZ)

Melanie Allen is the newspaper adviser at Moon Valley High School in Glendale.

Gov. Doug Ducey this week vetoed a bill that would have given more protections to high school journalists.

The legislation was meant to allow students more freedom in reporting, and stop school administrators from censoring stories from publication. Advocates of the bill say it would have allowed students to write about more hot-button issues and give a good foundation for thoughtful reporting.

Moon Valley High School newspaper adviser Melanie Allen says the bill would have helped her students write without the chilling effect of a school administrator’s scrutiny.

“It was students as well that were fighting for this bill," Allen said. "And it was looking so positive as it went through all the different levels and to have that final step be a no, it’s really heartbreaking.”

The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Kimberly Yee, who was also a student reporter.

But Ducey told Capitol Media Services he vetoed the bill because moderation is key in a high-school setting.

"These are minors. These are high-school students. And we believe that some supervision and making certain that the principal is in charge of a school and the school's direction is important. And that's what resulted in the veto," he said.

Ducey said he could consider a similar bill next year — but only if its scope is limited.