A minor victory in a major war.

Porn film screening canceled at the university.

Remember last week? The University of Maryland voted to not allow a prayer at their graduation but they were going to show a porno on campus. The University of Maryland, College Park, has canceled this weekend’s screening of a hard-core pornographic film after state lawmakers objected and threatened to cut funding to the flagship state university.

UM President C.D. Mote Jr. decided to cancel the screening of Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge, which was to be shown at the student union and had been approved by a student programming committee. A behind-the-scenes negotiation between state Senate officials and the university ensued after a debate broke out Thursday on the chamber’s floor over the screening. “That’s really not what Maryland residents send their young students to college campus for — to view pornography,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. He acknowledged the legislature shouldn’t get involved in censoring movies, but said the General Assembly is not going to support the screening of hard-core pornographic movies on a state campus paid for by taxpayer dollars.

Sen. Andrew P. Harris, a Republican from Baltimore and Harford counties, suggested amending the state’s annual budget to deny any funding to a higher education institution that allows a public screening of a film marketed as an “XXX-rated adult film,” unless it is part of an official academic course. Miller indicated he would vote for the budget amendment, giving substantial backing to the threat of denying the university tens of millions of dollars in state funding.

Senators debated the evils of pornography and the First Amendment for much of the morning, but Miller postponed discussions several times as groups of school children entered the gallery on field trips to the State House.