Miller, a Democrat and vocal UM backer, indicated that he would vote for the budget amendment, giving credence to the threat of choking off the university's financial lifeblood.
As the floor action became increasingly heated, behind-the-scenes negotiations took place between legislative staff and lobbyists for the university.
Harris, who said he has three daughters, including one in college and one enrolling next year, called the movie screening "an implicit endorsement" by the university of pornography.
"Pornography is not fun; it's poison," he said. "They want to get our kids hooked on pornography."
At that moment, third-graders from Plum Point Elementary School began taking their seats in the gallery overlooking the Senate chamber.
Sen. Jamie Raskin, a Montgomery County Democrat and constitutional law professor, said that no student had to see the movie if he or she didn't want to and argued that the college had a First Amendment right to screen it. Raskin noted that he has never seen such a film.
"Let's show the students who are in the gallery today that we stand up for the First Amendment," he said.
After receiving word that College Park officials had canceled the event, Miller made an announcement and Harris withdrew his amendment. The college's more than $400 million general fund contribution was spared, but its reputation might have been tarnished in the eyes of civil liberties defenders.
Adam Kissel, director of the Individual Rights Defense Program at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said the legislature was "far out of line" for threatening to withhold funding and called the university's reaction "distressing."
"I think because of the autonomy that a public university ought to have versus the legislature, the [administration] should not have canceled the film," Kissel said, though he added that it was not immediately clear whether the film would have constituted protected speech under the First Amendment.
Likewise, Rocah characterized the university's newfound misgivings about the movie as disingenuous. "Yesterday, the university said they had no intention to censor this," he said. "Today, following the legislature's threat, they suddenly discover all kinds of things that are troubling. I think that ... ends up trivializing what I think are very legitimate subjects for discussion."
Clement said it was appropriate for state lawmakers to debate what films a university shows on campus.
"I think state legislators have the right to weigh in on many, many issues regarding state agencies," she said.
Sean Kibby, a junior, said he was glad that the university had decided to cancel the movie.
"It's almost a joke to be a Maryland student and have this happen," said Kibby, 21, of Annapolis. "To make the argument that it's an alternative to going out and drinking on Route 1 is ridiculous."
Four years ago, the university's student union showed Deep Throat, the well-known 1972 porn film. On Thursday, campus officials said the university would renew a discussion about whether to consider showing porn films in the future.
It is a conversation that Pirates' own marketers appear to have suggested. The tag line for the movie is "Proceed at Yer Own Risk."
