(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Assembly is now set to take on a bill promoting free speech on the state’s college campuses when the bill is heard in the Committee on Colleges and Universities on Wednesday.
The bill previously passed the Senate 17-16 on Nov. 18. Senate Bill 498 would have to pass the Assembly and then be signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers.
Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, was the only Republican to vote against the bill. Nass’ district is home to Wisconsin-Whitewater, one of the University of Wisconsin system schools that would be impacted.
The bill would require any UW system school or Wisconsin Technical College to freeze tuition for two years if it is found in violation of the free speech rules two times. That portion of the bill was the largest objection for representatives of the UW system in committee.
““Freezing state funding to our universities that put our financially health potentially at risk and really compromise the very mission and the efforts that we’re all attempting to undertake,” UW Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton told the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges. “
The bill requires that the colleges not restrict free speech if the speaker is lawful or restict the time, place or manner of free speech on campus. The school cannot create a “free speech zone” and limit speech to that area, require a permit to limit expression or require a security fee be paid.
Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, cited several studies and surveys including a UW System survey showing that UW Madison students and students across the country felt less comfortable speaking out if they are conservative, a Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression survey showing that 35% of UW-Madison students believe it’s acceptable to use violence to stop a speaker on campus and data from The College Fix showing that more than 99% of donations from UW system professors went to Democrats, not Republicans.
“That (FIRE) number is disturbing on its own but it’s clearly even more chilling in light of the recent political assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus,” Nedweski said. “When we accept the false premise that speech is equivalent to violence, we allow violence to replace speech as a means of debate.”
