(The Center Square) – A bill would remove state-funded scholarships and financial aid from students convicted and/or disciplined by Georgia’s colleges and technical schools for disruptive conduct on the school’s campuses.
Students would lose state scholarships and financial aid for two years, according to the proposal.
House Bill 602 is not about punishing students for peaceful protests, said Rep. Tim Fleming, R-Covington, the bill’s sponsor.
“The conviction and disciplinary action must be fighting, violence or similar unlawful behavior, damaging property, forcefully and physically violating others access to buildings and events on these campuses, significantly violating reasonable time, place and manner restrictions and engaging in harassing behavior,” Fleming told the House Higher Education Committee on Monday.
The bill targets anti-Israeli protests held on college campuses across the country, lawmakers told the committee.
Rep. Esther Panitch, D-Sandy Springs, the General Assembly’s only Jewish member, told the committee it is time for there to be consequences for actions that prevent other students from attending classes.
“There is no problem with civil disobedience if you want to take over the admin building where there is no classes,” Panitch said. “Go right ahead. What this does say is if you rise to the level of a conviction and/or honor code violation, then you should have your state benefits stripped.”
Fleming said an illegal encampment at the University of Georgia resulted in the suspension of some students, and protestors struggled with police at Georgia State University.
Eleven people spoke against the bill. College students said the bill could make students reluctant to protest. Others agreed.
“This is excessive and extreme punishment, but also the language seems to equate violence with simple dissent and that is not right,” said Rev. Keyanna Jones Moore. “It does chill the right to free speech. It is chilling of public space and freedom of expression and association.”
The committee did not vote on the bill. Committee Chairman Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, encouraged lawmakers and those concerned about the bill to discuss it before the next meeting.
The bill has to be passed by the full House of Representatives on Thursday, which is crossover day, or it will die this year.
