New Texas committee to investigate freedom of speech on college campuses

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(The Center Square) – After the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah, the Texas legislature is investigating reports of bias and prohibitions on free speech on college campuses in Texas.

Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick created a new House and Senate Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education. The committees will meet jointly “to study and issue reports on bias, discourse, and freedom of speech across Texas college campuses,” they said in a statement. “The State of Texas has a responsibility to ensure its publicly funded institutions foster open dialogue and do not discriminate against students, faculty, or staff based on their beliefs.”

“The political assassination of Charlie Kirk – and the national reaction it has sparked, including the public celebration of his murder by some in higher education – is appalling and reveals a deeper, systemic problem worth examining,” Burrows said.

Thousands of Americans celebrated his murder in social media posts and apps appear to be used to list politically conservative targets for assassination by the political left, The Center Square reported. Many of those celebrating Kirk’s assassination and appearing to espouse violence are university and college professors and students, according to a website, “Expose Charlie’s Murderers.” The website is posting screenshots of social media posts either inciting violence or celebrating Kirk’s murder as well as information about those making the posts based on publicly available information.

“This disturbing reality underscores the urgency of creating these committees,” Burrows said. “Charlie dedicated his life to open, respectful dialogue with those he disagreed, and that approach is something we should all celebrate and fight to protect.”

“Charlie Kirk was my friend,” Patrick said. “He was assassinated for simply expressing his First Amendment rights. The attack on Charlie was an attack on the First Amendment. Those who cheered his murder are also cheering for the death of America. We cannot tolerate either at our institutions of higher learning.”

He also said, “The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and of petition. It is the First Amendment because it is the foundation of all our rights. In that list, the free exercise of religion is paramount. Take away a person’s right to free exercise of religion and every other right falls quickly.”

Committee members will help identify ways to better protect free speech rights on Texas college campuses, including implementing measures to ensure political gatherings are safe, Burrows and Patrick said. After their investigation, they will make recommendations to the legislature to consider passing legislation.

The committees are bipartisan. Burrows appointed state Reps. Terry Wilson as chair and Richard Raymond as vice-chair, as well as Reps. Brad Buckley, Caroline Fairly, James Frank, Shelby Slawson and Senfronia Thompson.

Patrick appointed state Sens. Paul Bettencourt as chair and Bryan Hughes as vice chair, as well as Sens. Cesar Blanco, Donna Campbell, Bob Hall, Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Lois Kolkhorst.

The committees will also be examining the implementation of reforms to higher education institutions in Texas that were passed during the 89th regular legislative session. Earlier this year, the legislature passed Senate Bill 37 and Senate Bill 2972 to reform governance and oversight of higher education institutions in Texas.

SB 37 expands “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) prohibitions in curriculum; SB 2972 includes protections for students in the wake of pro-Hamas riots and college takeovers that occurred nationwide.

SB 2972 clarifies that expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution includes “assemblies, protests, speeches, the distribution of written material, the carrying of signs, and the circulation of petitions.” However, it clarifies that the term, “expressive conduct,” “does not include” commercial speech, defamation, unlawful harassment, incitement to imminent unlawful activity, obscenity, and threats to engage in unlawful activity, according to the bill language.