DeSantis to receive higher ed bill banning political loyalty tests, requiring diverse speakers
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis will receive a bill to sign that will require state universities hold debates and lectures providing a “wide diversity of perspectives” among other higher education reforms.
The legislation aims to modify provisions related to intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity, the use of political loyalty tests in hiring and admissions, and due process for students participating in student governments.
The Senate passed the bill 33-5, which was carried by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville. The House passed the bill 82-34, which was carried by Rep. Spencer Roach, R-Fort Myers.
It requires higher education institutions create the Office of Public Policy that is responsible for hosting debates and group forums each year. No less than four events should be sponsored by the university every year.
“It says four times a year minimum, we’re gonna have debates on both topics, and the university is going to facilitate that, and we’re going to have the information – it’s going to be available,” Perry said in closing.
“So I think this is exactly what we need to be pushing and encouraging our students to learn and grow and not become more biased, that they already started out biased, and hopefully they’ll learn a bit and grow a little bit,” Perry explained.
The universities would be required to give the Board of Governors a report that details the number of debates and group forums and the calendar list of each event, as well as the number of enrolled students attending each event.
A video of the debate and forum organized by the office must be posted on the office’s website for at least five years.
The bill prohibits these institutions from requiring someone complete a political loyalty test as a condition of employment or as a condition of admission into a school.
Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, opposed the bill in debate.
“This bill says ‘we don’t trust our universities’ and this is yet another chip away at faculty not coming back to our universities, not applying, and students not applying, and watch it all fall apart, because of these constant messages that they’re not doing the right thing, and Florida state government has to step in and tell them what to do,” Polsky said.
