PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota bill seeking to promote “intellectual diversity” on college campuses advanced Wednesday despite pushback from the Board of Regents, university presidents and student representatives.
The House Education Committee voted 9-6 to send the measure to the chamber’s floor. Republican Rep. Sue Peterson urged support for her bill, saying it would “preserve our First Amendment rights on college campuses.”
“It’s time to begin recreating the foundation upon which our freedoms are based,” Peterson said. “That foundation is a firm knowledge of the history of these great United States of America and the government given to us by our founders and by almighty God.”
But Paul Beran, chief executive officer and executive director of the Board of Regents, said it would create unfunded testing and reporting mandates for the state’s six public universities. He said the measure obscures the regents’ current “clear” free speech policy.
University of South Dakota Student Government Association Vice President Madison Green said students “overwhelmingly believe” there’s no free speech issue on campus and that the legislation is misguided.
“Ultimately, we view this bill as unnecessary and repetitive,” Green said.
South Dakota College Republicans President Trevor Gunlicks said the measure is vital to current and future generations of students. South Dakota has a problem with intellectual diversity on college campuses, said Gunlicks, a South Dakota State University student.
“I have had first and secondhand accounts and witnessed and heard many stories of members of my organization over the past year-and-a-half being condemned for their beliefs,” he said.
The wide-ranging bill would designate outdoor university areas as public forums, prohibit officials from discriminating against student organizations based on their expression and direct the Board of Regents to set policy requiring state universities to maintain a commitment to free expression.
The proposal would require each university to report to the governor, regents and legislators about actions taken to boost intellectual diversity. The public reports would also require information including instances in which free expression is disrupted, attempts to block a speaker and investigations into students based on their speech.
It would also mandate requirements for students, including U.S. history and government courses and scoring at least 85 percent on the U.S. citizenship test.
Allyson Monson, president of the South Dakota State University Students’ Association, said the group opposes the civics test mandate because it would add an obstacle to getting a degree and over concerns that it would create a barrier for international students to fulfill their degree requirements.
The committee on Wednesday also advanced a bill that would prohibit public school instruction about gender dysphoria through seventh grade. The measure originally sought to ban teaching about gender identity or expression, but was changed by the panel.
Republican Rep. Tom Pischke, the sponsor, said his intent to ensure South Dakota public schools are not “teaching and confusing our young children to be more susceptible to this dysphoria.”
Large School Group lobbyist Dianna Miller said the bill’s sponsors are looking for a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
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