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Saturday, April 28, 2018

Speech Bill

The legislature is considering a bill, AB 2374, which addresses the free speech issue on UC and CSU campuses. There is a semi-official push from UC behind it. According to the LA Times in an editorial endorsing the bill:

AB 2374, sponsored by Assemblymen Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) and Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), was drafted with advice from Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, and Howard Gillman, chancellor of UC Irvine, authors of the recent book "Free Speech On Campus."*

The relevant text is below:**

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Free Speech on Campus Act of 2018.

A campus of the California Community Colleges or the California State University shall, and a campus of the University of California is requested to, do all of the following:

(a) Make and disseminate a free speech statement that affirms the importance of, and the campus’s commitment to promoting, freedom of expression. The statement shall include assurances that students and controversial speakers will be protected from exclusionary behavior that violates freedom of expression.

(b) Supplement the statement required pursuant to subdivision (a) with educational programming, including, but not limited to, online resources. The educational programming may be part of student orientation or classroom instruction, or may be delivered in another setting where it will effectively reach students. The educational programming shall include all of the following:

   (1) Descriptions of campus policies, procedures, and protocols that protect freedom of expression and prohibit exclusionary behavior.
   (2) Lessons that teach and encourage the expression of a wide range of views in a productive and respectful manner.
   (3) Lessons that inculcate an understanding of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and its role in supporting the academic mission of the campus.
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*http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-campus-speech-20180427-story.html
**https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB2374

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