Sen Ernst cites Jewish student discrimination in bid to protect free speech on campuses

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is looking to crack down on universities that receive federal funding but discriminate against students based on their viewpoint in a new attempt to protect free speech on college campuses. 

The Iowa Republican will introduce a new bill on Thursday, the Students Bill of Rights Act of 2024, which would safeguard free speech on public campuses.

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"Freedom of speech is a core American value that our heroes fought and died to secure — we must protect it for future generations," Ernst said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. "I want college students in Iowa and across America to engage in debates, challenge their ideas, and express their viewpoints freely, without facing discrimination or abuse. Echo chambers only serve to stunt the developing mind."

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According to Ernst's office, the measure was prompted in part by concerns over the free expression of Jewish and pro-Israel students at various schools across the country amid the war between Israel and terrorist group Hamas.

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The goal of the Iowa Republican's bill is to push back on "left-wing activists on college campuses," who she accuses of eroding First Amendment rights, as well as attacks on Jewish students, her office said.

Ernst's bill proposes a universal speech and association protection standard for any public universities and colleges that receive funding through Title IV. 

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It addresses four areas to protect students from viewpoint discrimination. The measure specifically carves out provisions to assure students are assisted in finding faculty sponsors or otherwise gaining recognition at their schools; mandates institutions to disclose fund distribution and security fee charges to student organizations; mandates institutions similarly disclose policies in place to protect guest speakers; and requires institutions to implement disciplinary measures for any students who threaten the safety of speakers invited to campuses. 

Since the onset of the Israeli war in Gaza, higher-education institutions have become hotbeds for anti-Israel demonstrations. Prestigious schools have been accused of allowing threats and attacks against Jewish students to occur, even prompting a congressional hearing. 

At the same time, a group created to express support for Israel recently faced difficulty in its quest to gain recognition at Columbia University Law School, illustrating the obstacles for some students to organize. After initially being denied by the law school's Senate, Law School Students Against Antisemitism was ultimately approved for recognition as a student organization in February after a re-vote.