Bill Text: IL HR0050 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Condemns restrictive speech policies at institutions of higher education and urges those institutions with such policies in place to reverse their decisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-15 - Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer [HR0050 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HR0050-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The primary function of institutions of higher | ||||||
| 3 | education is the discovery,
transmission, and dissemination of | ||||||
| 4 | knowledge by engaging in teaching, research, open
discussions, | ||||||
| 5 | and free debate; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, This tradition of openness and freedom is the | ||||||
| 7 | foundation of knowledge creation and
has produced many of the | ||||||
| 8 | greatest universities and colleges in the world; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Rene Descartes stated that "if you would be a real | ||||||
| 10 | seeker after truth, it is necessary
that at least once in your | ||||||
| 11 | life you doubt, as far as possible, all things"; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Colleges and universities are increasingly | ||||||
| 13 | stifling viewpoints which may be
considered controversial by | ||||||
| 14 | some, unilaterally cancelling scheduled speeches by certain
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| 15 | commentators, and limiting the right to assemble or protest to | ||||||
| 16 | so-called "free speech zones"; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, According to the American Civil Liberties Union | ||||||
| 18 | (ACLU), "Speech codes adopted by
government-financed state | ||||||
| 19 | colleges and universities amount to government censorship, in
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| 20 | violation of the Constitution; the ACLU believes that all | ||||||
| 21 | campuses should adhere to First
Amendment principles because | ||||||
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| 1 | academic freedom is a bedrock of education in a free society"; | ||||||
| 2 | and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, These policies are inherently at odds with the | ||||||
| 4 | freedom of speech guaranteed by the
First Amendment of the | ||||||
| 5 | Constitution, and they inhibit the free exchange of ideas at | ||||||
| 6 | campuses
across the country; therefore, be it
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| 7 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 8 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 9 | we condemn restrictive speech policies at institutions of | ||||||
| 10 | higher education, and we urge those institutions with such | ||||||
| 11 | policies in place to
reverse their decisions; and be it further
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| 12 | RESOLVED, That it is in the interest of our State and our | ||||||
| 13 | nation to have a well-informed
population that has been exposed | ||||||
| 14 | to all sides of an argument, as this can only lead to better
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| 15 | perspective, better decision-making, and mutual respect on | ||||||
| 16 | controversial issues; and be it further
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| 17 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 18 | delivered to the Chairperson of the Illinois
Board of Higher | ||||||
| 19 | Education, the Executive Director of the Illinois Community | ||||||
| 20 | College Board, and
the Presidents of Chicago State University, | ||||||
| 21 | Eastern Illinois University, Governors State
University, | ||||||
| 22 | Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, | ||||||
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| 1 | Northern Illinois University,
Southern Illinois University, | ||||||
| 2 | the University of Illinois system, and Western Illinois | ||||||
| 3 | University.
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