We recently discussed how faculty and administrators at schools like the University of Wisconsin have opposed polling students about the loss of free speech out of fear that the results could be used to pass new legislation supporting viewpoint diversity. Iowa recently passed just such legislation and it has produced its first change in funding. The Young Americans for Freedom chapter at Iowa State University reluctantly was granted funding from the student government after university legal counsel informed them that they could not withhold financial support to the conservative group.
The grant was only $500 but, according to reports, the students only approved the grant when they were told that a refusal might jeopardize other funding.
The Iowa State Daily reported that students like United Residents of Off-Campus Senator Victoria Fillipi, a junior majoring in political science, objected to any funding for the conservative group and asked “How long are we going to continue funding an organization that’s disrespectful and demeaning toward a huge population of Iowa State University’s campus?”
The student government’s Chief of Staff and President-elect Jacob Ludwig informed the student representatives that the university’s attorney advised them that they could not withhold the funding.
He was referring to H.J. 1210.that Governor Kim Reynolds signed on May 20th. That law states in part:
Each institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents shall make a student government organization’s access to and authority over any moneys disbursed to the student government organization by the institution contingent upon the student government organization’s compliance with the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of this chapter.
If, after exhaustion of all administrative appeals, it is determined that a student government organization knowingly and intentionally violated the First Amendment rights of a member of the campus community or that an action or decision of a student government organization is in violation of this section, the institution shall suspend the student government organization’s authority to manage and disburse student fees for a period of one year. During this period of suspension, such student fees shall be managed and disbursed by the institution.
Faculty and administrators have opposed such laws as intrusive but they continue to erode free speech protections on campus and create environments of intense viewpoint intolerance.
Even with the law and the warning from legal counsel, four representatives still voted against the funding in a 17-4 vote.