On Tuesday, Florida’s Governor Rick DeSantis signed three pieces of legislation, one of which requires public colleges and universities to complete an annual survey of community members’ political views.
What We Know:
- DeSantis, a potential 2024 Presidential candidate closely aligned with Donald Trump, hopes the law will help crackdown on “intellectual indoctrination” on campuses. According to DeSantis, campuses that are “hotbeds for stale ideology” are “not worth tax dollars and that’s not something that we’re going to be supporting moving forward.”
- The bill details that annual surveys would assess the intellectual freedom and diversity of a campus in order to determine the extent competing ideas are presented. Students, faculty, and staff would all complete the questionnaire. If state universities do not meet the standards for “intellectual diversity” there is potential for financial repercussions.
- Critics of the law fear that it will intimidate teachers and stall free speech, disproportionately representing the perspectives of those who already feel affronted. Data could be used to punish faculty and universities. The law could also allow the state to interfere with teaching and politicize faculty hiring, firing, and promotions.
“It’s unfortunate our governor continues to manufacture fake controversies designed to distract Floridians from his abysmal record of raising taxes and manufacturing culture war controversies to appeal to Republican presidential primary voters in 2024,” said Mark Ferrulo, Progress Florida’s executive director.
- Florida has already banned the teaching of critical race theory, and two more bills were signed by DeSantis mandating new civics and patriotism requirements in K-12 classrooms. These laws are a part of a right-wing push on progressive influences on education that is occurring nationwide.
The bill will take effect on July 1 and is largely supported by Republicans in the state.
