Campus free-speech bill clears Georgia Senate amid discrimination worries

the bill Monday sought to make clear that athletes on college sports teams would still be subject to team policies on speech and behavior.

The bill passed along party lines by a 32-21 vote. It now heads to the Georgia House of Representatives.

Several Democratic senators objected to the bill Monday, March 9, over concerns it could hamstring schools from barring organizations that promote race, sex and gender discrimination. They worried the broad speech protections could attract hate-based groups to Georgia college campuses and risk losing federal funds.

“Our state and public college system has come way too far to pass a bill that forces taxpayers to subsidize discrimination,” said Sen. Zahra Karinshak, D-Duluth.

The bill also drew objections from representatives of the University System of Georgia and the American Civil Liberties Union in committee hearings ahead of Monday’s vote.

Some opponents questioned whether the bill is necessary. Colleges and universities can already be held liable in court for violating free-speech protections under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, said Brooke Bowen, a senior legal counsel for the University System.

“We’re committed to making sure that we’re protecting the First Amendment across all of our campuses,” Bowen said at a committee hearing late last month. “But we do believe that if we do get it wrong, there are remedies in federal law for constitutional violations.”

Ligon defended his measure Monday, March 9, arguing that without broader speech protections Georgia schools could silence certain religious or political organizations on campus, particularly faith-based groups.

“You effectively silence the voice of that minority group,” Ligon said. “And that’s wrong.”