ACADEMIC BILL OF WRONGS. Arizona legislators are considering banning professors at public colleges and universities from endorsing candidates. Republicans introduced the bill, inspired by David Horowitz’s stance opposing the liberal bias on college campuses, but even Horowitz says the bill goes too far. It would allow universities to fire professors for endorsement of any candidate, any legislation, any court opinion, �one side of a social, political, or cultural issue that is a matter of partisan controversy,� or hindering military recruiting on campus.
Professors and academic lobbyists are gearing up to oppose the legislation that is seen as infringement on freedom of speech and academic freedom. While I admit there are some problems with academic freedom, especially when it comes to secret tenure committees, such a bill would make professors constantly worry about what they’re saying in class. It also strikes me that even if this bill were passed it would be nearly impossible to enforce. This is really more about a group of legislators crying the “poor conservative minority” story and restricting rights in the process. If we plan to use the law to create diversity of political opinion in academia, should we not also work something in to banks hiring a certain percentage of registered Democrats? What about prohibiting the Chamber of Commerce from endorsing candidates? Or, if you were to focus on all employees who got their salaries from state funding, would that not also include legislators?
— Kay Steiger