A bill currently being considered in California’s legislature has raised concerns among civil rights advocates who believe it would restrict free speech on college campuses, particularly in relation to protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza and Palestine. Senate Bill 1287, introduced by Democratic state Sen. Steve Glazer, aims to enforce rules against harassment and discrimination on campuses. While Glazer and supporters of the bill argue that it protects all students’ safety and free speech, critics believe it is an attempt to curb the free speech of student activists who support Palestine. The original version of the bill included language that targeted pro-Palestine protests, but this was later removed due to pushback from free speech advocates. However, civil rights advocates argue that the bill still poses a threat to free speech and could be used to punish students who protest in support of Palestine. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in California has expressed concerns about the bill, stating that it is overly broad and lacks clear definitions of terms such as “harassment” and “discrimination,” which could lead to the suppression of free speech. The ACLU also anticipates costly lawsuits resulting from uneven enforcement of the bill across campuses. The bill has received support from pro-Israel advocacy groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League, which claims that incidents of anti-Semitism on campuses have increased and that the bill would help fight against it. However, critics argue that the bill is part of a larger trend to suppress protests in support of Palestine and to force universities to adopt new policies around campus speech. Similar bills cracking down on campus protests have been introduced at the state and federal level across the U.S. Critics argue that these bills are an attempt to silence those who criticize Israeli policy and conflate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The bill’s passage through the California State Assembly’s appropriations committee and final vote on the assembly floor are the last hurdles it must overcome. While the bill has received near-unanimous votes in assembly committees, some lawmakers have likened it to Ronald Reagan’s calls for crackdowns on civil rights and anti-Vietnam War protesters in the 1960s. Critics argue that the bill is redundant and does little to add to existing laws around harassment and violence on campuses.
