To bring Florida's public colleges in line with the goals of Republican governor Ron DeSantis, a new measure is being proposed that would restrict gender studies and consolidate authority at state institutions in the hands of political appointees.
Conservatives fear that liberals are attempting to force a "woke" agenda on government universities nationwide, and this comprehensive bill is a new front in the GOP fight against this.
What's in the Proposed Legislation?
Ron DeSantis, likely to run for president when Florida's legislative session finishes this spring, has taken the lead in the anti-woke battle. On Monday, Ron DeSantis spoke in front of a law-and-order crowd on Staten Island, where he remarked that he's proud of "Florida doing well," which he also wanted for the entire country.
Desantis said that, in Florida, they "fight the woke" when they attack law enforcers. "We do not surrender to the woke mob. Our state is where woke goes to die," he said, as per a CBS News report.
DeSantis pledged in January to "align core curriculum to the values of liberty and the Western tradition" in Florida schools. The Republican governor appointed a contentious new board at the New College of Florida, a public liberal arts institution, to transform it into his conservative higher education agenda.
Last week, a bill was introduced that would mandate general education classes at state colleges and institutions advance the ideals needed to "preserve the constitutional republic" and prohibit the characterization of American history "as opposed to the foundation of a new country founded on "universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence," per CNN.
The proposed anti-woke legislation also would make it illegal to provide a broad survey course that includes a "curriculum based on unproven, theoretical, or exploratory content."
The legislation carries out Florida Governor DeSantis' campaign to outlaw college and university spending on diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. DeSantis, contemplating a run for president in 2024, spoke out against these types of programs earlier this month, calling them an "ideological filter" and "discriminatory" at a press conference.
When asked on Friday whether or not DeSantis would sign the anti-woke bill, his spokesperson, Jeremy Redfern, indicated that the Republican politician would wait to see the final version before making his decision, as reported by Reuters.
Ron DeSantis Blasted by Free Speech Advocates
Alex Andrade, the Republican state representative who introduced the legislation, could not comment. Experts in the field, supporters of free speech, and students all slammed the legislation. PEN America's manager of free speech and education, Jeremy C. Young, on Twitter called it the primary battlefield for the "soul of higher education."
Young said in a statement on Friday, " academic freedom, shared governance, and institutional autonomy would essentially cease" at all Florida colleges and universities. There are almost 400,000 students enrolled in Florida's 12 public colleges.
Generally, the employment of DEI systems in the recruiting process has been met with criticism. Supporters of underrepresented groups argue that such initiatives are necessary to assist and provide previously underprivileged groups equitable footing, while critics contend that such favoritism disproportionately damages others.
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