For the Gazette
MADISON – A bill that would establish standards to safeguard free speech and academic freedom at UW Institutions and technical colleges received a hearing in the State Assembly.

Free speech on campus has been increasingly under attack. In April of 2020, the non-profit Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) released a report on the state of free speech on Wisconsin’s public campuses. That report found that more than half (55 percent) of Wisconsin’s public institutions of higher learning maintained at least one policy that clearly restricted free speech.

“Too often, we hear about institutions denying students access to points of view and cracking down on speech that runs contrary to administration biases,” said Testin. “Students should be able to develop their own views and parents deserve to know that their children’s foundational rights are protected when they head off to college.”