NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF)- The bill named after the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk will be heading to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s desk
It did not come without some opposition.
With audible chants in the background, House Bill 1476, also known as the Charlie Kirk Act, was passed by the Tennessee House.
The bill aims to enhance free speech protections on college campuses.
This would require educational institutions to adopt policies affirming they will protect free speech and not be able to deny any speaker or organization from holding events on campus for political reasons.
It is named after Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated at Utah Valley University last September.
Sponsor Representative Gino Bulso said this bill was necessary.
Rep. Bulso said, “What is protected by the first amendment is something of a moving target as our Supreme Court decides newer and newer precedents, but the idea is that this bill will protect civil robust debate which is protected by the first amendment on all public colleges and universities in the state.”
However, several Democratic legislators voiced their disapproval of the bill.
Rep. John Ray Clemmons said, “While we’re all defenders of the first amendment, sometimes, let’s say for instance speech of an anti-semitic nature, I consider that hate speech. I consider that offensive. This bill expressly says just because it’s offensive it’s not prohibited, but that type of speech can foster hate and foster violence and lead to violent conduct.”
A few weeks ago, we spoke with representatives from UTC’s chapter of Turning Point USA, the organization that Charlie Kirk founded.
They believe this is a bill that needs to be passed.
Maddie Pickell. the secretary of Turning Point USA’s chapter at UTC, told us then, “I think that every school should have a mandate where you were able to speak your mind because when you stop speaking to people who might not be like-minded or speaking to people that are like-minded, that’s when you start to lose connection with people and that’s when things just start to turmoil because you don’t know how others feel.”
The bill passed along party lines, and will now head to Governor’s Lee desk.
