Ohio colleges could no longer ban controversial speakers, set up free speech zones under bill – By Cole Behrens (Columbus Dispatch) / Jan 28 2020
A state senator says his legislation would create a more robust environment for free speech on state college and university campuses after the bill cleared the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.
Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Powell, one of the sponsors of Senate Bill 40, said the legislation was inspired by events like the violent protests surrounding conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos’ visit to the University of California-Berkley, which resulted in his speech being canceled.
This legislation would prevent events like this from happening, Brenner said. The measure would prohibit state institutions from encouraging behavior that prevents speakers from lawfully expressing their viewpoint in an area expressly reserved for the speaker or group.
“In seeing what was going on in other states and other universities throughout the United States, we felt (the bill) was needed to be brought here to Ohio so we can protect the freedom of speech for students on campus.”
Dubbed the Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act, the proposal also would remove a section of Ohio code that allows universities to prohibit communist or seditious groups from using school property.
Continue to article: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200128/ohio-colleges-could-no-longer-ban-controversial-speakers-set-up-free-speech-zones-under-bill
