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Kirk, Charlie

Republican Attorneys General Warn Colleges Against "Tax on Free Speech"

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Louisiana's Attorney General Liz Murrill has joined 16 other Republican state attorneys general in signing a letter to college administrators, urging them to refrain from imposing high security fees on student organizations hosting controversial speakers. The letter's authors argue that such fees would be a "tax on free speech" and a form of censorship, violating the First Amendment rights of students.

The letter, led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, was prompted by the recent shooting death of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was known for sparking outrage among students with his inflammatory comments on sensitive topics. The attorneys general warn that colleges should not use the shooting as a pretext to silence debate, but rather ensure that their safety protocols are viewpoint-neutral and do not prohibit unpopular or controversial speech.

The letter asks colleges to confirm their facility use and security fee policies are viewpoint-neutral and to develop standards for applying fees. The attorneys general also warn that they will investigate all complaints made to their offices alleging universities are curtailing free speech.

Key Takeaways:

  • 17 Republican state attorneys general, including Liz Murrill of Louisiana, have signed a letter to college administrators warning them against imposing "taxes on free speech" in the form of high security fees on student organizations hosting controversial speakers.
  • The letter was prompted by the recent shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was known for sparking outrage among students with his inflammatory comments.
  • The attorneys general warn that colleges should not use the shooting as a pretext to silence debate, but rather ensure that their safety protocols are viewpoint-neutral and do not prohibit unpopular or controversial speech.
  • The letter asks colleges to confirm their facility use and security fee policies are viewpoint-neutral and to develop standards for applying fees.
  • The attorneys general also warn that they will investigate all complaints made to their offices alleging universities are curtailing free speech.
  • Exorbitant security fees can indeed violate the First Amendment rights of students, as has been held by several courts, including a federal judge who blocked the University of New Mexico from requiring a $5,400 security fee to host a campus event featuring anti-transgender activist Riley Gaines.

Statistics:

  • 17 Republican state attorneys general signed the letter (Source: Louisiana Illuminator)
  • 31 years old was the age of Charlie Kirk when he was shot (Source: Louisiana Illuminator)
  • 10/27 is the date of the upcoming tour visit to LSU (Source: Turning Point USA)
  • $5,400 was the security fee required by the University of New Mexico to host a campus event featuring anti-transgender activist Riley Gaines (Source: Yahoo News)
  • 1 in a federal judge blocked the University of New Mexico from requiring the security fee (Source: Yahoo News)

Sources:

  • Louisiana Illuminator (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator)
  • Yahoo News (https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-orders-unm-halt-security-030200938.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMXNNVc6k2_F_Djl3t94Kg_0ov9I4KQOdWFCP8IDvy06SdPhbNJnoEAqLz-v8vFctrjWmvnVjGVOmmHZ0487efE1xja0x5HeBMwKzh3FQzYX089K_N7ev9j7bhT70Kfd-lzRWy50ETWGMvJRbllt-UYQJdw8tHBlruonR-Y-pyNN)

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