WAITS THE LONGEST TO FINISH THEM? FIRST, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS AT STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. HOUSE REPUBLICANS ADVANCING A NEW BILL THAT WOULD BAN INSTITUTIONS FROM USING STATE OR FEDERAL MONEY TO FUND THOSE INITIATIVES. THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US. I’M FELICIA RODRIGUEZ AND I’M
TIFFANY KENNEY JADE JARVIS. JOINING US LIVE WITH MORE ON THE BILL AND CONCERNS FROM OPPONENTS JADE. WELL, FELICIA, TIFFANY, GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR AN OVERHAUL OF FLORIDA STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, CALLING DIVERSITY PROGRAMS DIVISIVE AND DISCRIMINATE. TORY. BUT THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF
THESE POLICIES ON THE STATE’S HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. I BELIEVE THAT STATE UNIVERSITY SHOULDLD BE FOCUSED ON TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO THINK, NOT WHAT TO THINK. FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE ALEXANDROV, SPEAKING BEFORE THE HOUSE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE SUBCOMMITTEE MONDAY ABOUT HOUSE BILL 999 AND RAND, A SPONSOR, IS THE BILL
WHICH, IN ADDITION TO BANNING STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FROM USING STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR DEBT II PROGRAMS WOULD ALSO PREVENT SCHOOLS FROM HAVING COURSE CURRICULA INVOLVING CRITICAL RACE THEORY OR SO-CALLED RADICAL FEMINIST AND GENDER THEORY QUEER THEORY AMONG OTHER TOPICS.. RADICAL FEMINIST THEORY. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IS
THIS IS NOT WOMEN’S STUDIES, RADICAL GENDER THEORY IS NOT SIMPLY GENDER STUDIES. THE BILL WOULD ALSO ALLOW EACH SCHOOL’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER A TEN YEAR REVIEW OF PROFESSORS AT ANY TIME INSTEAD OF THE FIVE YEAR LIMIT IN PLACE NOW. WE WILL LOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, IF NOT
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN RESEARCH FUNDING. WE WILL LOSE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST FACULTY. RICH TEMPLIN IS THE DIRECTOR OF POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE FLORIDA AFL-CIO. HE AND OTHER OPPONENTS OF THE BILL ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW THE BILL COULD AFFECT GENDER STUDIES AND SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS COULD STIFLE ACADEMIC FREEDOM ON
CAMPUSES AND PUT STUDENTS AT A DISADVANTAGE. AND MOST OF ALL, HOW HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA COULD BE IMPACTED. I FEEL SO BAD FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE LITERALLY GOING TO BE THROWN OUT OF SCHOOL BECAUSE THEIR CHOSEN PROGRAM OF STUDY IS NOT POLITICALLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE GOVERNOR.
NOW, THIS BILL STILL HAS A WAYS TO GO BEFORE IT MAKES IT TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK. IT STILL HAS A FEW MORE STOPS IN IN HOUSE COMMITTEES. AND THEN IT’S ALSO HAS TO BE HEARD IN THE SENATE BEFORE IT CAN BE BROUGHT TO A
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