Oppose “Arkansas ACCESS Act” that Would Eradicate Dialogue in Higher Education

Arkansas Sen. Matthew Shepherd (AR-LD97-R) and Rep. Jonathan Dismang (AR-LD18-R) have introduced HB 1512/SB246, the “Arkansas ACCESS Act,” which would severely limit the exchange of ideas on public college campuses and in classrooms. The bills are expected to receive an Education Committee hearing in their respective chambers as soon as next week.

Among its many other provisions, H.B. 1512/S.B. 246 would impose a dangerously broad ban on the exchange of ideas. The vague prohibitions on “causing or pressuring” students or other university faculty and staff to adopt certain ideas or a political, philosophical, or religious viewpoint would grant anyone on campus – administrators, faculty, staff, or students – the ability to silence any argument they disagree with. In addition, because  the bill threatens withholding state funding if administrators don’t resolve violations within “a reasonable time,” universities and colleges will be incentivized to overcomply.

Imagine a campus where a philosophy or religious studies professor refrains from assigning a paper on the existence of good and evil out of fear of being accused of “causing” a student to adopt a viewpoint. Or a law professor cancelling a debate workshop that uses the case for affirmative action, because the arguments might make a student feel pressured to support or oppose the practice. If H.B. 1512/S.B. 246 passes, this is the future of public higher education in Arkansas: campuses where faculty and staff can easily be targeted with subjective claims and where administrators must censor classroom speech to avoid the ire of lawmakers and ensure state funding is not jeopardized.

If you live in Arkansas, it’s vital that your state legislators hear from you as soon as possible that they should reject this proposal. Contact your elected representatives today and tell them that you support funding true academic freedom on Arkansas campuses, without restrictions.