Editors’ Note: Free speech certainly is a major concern. However, it goes much deeper than that. The Left has established an intellectual monopoly on our campuses that will allow no diversity of viewpoints. Search committees, faculty senates, and departments all work in tandem to deny Conservative scholars from being hired.  Those who do have positions live in a world where they must largely keep quiet and keep their heads down. With about 75% of the population either saying they are Conservative or moderate, this monopoly does not serve the needs of the majority of citizens and must be broken up by lawmakers. Education is too important to leave in the hands of a narrow group of radicals. Recent weeks show how intolerant the Left has become and how easily they join forces with totalitarian movements. Major progress has been made in primary and secondary education to challenge the Progressive Establishment in education through the school choice movement. However, no progress has been made in higher education. Why not school choice at higher levels of education?

Arizona Republican lawmakers are reconsidering appropriations toward public universities in the state, specifically citing free speech concerns at Arizona State University.

The Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Freedom of Expression at Arizona’s Public Universities started in July after an event in February with Charlie Kirk, Dennis Prager, and Robert Kiyosaki at the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development dubbed “Health, Wealth & Happiness.”

Sens. Anthony Kern and Sonny Borrelli, as well as Rep. Quang Nguyen, said they would be reexamining appropriations toward the universities. Kern and Nguyen co-chair the committee.

“I think it is time for this body to really consider future appropriations, and we also need to consider legislation so to hold ABOR’s [Arizona Board of Regents] feet a little closer to the fire,” Nguyen said.

Borrelli echoed a similar sentiment about appropriations.

“I’m open to suggestions on how much we gut from the university system,” Borrelli said.

The lawmakers, including Rep. Austin Smith, R-Wittmann, also criticized the Board of Regents.

“Shame on the entire Board of Regents, Michael Crow for their activity to condemn other conservative students, but not Students for Justice in Palestine,” Smith said. “That’s the state of public higher education.”

“I don’t know their purpose,” he added regarding the decision-making body that oversees the public universities– ASU, Northern Arizona University, and The University of Arizona.

Kern told reporters the hearing that legislation would be introduced in January related to campus free speech, but he did not get into details.

Following the backlash from the event from Barrett, The Honors College faculty, Tom Lewis pulled his funding from the school, and the center was shut down, The Center Square reported at the time.

The committee’s hearing on Monday focused mainly on recent actions from Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as greater concerns about the safety of Jewish students. The Center Square reported that a meeting of the ASU’s Tempe campus student government was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters earlier this month, and ASU is investigating.

It also continued to look at the events that led to the controversy surrounding the T.W. Lewis Center talk earlier this year. Lewis was one of the people who testified at Monday’s hearing, along with an attorney representing the university.

Before the hearing, Arizona’s legislative Democrats have decided to no longer participate in the joint committee.

“The last time the Senate and House Democratic Caucuses joined this ‘free speech’ committee on July 18 it unnecessarily lasted five hours with no discernable value to the public. This committee was nothing more than grandstanding with an attempt to further spread misinformation and division,” Senate and House Democrats said in a joint statement.

“We have no intention of dragging this out further: ASU has the responsibility – not only to their students but to the state – to follow proper protocols so all voices can be heard on campus. We know that ASU followed all traditional procedures to accommodate alt-right conservative speakers,” the statement added.

However, one Democratic lawmaker, Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales, tweeted that she did not agree with the press release, but she was not present at the hearing.

“Not all of us agree with this joint PR,” she said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Center Square reached out to the senator for comment, but she did not respond in time for publication.

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This article was published by Center Square and is reproduced with permission.