Americans once said, “As California goes, so goes the nation.” Hopefully after this legislative session, Americans will say, “As Texas goes, so goes the nation.”

The Lone Star State’s leaders are fighting fiercely right now to restore non-discrimination and equal rights under the law. These are American values embedded in U.S. civil rights laws and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, but they’re no longer practiced—or enforced.

Restoration of these values looks like SB 17, a bill pending before the legislature, which has national implications for higher education. It could be the first step toward bringing balance, fairness, and true diversity to Texas colleges and universities.

SB 17 seeks to rein in some of the nonsense that has been birthed on college campuses. It would do this by providing oversight of hiring and retention. Its main provisions would prohibit public institutions from requiring its faculty to submit or swear allegiance to ideological statements that compel differential treatment of individuals who fall into the university’s designated definition of a marginalized group. Job applicants and existing faculty would not be asked to submit statements divulging their views or committing themselves to engage in discriminatory behavior based on someone’s ascriptive characteristics.

https://tennesseestar.com/commentary/commentary-can-texas-restore-nondiscrimination-and-equal-opportunity-to-higher-education/admin/2023/05/16/