Wisconsin Republicans trying to limit free speech on liberal campuses

The Republican right was livid when the University of California–Berkeley — a renowned bastion of liberalism — canceled a speaking engagement by Ann Coulter, whom Politico has dubbed the “doyenne of the deplorables.” Threats of violent protests prompted the cancellation.

It was the second time in as many months that Berkeley canceled an appearance by a controversial right-wing figure. A speech by former Breitbart editor and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was called off after peaceful protests for and against his appearance were disrupted by a violence-prone antifascist group.

A backlash over the university’s treatment of free speech convinced officials to reschedule Coulter. Next, it was Coulter’s turn to say no, citing new conditions and restrictions on her appearance. In typically provocative fashion, however, Coulter threatened she might show up anyhow, saying in an email: “I thought I might stroll around the graveyard of the First Amendment.”

The Berkeley College Republicans claimed: “This is as clear-cut a case as it gets that public universities are using taxpayer dollars to shut down conservative speech, while allowing liberal speech only.”

Stories like this one are becoming commonplace, and that’s a bad thing. Public universities are perhaps more obligated than any other sector of the public sphere to promote free speech and to encourage a free exchange of ideas. Protesters, too, have the right to gather and express their thoughts. Unless public safety is at immediate risk, authorities have no business interfering with one of the Constitution’s most sacred guarantees.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin Republicans weren’t satisfied with just condemning UC-Berkeley’s decisions and casting them in partisan terms. Instead, they decided to introduce a bill that could force University of Wisconsin students who disrupt speeches and demonstrations to be expelled.

Yes, our Republican leadership responded to UC-Berkeley’s draconian, unconstitutional behavior with a draconian, unconstitutional bill.

The Wisconsin bill appears designed to prevent progressives — who outnumber conservatives on nearly all non-religious campuses — from protesting against right-wing speakers.

What progressive speech is the GOP seeking to ban?

The law calls for a range of disciplinary sanctions for students and faculty who engage in “violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, obscene, unreasonably loud, or other disorderly conduct” that interferes with someone’s free speech rights.

A boisterous college student? That must not stand!

The bill doesn’t even define what constitutes any of those proscribed behaviors.

“All across the nation and here at home, we’ve seen protesters trying to silence different viewpoints,” said Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, one of the bill’s chief sponsors, in a news release. “Free speech means free speech for everyone and not just for the person who speaks the loudest.”

In addition, Vos’ legislation would require the UW Board of Regents to adopt policies requiring each campus to remain “neutral” on current public controversies. Vos said chancellors and faculty members should be allowed to express their personal opinions, but universities would be forbidden from taking sides.

Larry Dupuis, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Wisconsin chapter, said the neutrality provisions are so vague they could prevent universities even from promoting tolerance for people and opinions.

Wisconsin has a lot of serious problems, from toxic lead in our water to pot holes the size of elephants, from sluggish job and wage growth to astounding political corruption. Our leaders should be all over those issues and abandon the lunacy of adopting a law that limits free speech on college campuses.