South Dakota Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Promote Intellectual Diversity on Campus

A group of lawmakers in South Dakota recently introduced a bill that aims to promote intellectual diversity on campuses throughout the state.

According to a report from The College Fix, a group of lawmakers filed a bill on January 25 that would greatly increase free expressions rights for students and faculty on public campuses in South Dakota.

The bill addresses a number of free expression issues that have popped up on campus around the country. These issues range from limited “free speech zones,” to a lack of support for intellectual diversity in higher education.

Several public colleges around the country have twisted the First Amendment law by quartering off “zones” in which students can exercise their free speech. Defenders of these policies might argue that “free speech zones” make it easier for universities to monitor conflicts that might arise during protests. Despite this, many legal analysts believe that it is unconstitutional for universities to only allow students to engage in activism on predefined areas of campus.

“Any outdoor area within the boundaries of a public institution of higher education constitutes a public forum for the benefit of students, faculty, administrators, other employees, and their invited guests, unless access to the area is commonly restricted,” one portion of the South Dakota bill reads.

Another portion requires universities to adopt principles of free expressions. “The Board of Regents shall by policy require each institution under its control to maintain a commitment to the principles of free expression and encourage the timely and rational discussion of topics that promote the ethical and intellectual development and intellectual diversity of students enrolled in the institutions,” the bill reads.

The bill goes on to set up U.S. history and government requirement for all students graduating after 2020.

“Any student graduating after January 1, 2020, with a baccalaureate degree from a public institution of higher education under the control of the Board of Regents shall, as a condition of graduation, demonstrate the successful completion of three credits in the area of United States history and three credits in the area of United States government,” the bill reads.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on the South Dakota bill.