HARRISBURG, PA.— Thursday, Pennsylvania’s state Senate passed a bill that would stop state aid from going to any university that boycotts or divests from Israel. This comes after pro-Palestinian protests across the country called for divestment.
The bill, which passed with 41 votes to 7, also says that the state treasurer and public pension plans can’t cut ties with or ban Israel’s government or business activities in that country.
The bill was backed by most Democrats and all but one Republican. It now goes to the House.
People who supported the bill said it was needed to help an ally country fight Hamas, stop antisemitism from spreading in the US, and let state-funded universities know they need to protect Jewish students from anti-Israel protesters who make threats and are mean to them.
Some of the Senate’s more left members, like Democrat Art Haywood, were against the bill because they thought it would limit free speech.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic Sen. Steve Santarsiero, said that the bill does not violate free speech and that kids and teachers will still be able to protest peacefully.
Santarsiero said that the bill doesn’t punish universities that make investment choices in order to meet their duty to maximize returns. It also doesn’t affect personal college investment accounts or student debts.
Also in favor, Democratic Sen. Judy Schwank said she hopes it sends a message to college officials and boards of trustees who are in charge of safety on campus.
Threats of danger or death are more than just hurtful words; they also go beyond the limits of free speech, Schwank said.
Through direct appropriations and student grants, Pennsylvania gives more than $2 billion a year to colleges and universities. There are 10 state-owned universities, Penn State, Temple University, Lincoln University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania. A lot of that money goes to these schools.
This year, protesters on college campuses across the country have argued about the war between Israel and Hamas.
Some schools talked with protesters about their demands for divestment so that cops wouldn’t have to use force. For example, Rutgers in New Jersey agreed to talk about cutting business ties with Israel, and Northwestern in Illinois brought back a committee to talk about “investment responsibility.”
No Pennsylvania schools that get state help said they had agreed to the demands of protesters to stop doing business with Israel.
After the schools called the police, the camps at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University in Philadelphia came to a stop.
Liz Magill, Penn’s president, quit in December after donors put pressure on her and she was criticized for not being able to say that calls for the killing of Jews on campus would be against the school’s rules during a congressional meeting, even though she was asked over and over again.
Source: AP
