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Texas Committee Holds First Hearing on Campus Speech Policies

The panel weighed university protest rules under First Amendment limits to inform potential proposals for 2027.

Overview

  • Lawmakers took invited testimony from more than a dozen witnesses, including UT Austin leaders, Texas State and Texas A&M representatives, and higher education officials.
  • Texas State student Devion Canty Jr., initially considered as a witness, did not appear after committee leaders cited concerns for his safety.
  • Members reviewed implementation of Senate Bill 37 on university oversight and discussed campus event security procedures.
  • Parts of Senate Bill 2972 restricting demonstrations remain temporarily blocked for the UT System, and a federal judge has also put UT Austin’s new protest rule on hold.
  • Recent incidents tied to reactions to Charlie Kirk’s killing featured prominently, including a Texas Tech arrest, actions at Texas State following the governor’s pressure, and an attorney general investigation at the University of North Texas.