ATLANTA — A bill that honors conservative activist Charlie Kirk and protects students’ political speech won final approval from the Georgia General Assembly on Tuesday.
The Republican-controlled Georgia House voted 95-68 to pass the bill Tuesday over Democrats’ objections to Kirk, who co-founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA. Kirk was assassinated last year during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
The Senate later voted 42-7 on the bill. It now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp.
The legislation, Senate Bill 552, would make it illegal for public schools to deny access to school facilities for student meetings based on political or ideological content.
“They can’t discriminate based on the content of the subject or viewpoint of the group,” said Rep. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton.
Schools would still be able to restrict conduct that could disrupt education or infringe on other students’ rights, Leverett said.
The bill is named the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act,” giving it the same acronym as Turning Point USA.
Democrats said they support student speech but opposed Kirk’s criticism of gay people, immigrants, and Black people.
“The title excludes some of the groups it purportedly seeks to include on our campuses,” said Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Lilburn. “It breaks my heart that we are doing this bill in a way that only gives a nod to one political ideology and one specific organization.”