DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a> just gutted <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FreeSpeech</span></a> on <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/college" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>college</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/campuses" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>campuses</span></a>. Is your state next?</p><p>New laws in the Lone Star State will silence dissent and undermine <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/faculty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>faculty</span></a> authority.</p><p>By Laura Benitez and Jonathan Friedman <br>July 14, 2025</p><p>"As thousands of students return to college campuses this fall, they will find themselves stepping into an environment reshaped by political and ideological mandates. Across the country, state legislators have been racing to exert new influence over free expression in higher education. Now, Texas has surged to the forefront, closing its 2025 legislative session by passing two alarming laws that take effect Sept. 1.</p><p>"Signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in June, the new laws amount to a stunningly aggressive legislative crackdown on campus protest (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SB2972" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SB2972</span></a>) and academic shared governance (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SB37" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SB37</span></a>) at public colleges and universities. The laws will not just silence dissent and undermine faculty authority in Texas; they provide a blueprint for how to dismantle academic freedom and chill speech on campus state by state. </p><p>"Only a few years ago, conservative lawmakers railed against college 'free-speech zones,' arguing that liberal administrators were muzzling students on the rest of campus. In 2019, Texas legislators joined other states in taking action by declaring all outdoor spaces on public campuses open for protest and speech by students, employees and the general public.</p><p>"Now, some of the same legislators have done an about-face. The campus protest law actually directs public colleges and universities to implement a version of free-speech zones and adopt sweeping limitations on protests. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Encampments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Encampments</span></a>? Banned. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Megaphones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Megaphones</span></a> or <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/speakers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>speakers</span></a> during 'class hours'? Forbidden — if anyone claims your 'expressive activity' is one that 'intimidates others' or 'interferes' with an employee’s duties. Even wearing a mask during a protest — something many do for safety — could land a student or employee a disciplinary hearing resulting in 'sanctions.' And any expressive activity between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. is off-limits altogether."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/07/14/texas-campus-free-speech/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">washingtonpost.com/opinions/20</span><span class="invisible">25/07/14/texas-campus-free-speech/</span></a></p><p>Archived version:<br><a href="https://archive.ph/2LuBD" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">archive.ph/2LuBD</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TexasProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TexasProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ProtestLawsTexas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ProtestLawsTexas</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Project2025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Project2025</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiProtestLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiProtestLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Authoritarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Authoritarianism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SilencingFreeSpeech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SilencingFreeSpeech</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Censorship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Censorship</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AcademicFreedom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AcademicFreedom</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiMaskLaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AntiMaskLaws</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Fascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fascism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CivilLiberties" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CivilLiberties</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Texas</span></a></p>