As the 88th regular session of the Texas Legislature rapidly approaches its conclusion, the Senate has passed several bills designed to counteract alleged ‘woke’ practices in education.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, heralding the passage of several pieces of his legislative agenda, said in a statement received by The Dallas Express, “The Texas Senate has now passed the strongest pushback on woke policies in higher education nationwide.”
“For far too long, academia has been poisoned by woke policies and faculty seeking to indoctrinate our students. Professors did not believe we would push back on their advances, but they were wrong. Students should be taught how to think critically, not what to think,” Patrick continued.
“The Texas Senate has now drawn a line in the sand and stated loud and clear that these woke policies will not be tolerated in Texas,” Patrick claimed, pointing specifically to Senate Bills 15, 16, 17, and 18.
Some have been highly critical of the legislature’s approach to educational controversies.
One Texas resident, Mark French, suggested on social media that the Texas Senate was “making Texas dumber each legislative session” in response to Patrick’s announcement.
SB 15, authored by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), one of the bills that Patrick highlighted, would ensure that only biological females can play collegiate-level women’s sports.
A growing movement among female athletes to limit participation in women’s sports to biological females advocated for similar legislation both nationally and in Texas, as reported by The Dallas Express.
SB 16, authored by Sen. Bryan Hughes’ (R-Tyler), is designed to ban the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in institutions of higher education, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) authored SB 17, which would ban allegedly discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies in Texas’ public universities. The bill also forbids the employment of DEI officials and the institution of DEI hiring practices.
Creighton justified the bill, saying, “Texas hosts world class institutions of higher education that are as diverse as the state itself. However, certain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices are polarizing and work against the goal of inclusion.”
The passed version of SB 17 bans universities from “promoting differential treatment of or providing special benefits to individuals on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity.”
One Harris County resident responded to the bill on Twitter, writing, “No, Texas is trying to outdo Florida and Tennessee for the absolute worst number of garbage bills passed in a year.”
“This is not Mississippi,” the commentator continued.
Likewise, on April 20, the Senate passed SB 18, which would eliminate tenure at public institutions of higher education.
The bill, also authored by Sen. Creighton, stipulates, “An institution of higher education may not grant an employee of the institution tenure or any type of permanent employment status.”
Lt. Gov. Patrick explained in a statement provided to The Dallas Express that “over the past year, it has become abundantly clear that some tenured faculty at Texas universities feel immune to oversight from the legislature and their respective board of regents.”
“These professors claim ‘academic freedom’ and hide behind their tenure to continue blatantly advancing their agenda of societal division,” he suggested, pointing to a resolution passed by the University of Texas Faculty Council in February 2022.
The resolution read, “The Faculty Council resolutely rejects any attempts by bodies external to the faculty to restrict or dictate the content of university curriculum on any matter, including matters related to racial and social justice, and will stand firm against any and all encroachment on faculty authority including by the legislature or the Board of Regents.”
Patrick denounced the resolution, arguing, “It is shocking that these professors, who live inside a bubble, genuinely believe they are not accountable to anyone. That is not how the real world works.”
“Of course they are accountable to the Texas Legislature and their board of regents. This behavior must not be tolerated,” he added.
Some critics, however, claimed that removing tenure would drive qualified professors from the state and limit the applicant pool moving forward.
Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) denounced the bill, saying, “SB 18, another bill attacking our Texas universities passed the senate today. Tenure is an essential tool that helps attract & retain the brightest minds in academia. Its elimination & lack of protections for faculty already on tenure track will negatively affect our universities.”
Similarly, Bradley Carpenter, a professor at Baylor University, claimed, “I promise you removing tenure will create a brain drain in Texas universities.” Carpenter received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
All of these bills will now go to the Texas House for consideration and debate.