Speaker, Lt. Gov. create campus free speech committees after reactions to Charlie Kirk assassination

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas' Lt Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced Friday afternoon that they created committees to address "civil discourse and freedom of speech in higher education" following Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's death.

"Charlie Kirk was my friend. He was assassinated for simply expressing his First Amendment rights. The attack on Charlie was an attack on the First Amendment," Patrick said in the release.

The select committees will meet together to "study and issue reports on bias, discourse, and freedom of speech" at Texas' colleges.

"This committee will help identify ways to better protect the fundamental right of free speech on our campuses, including measures to ensure political gatherings are safe and secure, and its recommendations will guide the Legislature’s policy decisions moving forward," Burrows said.

The Senate committee will be chaired by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, with Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Tyler, as its vice chair; the rest of its members will be Sens. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham.

In the House, the committee will be led by Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown, with Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, as vice chair. Reps. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, Shelby Slawson, R-Granbury, and Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, fill out the rest of the committee.

“The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and of petition. It is the First Amendment because it is the foundation of all our rights,” said Patrick in his release.

Texas A&M faculty fired over lesson plan

Patrick said in Friday's announcement that he wouldn't tolerate professors who "cheered" at Kirk's murder, which he said was the same as "cheering for the death of America." Both are protected speech under the First Amendment.

This isn't the first time Patrick has called for firings because of speech with which he didn't agree. According to reporting in 2023 by The Texas Tribune, Patrick previously asked Texas A&M's chancellor to investigate a professor who criticized him. That professor is still employed with the university.

Burrows called the murder and ensuing reactions "appalling" and said that both show a need to examine the "deeper, systemic problem."

"Charlie dedicated his life to open, respectful dialogue with those he disagreed, and that approach is something we should all celebrate and fight to protect," he said.

While the release ties the committees' creation to Kirk's assassination, the announcement also comes days after Texas A&M fired multiple faculty members over a lesson plan.

A&M President Mark A. Welsh III said in a Tuesday statement that the professor was teaching content that didn't match the course's catalog description, but also that "he cannot provide all the details."

"When it comes to our academic offerings, we must keep faith with our students and with the state of Texas. This isn’t about academic freedom; it’s about academic responsibility," Welsh said.

KXAN asked the university on Wednesday for the course's name and description in the catalog. Texas A&M Assistant VP Tim Doty acknowledged the request, but did not provide an answer.

The Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP-AFT) issued a statement Thursday that called the decision a "startling example" of the state and federal government's "quest to undermine higher education" and to "weaken academic freedom and freedom of expression" on college campuses. 

"It is appalling that a university professor, her dean, and her department chair have been removed from their positions based on viral video clips and an online outrage machine stirred by state politicians and the governor himself," the AAUP-AFT statement reads.

UT policy sparked by state law bans speakers like Charlie Kirk from 'expressive activities'

Patrick and Burrows' Friday announcement said that the committees would study the implementation of state laws that went into effect Sept. 1: Senate Bills 2972 and 37. The latter bill "imposes political control over the core curriculum, majors, minors, and certificates, limiting professors' ability to teach," according to a June 9 statement from AAUP-AFT.

SB 2972 led to changes at Texas' public universities and colleges, such as ones in the University of Texas System. Those changes led to several student groups, who said that the new policies violate their First Amendment rights, suing the system and its leaders.

“The UT System has not reviewed the lawsuit yet, and because it is a matter of litigation, we are not able to offer additional comment at this time,” said a UT system spokesperson. Defendants typically have 21 days to file a response to a lawsuit.

KXAN asked both politicians' offices for comment on the lawsuit Friday. We'll update this story if they reply.

New policies at UT Austin, caused by SB 2972 prevent outside groups and speakers, like Kirk, from holding events on campus.

It happened on Sept. 4 to a group on the opposite side of Kirk's politics: The Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). The student organization invited a local volunteer group, Street Medics Austin, to be on standby for medical assistance during an SDS protest on UT Austin's campus.

However, SDS said that UT Austin staff told the medics: Leave, or we'll call UT Police.

"The protest was left without a medic team, and UT staff engaged with the organizers, and warned that the law applies to any non-university affiliated individuals. They said individuals that fit this category cannot attend or even observe protests on campus," said the SDS chapter in a press release Thursday.

UT Austin Assistant VP for Media Relations Mike Rosen told KXAN on Wednesday that only student, faculty and staff could "engage in expressive activities" on campus.

"Student, faculty, and staff organizations may not invite the public at large to events in the Common Outdoor Areas or Dedicated Areas while academic and administrative units may continue to invite the general public to their events," reads the school's relevant policy.