Florida bills target ‘political loyalty tests’ in colleges

Florida’s public colleges and universities would be barred from basing hiring, promotion and admissions decisions on a person’s statements and actions regarding race or political ideologies under newly filed bills in the state House and Senate, writes Divya Kumar for Tampa Bay Times.

The legislation is aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the schools, which Governor Ron DeSantis has targeted as part of a larger package of proposed changes to Florida higher education.

Colleges and universities would be prohibited from “requiring the completion of a political loyalty test or for persons to meet certain qualifications” based on race or ethnicity, the Senate bill states. The legislation would bar the schools from asking current or would-be employees to state support for the idea that the nation’s systems and institutions “are racist, oppressive or otherwise unjust”.
Full report on the Tampa Bay Times site