Texas legislative committees will study freedom of speech on college campuses in wake of Charlie Kirk killing

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Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday announced the formation of committees to study bias and free speech at universities amid a firestorm of criticism from conservative lawmakers on statements made by university faculty and students.

The House and Senate Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education were formed “honoring the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk,” according to a press release. Kirk, a Christian conservative activist who frequently traveled to college campuses to discuss controversial politics, was shot and killed on Wednesday at Utah Valley University during one of his events.

In the wake of Kirk’s death, Republican lawmakers and activists in Texas and across the state have harshly criticized online commentary mocking Kirk and his killing. Several lawmakers have called for the removal of school teachers, professors and public officials who criticized Kirk, which Burrows said highlighted the necessity of the committee.

“The political assassination of Charlie Kirk — and the national reaction it has sparked, including the public celebration of his murder by some in higher education — is appalling and reveals a deeper, systemic problem worth examining,” Burrows said in the press release.

In one instance, a viral video on X showing a University of North Texas student accusing her classmates of cheering for Kirk’s death was criticized by Rep. Andy Hopper, R-McKinney, whose district includes UNT. The university released a statement on social media Thursday condemning “recent actions” by students related to Kirk’s death, and said students who violated its code of conduct would be “held accountable.”

“Charlie Kirk was my friend. He was assassinated for simply expressing his First Amendment rights,” Patrick said in a statement. “The attack on Charlie was an attack on the First Amendment. Those who cheered his murder are also cheering for the death of America. We cannot tolerate either at our institutions of higher learning.”

Texas’ universities were already under intense scrutiny by Republican lawmakers for statements faculty had made in and out of the classroom in the days before Kirk’s death. Texas A&M University fired a professor and removed its College of Arts and Sciences dean and a department head after a video went viral of a student confronting the professor in a children’s literature course as she was discussing gender identity. Texas State University fired a professor after it reviewed a video of him speaking at an online socialism conference.

Sens. César Blanco, D-El Paso, Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen and Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham will serve on the Senate committee. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, will chair the upper chamber’s committee, with Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Tyler, as vice chair.

Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown, will chair the House’s committee alongside vice chair Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo. Reps. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville and Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston will also serve on the committee.

The scrutiny over statements from teachers about Kirk’s death has also spread to K-12 education. In a letter to superintendents, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath told administrators the agency would be documenting inappropriate comments made by teachers and staff. Also on Friday, a football coach working at Klein Independent School District was fired for a comment he made on a Facebook post about Kirk, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Neither Burrows nor Patrick indicated when the committees will have their first scheduled hearings. The committees will issue reports on bias, discourse and freedom of speech, according to the press release. They will also investigate the implementation of Senate Bill 37 and Senate Bill 2972, which went into effect on Sept. 1. SB 37 requires committees to review required courses at universities, and SB 2972 restricts when and how on-campus protests can be done.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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