LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A new bill proposed by Rep. Wayne Long (R- Bradford) targets what's being called "compelled speech" in Arkansas.
House Bill 1468 (HB1468) would "protect" public school and state-supported institutional employees, teachers, and faculty members, as it would no longer require the usage of preferred pronouns.
The General Assembly states that both employees of public schools and institutions of higher education don't shed their rights to freedom of speech, while at work.
According to the bill, this change would impact any of the following types of schools:
- any public school or school district
- open-enrollment public charter school
- state-supported institution of higher education
The bill is aimed at protecting the right to free speech and emphasizes three important interests including:
- Students' interest in receiving informed opinions on matters of public concern.
- Faculty members, teachers, and employees rights to disseminate their own opinions.
- The public's interest in exposing our children and future leaders to different viewpoints.
The use of pronouns in classrooms, on campuses, and other locations is a matter of free speech because it communicates a message on a "matter of public concern" and also shapes classroom debates and discussions.
The bill would not require a preferred pronoun to be used when referring to a student or coworker if their preferred term is different than what's deemed as the biological sex.
According to HB1468, employees and students would not be liable for using a pronoun that is consistent with what they deem to be the "biological sex" of the person that a school employee is referring to.