GOP Lawmakers Call For Budget Cuts In Response To College Campus Violence
Sacramento, CA — Republican lawmakers in California are calling for actions against administrators who have allowed recent college protests to get out of control.
Assembly GOP Leader James Gallagher and Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones held a joint press conference in response to growing escalations at Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
Gallagher says, “It is outrageous and unacceptable that we have allowed this chaos to ensue over weeks. Free speech, of course, needs to be protected. The right to express yourself, especially on college campuses, is important. But when that moves to acts, where you are taking away other people’s rights, or you are harassing or intimidating, it is a totally different story.”
The two stated they would like to see budget cuts for school administrators who have not taken the issue seriously enough. Jones stated that a good place to start would be cutting the amount of state money used to restore order on their campus as a penalty to pay in the form of a budget cut.
GOP leaders will further discuss specific proposals in the coming weeks. The two were also sharply critical of Governor Gavin Newsom’s lack of notable action.
In response to violence on the UCLA campus this week, Governor Gavin Newsom put out a statement, “The law is clear: The right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism, or lawlessness on campus.”
