We need your immediate attention and action regarding House Bill 606 (H.B. 606), also known as the Campus Accountability and Modernization to Protect University Students (CAMPUS) Act. While this bill claims to address bias, harassment, and intimidation at institutions of higher education, it poses significant risks and harms to various communities, including Muslim and Jewish students. Here’s why we must oppose this bill:
Inadequate Protection Against Islamophobia:
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- The bill does not place equal emphasis on addressing Islamophobia, despite the rampant anti-Muslim sentiment on campuses and the existing lack of adequate protections for Muslim students. This unequal focus leaves Muslim students vulnerable to continued harassment and discrimination.
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- The bill’s provisions for partnerships between university police and law enforcement could lead to increased surveillance and profiling of Muslim students, who are already disproportionately targeted under counterterrorism measures. This risks further marginalizing and criminalizing Muslim students.
Harmful Impact on Jewish Students:
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- The bill could inadvertently harm Jewish students by tokenizing them and assuming a monolithic viewpoint on contentious issues like Israel. Jewish students who criticize Israeli policies may be unfairly targeted for antisemitism, stifling free speech and academic discourse.
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- The vagueness of the bill’s language allows for the conflation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism, using Jewish oppression to silence legitimate criticisms of Israel. This not only creates a repressive environment for human rights advocacy but also diminishes the real threats to Jewish safety from white supremacist groups.
Unclear Allocation of Funds:
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- The bill allocates $4 million in funds without clear guidelines, risking the potential use of these funds for violent crackdowns on campus protests. This misuse of resources under the guise of enhancing safety has already made campuses more dangerous, as evidenced by recent arrests of protesters by campus police.
TAKE ACTION: Fill out this form to email your legislators TODAY and urge them to oppose HB 606, and CALL the Finance Committee Chair as they will potentially vote on it Tuesday, June 25!
CALL:
Finance Committee Chair — Jay Edwards: 614-466-2158 / Rep94@OhioHouse.gov
Bill sponsor #1 — Rep Justin Pizzulli (R): 614-466-2124 / Rep90@OhioHouse.gov
Bill sponsor #2 — Rep Dontavius Jarrells (D): 614-466-5343 / Rep01@OhioHouse.gov