Virginia bills targeting ‘terrorists’ fail over free speech concerns
Legislators shot down several bills targeting “terrorist activities” on college campuses over concerns they would encroach on free expression. CT File Photo.
Andrew Kerley, Contributing Writer
Legislators struck down multiple bills in the Virginia General Assembly that patrons said would prevent terrorism, and pro-Palestine groups said would target student protesters and stifle free speech. The legislation comes after over a year of pro-Palestine activism on campuses and encampments that led to at least 94 protesters being arrested in Virginia.
The bills — which targeted “terrorism” in their texts — were either voted down in committees or not heard at all during the current legislative session.
House Bill 2529, introduced by Del. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, would have restricted universities from divesting from foreign countries that are not already sanctioned by the United States, such as North Korea or Russia.
Student protesters have called for VCU and other Virginia universities to divest from Israel in the 15 months of protests following the start of Israel’s War in Gaza, according to previous reports by The Commonwealth Times. Over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Associated Press.
Students used similar tactics against apartheid-South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. The VCU Board of Visitors officially voted to divest from South Africa in 1985, according to documents brought to light by the Instagram account archivetoaction.
The bill was effectively killed by not being scheduled for a hearing before “crossover” on Feb. 4, when approved-of bills from the House of Delegates switch to the Senate for further review, and vice versa.
A similar bill introduced by Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, would have prohibited all public bodies as well as businesses that employ 10 or more people from boycotting Israel. Kilgore’s bill was also never heard.
Senate Bill 1247, introduced by Sen. Tara Durant, R-Fredericksburg, would have prohibited public universities from accepting grants or participating in partnerships with countries deemed by the United States to be “state sponsors of terrorism” like Cuba and Iran, as well as “non-allied” countries like China and Venezuela.
In a hearing, Durant cited security concerns over Chinese intelligence and said the bill would prevent “nefarious activities” on college campuses.
Education and Health Committee Chair Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, said she disagreed, noting the bill would dismantle study abroad programs and student exchange programs in said countries. VCU offers study abroad programs in China and Cuba that would have been dismantled by the bill.
Brian Turner, a representative from the Virginia Conference of the American Association of University Professors, said the bill would have a “chilling effect” on hiring, research collaboration and academic freedom. Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, said she agreed.
The bill was passed over by the Senate Education and Health Committee in a 9-6 vote. An identical House version of the bill patroned by Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, was never heard.
SB 1284, patroned by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, would have barred terrorist groups and state and non-state sponsors of terrorism from college campuses physically and monetarily.
In a hearing, Stanley said the bill would protect the safety of students on college campuses.
Representatives from the Virginia Coalition of Human Rights, Students for Justice in Palestine at VCU and James Madison University, the Virginia Student Power Network and the Virginia Muslim Civic League showed up to the hearing to oppose the legislation.
“This bill is paving way for silencing students and faculty who dare to speak out against oppression, leaving them afraid of being labeled under this bill’s broad and biased terms,” Selma Ait-Bella, a fourth-year sociology student and member of the VCU SJP chapter, said.
Ait-Bella noted that anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela was once considered a terrorist by the United States, as well as several other civil rights activists.
Sereen Haddad is a Palestinian student organizer and a third-year psychology student who has family in Gaza. She said she gets labeled as a threat for simply “not wanting her family to be murdered.”
Stanley said the bill did not seek to shut down discourse or dialogue. The bill was passed over by the Senate Education and Health Committee in a 9-5 vote. An identical House version of the bill patroned by Kilgore was never heard.
HB 1650, introduced by Del. Jason Ballard, R-Pearisburg, would have created a cause of action and enabled the Attorney General to investigate civil groups with “reasonable cause to believe” they were engaging in terrorism.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares signed a letter to former President Joe Biden accusing the national chapter of SJP of being linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in 2023. Miyares began investigating the group American Muslims for Palestine after they held protests on VCU’s campus that October, accusing them of providing support to terrorist organizations.
Ballard’s bill was ultimately never heard.
Jones, Kilgore, Durant, Freitas, Stanley and Ballard did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
