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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – (ABC4 News) – President Trump has signed an order threatening to withdraw federal funds from universities that did not comply with the government's freedom of expression guidelines.
A state legislator who has proposed similar legislation likes the move but says his work is not over.
From one stroke of the pen, the president puts the institutions of higher education on alert.
"Taxpayers' money should not subsidize anti-first-amendment institutions, and that's exactly what they are, anti-first-amendment," Trump said.
The decree obliges the granting agencies to ensure that universities comply with federal laws on freedom of expression.
These concerns have recently gained momentum after allegations of violence against student activists.
Representative Kim Coleman said that students in Utah are also silenced.
"They are afraid to ask questions, they are afraid to say things in a clbadroom, they are afraid to take part in a dialogue in a clbadroom, they even told me that they were afraid to write certain positions in their work, "said Coleman, (D) West Jordan.
She introduced a bill during this session to clearly define the line of demarcation between harbadment and freedom of expression on our state campuses.
"Threats, intimidation and harbadment are not protected, but we are protected by expressing a range of opinions, feelings and thoughts," she said.
This bill was approved by the House but was rejected in the Senate.
Coleman is happy to see the President draw attention to this issue, but she thinks that the executive order is ambiguous.
That is why she intends to go ahead with her local legislation.
"Our higher education system, it's our responsibility, in our state, our national legislature, our governor and its board of directors to protect our students," Coleman said.
The decree also requires institutions to be more transparent with prospective students regarding the cost of training.
Coleman introduced a bill in this regard in 2017, which was pbaded and promulgated.
The idea is to give students as much information as possible so that they can make informed decisions about their career path.
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