State lawmakers rejected a bill that would ban antisemitism in Arkansas public schools and universities. Members of the Senate Education Committee voted down Senate Bill 352 in a meeting March 5. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Matt Stone, said antisemitic attacks and rhetoric have risen in the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Law professor Josh Silverstein was the only member of the public to speak against the bill. He said it likely violates students' and teachers’ rights under the First Amendment.
Lawmakers also said the bill could come into conflict with a new state law which bars any state-run institutions from providing preferential treatment based on characteristics like race and religion. The bill failed on a voice vote.
