Illinois State Senate Bill 3017 would deny funding to public universities that participate in a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. It would, for example, prohibit a faculty member from getting funds to travel to an American Studies Association (ASA) meeting, even if that meeting is unrelated to the boycott, or the professor herself is opposed to the boycott. A college that violates the prohibition would lose all public funds for that academic year. According to the legislation’s sponsor, it was drafted in response to the ASA’s recent resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions, like similar bills around the country.
Read MoreTime Sensitive. Last chance to act: Make your voice heard! The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) is calling on its supporters to contact their elected state senators to urge that they drop proposed legislation that would restrict academic freedom and free speech rights.
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