Committee advances SJR 55 to address antisemitism at public universities after heated testimony

The Kentucky House Standing Committee on Postsecondary Education voted to advance Senate Joint Resolution 55, a resolution addressing antisemitism on postsecondary campuses, after more than an hour of testimony and public comment that included sharply divided views on free speech, campus safety and the use of particular definitions of antisemitism.

Senator Lindsey Tichenor, sponsor of SJR 55, told the committee the measure responds to a surge in reported antisemitic incidents that followed the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. "This resolution is in response to that," Tichenor said, describing provisions intended to make Jewish students aware of their civil-rights protections, campus complaint options and community resources, and to require universities to disband and report student organizations that provide material support to designated terrorist organizations.

Key provisions in the resolution would ask campuses at the start of each semester to notify students of their rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and of KRS 344.450'Kentucky's civil cause of action for certain acts of discrimination'and to publish available community resources that serve Jewish students "to the same extent" other religious organizations are recognized. The resolution also directs institutions to collect reports of antisemitic incidents and have CPE publish aggregated reports on its website. The resolution contains a sunset clause of June 30, 2028.

Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council and director of the Jewish Student Center at the University of Kentucky, urged support. "Antisemitism on campus is a global issue and is a national issue, and Kentucky is no exception," he said, recounting instances of threats, vandalism and what he described as a lack of institutional response at some campuses.

Sponsor Tichenor told the committee the resolution had been amended with input from First Amendment advocates to preserve constitutionality and to allow for legitimate criticism of Israel'but to limit conduct that targets Jewish students. Tichenor also said the sponsor intends to clarify by floor amendment that a school would rely on the U.S. State Department's list of designated foreign terrorist organizations when identifying organizations that provide material support.

The resolution drew sustained public comment in opposition from students and community members who said the measure would chill criticism of Israel and could be used to suppress pro-Palestinian speech. Sierra Hanks, who identified herself as from Louisville, told the committee: "If your goal is to keep Jewish Kentuckians safe on college campuses, honorable goal for real, this bill is not the answer." Logan Robertson, who identified himself as president of Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Kentucky, urged lawmakers to reject the resolution and described the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as a tool that has been used to suppress criticism of Israeli policy.

Representative Wilner, Representative Stalker and other members raised concerns about distinctions between criticism of Israeli government policies and actions that constitute antisemitic harassment. Representative Doan asked how a "designated terrorist organization" would be defined; sponsor Tichenor and other supporters said the intent is to rely on federal designations (U.S. State Department/Justice Department). Representative Stalker and Representative Willner recorded no votes on the motion in committee.

The committee recorded the motion and second and reported SJR 55 favorably; the clerk read a committee tally as 11 yes votes, 23 pass votes and 2 no votes. Committee members and public commentators sharply disagreed about whether the resolution would strengthen protections for Jewish students or would restrict constitutional speech on campus. The resolution as advanced includes the sunset date and direction for institutions to notify students of existing federal and state civil-rights protections.