PENSACOLA, Fla. — All Florida state colleges and universities could someday be required to rename a road on campus after conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
And if they don’t comply, the state would withhold funding. Representative Kevin Steele filed House Bill 113 on Tuesday.
It outlines all of the campuses that would be affected. It has a long way to go before the University of West Florida and others would need to change a road name.
This legislation filing comes as the university is drafting a political neutrality statement, which would require “institutional neutrality.”
But some students are confused how renaming the main road on campus after a conservative political activist is neutral.
“I think that’s a little absurd out of all people to pick him,” said UWF senior Asher Anderson.
“Well, if it’s going to be anyone, it ought to be him I would say,” UWF senior Silas Hudson said.
Some UWF students agree with the proposed legislation.
“I think that’s an excellent idea because I think Charlie Kirk was a limited light to any college student who was confused or wanted to know more about politics in America and around the world and how we all are to act as humans in a society together,” said Hudson. “And that’s what politics is, it’s how we live together. And Charlie Kirk was a great inspiration to us all, and how we might do that.”
Hudson is president of the Young Americans for Freedom. He believes renaming roads on college campuses is the best way to honor Kirk.
“His primary target was the college student and he went out and literally sacrificed his life to give us more information on how we ought to live,” Hudson said. “So I think it’s going to be anyone, it should be him.”
Others see problems with recognizing Kirk on campus.
“I do feel like the situation with Charlie Kirk is sad, but at the same time I feel like this isn’t something that we need,” UWF junior Naveah Dortsch said. “And it’s just something that I feel like is a waste of time as well.”
Many students disagree with the legislation and brought up the “statement of neutrality” the board of trustees is now drafting.
“He had a very specific political agenda,” UWF senior Mea Brahier said. “And so this is a specific political agenda that they’re trying to put forth by naming roads after him.”
They believe renaming Campus Drive to Charlie James Kirk Drive undermines the university’s neutrality.
“I feel like it’s silly because the fact that the state of Florida wants to have colleges neutral with their standing in politics and everything,” said UWF senior Parker Shreeves. “I feel like it’s silly of how they want to push Charlie Kirk on the university because he was a very politically active person.”
During the last board meeting, trustee Edward Fleming asked if the neutrality statement would still allow political speakers, like Kirk, to come to campus.
“We’ll use the tragic example that just occurred with Charlie Kirk. Obviously, he was the speaker that some people considered to be very much opposed to but he was brought in by the university,” Fleming said. “Would the student groups still be able to sponsor a speaker, even a controversial speaker, under this policy?”
UWF Interim President Manny Diaz Jr. says the statement is meant for the university as a whole.
“It is really designed to restrain the institution to neutrality and allow exactly the situation you’re talking about to allow the faculty to have uh freedom of expression and academic freedom, to have students have freedom of expression and academic freedom,” Diaz said. “And in no way does it prevent or stymie student groups from organizing and going through the proper channels, doing what they need to do to organize any kind of event, regardless of the view.”
The bill will not be heard until the next legislative session coming up in January. It must pass the House and the Senate before being put on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for approval.
Colleges and universities could be required to rename roads as early as next fall or spring semesters.