How to Support Passage of the Academic Freedom of Expression Act
How to Support Passage of the Academic Freedom of Expression Act
There is a push this week to get SB 2202, the Academic Freedom of Expression Act, through the Illinois General Assembly, and the legislative clock is running out. Teachers unions across the state are urging members to call their Illinois State Senators (not Tammy Duckworth or Dick Durbin) to vote in favor of SB 2202.
Why SB 2202 Matters
We know academic freedom is under political attack: curricula are being censored, faculty are being disciplined for protected speech, and outside influences seek to interfere with classroom discourse. However, Illinois statute does not currently define academic freedom. Faculty and students rely entirely on the goodwill of local institutions for protection, a protection that can be revoked or eroded at any time, as we’ve seen with recent DEI changes at UIC.
SB 2202 would prohibit public higher ed institutions from disciplining faculty members solely on the basis of speech or other communication protected by the First Amendment when engaged in activities off-campus. It also ensures that faculty control teaching and research. The bill is sponsored by Senator Graciela Guzmán, who supported UICUF in our most recent labor strike.
This bill is a baseline protection for educators and students who exercise their constitutional rights as private citizens.
Whom to Contact — Read Carefully
You must contact your Illinois State Senator in Springfield: do not call U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth or Dick Durbin. You can look up your state senator (and their contact information) here.
Use your Illinois senator’s Springfield office number, if possible. A short, polite phone call is by far the most effective: a 60-second call from a constituent carries significant weight with legislative staff during the final days of session.
Call Script
Adjust the script depending on whether you reach the Senator directly or, more commonly, a staff member.
Hello, my name is _ and I am a constituent residing at/in ___. I am also a member of UIC United Faculty Local 6456.
I am calling to urge Senator ____ to vote YES on SB 2202, the Academic Freedom of Expression Act, sponsored by Senator Guzmán.
This bill is important because:
Illinois currently has no statutory definition of academic freedom. Faculty and students depend entirely on the goodwill of local institutions for protection.
SB 2202 ensures that faculty cannot be disciplined by their college or university solely for engaging in speech that is protected by the First Amendment when expressed off campus.
At a time when academic freedom is under coordinated attack nationally, Illinois must lead by codifying these basic protections into state law.
This bill protects science and the search for truth which is at the heart of higher education.
I ask that Senator ___ vote YES on SB 2202 when it comes to the floor, and, if the Senator is not already a co-sponsor, that they sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill.
Thank you for your time.
If You Reach Voicemail
Leave a brief message with your full name, your home address or city to confirm you are a constituent, the bill number (SB 2202), and your request for a YES vote and co-sponsorship. Voicemail messages are also logged.
If You Cannot Call, Email as a Backup
Email is less effective than a phone call, but it is better than no contact. If you must email:
Place the bill number in the subject line, for example: “Constituent request: Please vote YES on SB 2202.”
Open by identifying yourself as a constituent and a member of Local 1600.
Include your full home address to confirm constituent status.
Use the bullet points from the script above as your body text.
Close with a clear ask: vote YES on SB 2202 and co-sponsor the bill.
The Time Is Now
Bills that do not move in the final weeks of the spring session risk being shelved until the next legislative cycle. Your call this week could be the contact that tips your Senator into a YES vote.
While our bargaining team is working to get similar academic freedom protections codified in our next contract, an Illinois law would be even better. Please consider taking the time to make a call today.