Gov. Greg Abbott: Should taxpayers fund schools like Texas State?

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) is weighing in once again on the Texas State University student government’s failed attempt to ban the conservative group Turning Point USA from campus, asking whether taxpayer dollars “should still fund schools like this.” 

”I truly question if taxpayers should still fund schools like this. There’s no place in Texas for this. Our state universities better clean up their act,” Abbott tweeted Thursday. 

[RELATED: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Land Comm. George P. Bush slam student gov.’s attempt to ban Turning Point USA]

This is not the first time Abbott has voiced his opinion on the matter. As Campus Reform previously reported, Abbott responded to the Texas State controversy earlier in April by reminding Texans that “the Texas Senate just passed a bill mandating free speech on college campuses (including conservative speech). I look forward to signing it into law. But it’s crazy we have to pass a law to uphold the First Amendment.”

[RELATED: Texas tackles free speech after Trump exec. order]

The governor’s comments came just weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would pull federal research funding from colleges that do not protect free speech. According to a recent report from Campus Reform, Texas State University received $25,132,000 in federal research funding in 2017. 

Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. 

Texas State referred Campus Reform to the Texas State University president’s local radio comments on Thursday, which can be heard here. 

In her comments, she said the students who attempted to ban the Turning Point USA chapter “shouldn’t be putting a face” on Texas State.

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