PA legislation would block state taxpayer dollars from schools that cave to divestment demands

The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed a bill that would withhold state funding from colleges and universities that have decided to boycott or divest from Israel. 

SB 1260 made it through the state Senate on June 27 with a 41-7 bipartisan vote. 

[RELATED: Columbia Law National Lawyers Guild says Jewish students blocking divestment are threatening ‘everyone’s safety’]

Proponents of the bill in the Senate believe the legislation has several benefits: strengthening ties with American ally Israel, combating worsening anti-Semitism, and pushing universities that receive state funds to safeguard Jewish students from harassment.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic Sen. Steven Santarsiero, also insisted that the bill would still allow for peaceful protests. 

Pennsylvania’s higher education sector receives over $2 billion each year from the state government, with many of these funds going to the state’s public universities. 

Universities in other states, like Union Theological Seminary in New York, have already divested from ties to Israel, whereas others have promised to at least consider divesting, such as Wesleyan University and the University of Minnesota. 

[RELATED: Jewish ASU frat boys speak out after viral video shows them helping cops throw away Gaza Glampers’ tents: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

While no higher education institutions in Pennsylvania that are the recipients of taxpayer dollars have divested from the Jewish State, two of them, the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, have been the scenes of disruptive anti-Israel protests by students. UPenn’s former president Liz Magill resigned in December after a House hearing in which she stated that “calling for the genocide of Jews” does not necessarily go against the school’s regulations. 

The bill is now awaiting consideration in the state House.

Campus Reform has reached out to Sen. Santarsiero for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.