Senate votes to stop funding for UW gender studies

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Senate passed an amendment to the budget meant to end funding for the University of Wyoming Gender and Women’s Studies program Friday afternoon.
As a condition of the appropriations the university receives from the state, UW would no longer be allowed to expend general funds, federal funds or any other kind under its control for the courses, programs and extracurriculars. According to legislator testimony, this would impact 105 courses and 30 degree programs, not including any activities on the campus.
Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, brought the amendment forward because she said she was concerned with the contents of the program.
On the Senate floor, she read out loud a few of the descriptions of course goals that alarmed her. Those included to gain knowledge on multiple forms of oppression and marginalization; to understand historical and contemporary context in which women, queer and gender nonconforming individuals have exercised their agency; or to translate feminist and social justice theories into service and activism.
“And so, I just have to ask you, what are we doing here at the University of Wyoming with these courses?” she said. “I would ask for your favorable consideration to direct our funds in a more appropriate manner for taxpayer dollars, and just vote your conscience on this one, because my conscience won’t sleep without addressing it here in this body today.”
Senators were divided on the issue when it came time to vote, and a similar reaction was had when the amendment was introduced in the House, although the outcomes differed in the end.
The Senate approved the amendment to the budget, 16-14, while the same amendment never made it onto the House floor for consideration. As soon as it was introduced, the House Rules Committee was called into action, and its review deemed it ineligible under scope of content.
Judgements were cast on the Senate’s amendment, as well, for reasons spanning from its constitutionality to government overreach. But supporters of the provision made arguments it was their place to decide if state dollars were appropriate to fund political indoctrination, activism and a one-sided educational approach.
“This is an extremely biased, ideologically driven program, that I can’t see any academic legitimacy to,” Senate Education Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper said. “And I think we’ll hear complaints about how we’re interfering in the internals of the university. But I think what we’re really doing is sending them a message that they need to clean up their act in terms of the quality of instruction that’s being given.”
Others said they may dislike the program, but it did not justify action against funding and questioned the authority of the Wyoming Legislature to revoke academic freedom.

“Is this amendment in violation of the equal protection clause of the United States and Wyoming constitutions?” Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne said. “This amendment is so broad. It’s completely unacceptable, and I believe likely unconstitutional and completely unlawful.
“I appreciate that you don’t like the program. It appears to have some problems in balance, I will submit that. This is not our place.”
Nonetheless, it was passed by a single vote on third reading of the budget bill. The House will consider the amendment as the Senate version of the budget crosses over Monday.
 
This story was published on Feb. 26.