This should teach our children a valuable lesson in democracy.

Well, at least Representative Jane Cunningham isn't only targeting higher education faculty with her schemes to stifle free speech and prevent the open exchange of ideas. The sponsor of the "Intellectual Diversity" bill has struck again! A post on the "Fired Up! Missouri" blog begins:

Queen Jane and GOP Reps Look to Strip Speech Rights from Teachers

Over the legislative spring break, Queen of Bad Ideas Jane Cunningham and GOP friends Steve Hunter and Marilyn Ruestman spun the squeaky gerbil-wheels of their minds as rapidly as they could and came up with a gem of a bill. Their idea: stop public school teachers in the state of Missouri from participating in their democracy by visiting the state capitol to lobby legislators. Cunningham, Hunter, and Ruestman apparently believe that some real restrictions on participatory democracy for the people who educate our youngsters are just what Missourians are hungry for.

Their bill, HB 1222, reads simply:

"no public school teacher shall lobby the general assembly unless such teacher makes arrangements to pay the salary of the substitute teacher for the teacher's class."

You think this is an April Fools joke, don't you? Go to the Missouri House of Representatives web page to see for yourself at: http://www.house.mo.gov/bills071/bills/hb1222.htm.

Check out the entire post at: www.firedupmissouri.com.

Vacation in Beautiful Jeff City and Strike a Blow for Liberty!

Calling anyone who can take the time to be in the Capitol for a few hours on Wednesday, April 18! Our car pool will leave Columbia at 8:30 am. At 10:00 am we have a briefing in the Capitol from Otto Fajen, MNEA lobbyist. We will then talk with key legislators about HB 213 (the so-called Intellectual Diversity bill or more accurately the Witch Hunt bill) and other higher education legislation. Hopefully we will also have some time to watch the show in the House or Senate. Those of us who have time for lunch will eat at a nearby restaurant, then head back to Columbia.

Please email Steve McLuckie, MNEA Organizing Director at steve.mcluckie@mnea.org to RSVP.

Contact your legislator now!

Get the latest on the nationwide effort to enforce "Intellectual Diversity" at http://www.freeexchangeoncampus.org.

Our legislators need to hear from us on this issue. Go to http://www.mogo.mo.gov/. If you click on "Legislator Lookup" and enter your nine digit zip code, you will be given a hot link to your elected representatives.

Forum rescheduled for March 22 -- here's the flyer

Academic Freedom and Tenure on the Chopping Block in Jeff City?

Otto Fajen - MNEA Legislative Director

HOUSE BILL NO. 213
The coordinating board for higher education shall require each public institution to report annually to the general assembly detailing the steps the institution is taking to ensure intellectual diversity and the free exchange of ideas.
(1) The report required in this subsection shall address the specific measures taken by the institution to ensure and promote intellectual diversity and academic freedom.

HOUSE BILL NO. 813
Notwithstanding any other law, beginning January 1, 2008, any faculty member of an institution of higher education in this state who receives two negative peer reviews may have his or her tenure revoked and be discharged from employment by the institution. Individual determinations as to tenure revocation or employment termination shall be made by the chancellor at each campus of the University of Missouri, the president at each state-supported four-year college or university, the president of Linn State Technical College, or the president or chancellor at each public community college.

Anheuser-Busch Building, Room 307

Thursday, March 22

5:30 pm

Forum postponed -- blame the Nazis

The March 8 forum has been postponed a week, until March 15. (Partly this has happened because of the difficulty of getting anyone to focus politically on anything here in Columbia this week but the visit our city and campus are receiving from the National Socialist Movement.) Here is a message from our local MNEA Organizing Director, Steve McLuckie, who is setting up the forum:

We are setting up a meeting with our lobbyist and Missouri legislators on legislation being debated in Jefferson City, including the attack on tenure and the so-called “Intellectual Diversity Act.” We plan to decide on a strategy for action concerning these bills. We are hoping to schedule it for Thursday, March 15, which is right before the legislators go on their spring break. Once we can confirm speakers and reserve a room, we will share the details with you.

"Card Check" Union Elections and the Myth of Union "Harassment"

Congress is presently debating a bill that would allow a different type of union recognition election than currently prescribed in federal law. We are not sure whether this will be relevant at MU, but Washington Monthly and TPM Cafe have recently carried some helpful discussions of the issue. What is particularly good about these comments is the way they dispel a lot of myths about the way unions operate that people have picked up from old movies or The Sopranos. There is also some reference in these posts to the fact that most of what we hear and read about the economic harm of unions are also dead wrong.

The End of Tenure in Missouri Higher Education?

How many faculty members at Missouri public colleges and universities are aware that the Missouri legislature is considering a bill that would virtually end tenure as we know it? Here is the official summary:
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HB 813 -- Tenure at State Higher Education Institutions

Sponsor: Baker (123)

Beginning January 1, 2008, this bill allows the president orchancellor, as appropriate, of each state higher education institution to revoke the tenure and discharge a faculty member who receives two negative peer reviews.

"Negative" and "peer review" are not defined. Such a vague system would make faculty members fireable almost at the whim of their campus administration. If they think there is a lack of "intellectual diversity" now, wait until something like this goes through.