Idaho House rejects higher ed budget due to concerns over wokeism

[Valin]

Power Line

Paul Mirengoff

April 8, 2021

The Idaho House has overwhelmingly rejected the state’s proposed higher education budget because of concerns about the promotion by the state’s colleges and universities of a “social justice” agenda and the teaching of critical race theory. The vote was 13-57.

The appropriations bill rejected by the House had cut $409,000 from Boise State University’s bottom line, shifting that funding to Lewis-Clark State College. The reason for the shift was that Boise State is seen as promoting “social justice ideology” and activities.

But members of the House are also troubled by similar forms of wokeism at Lewis-Clark and the University of Idaho. And they didn’t view the Senate as going far enough to stop the rot.

(Snip)

Generally speaking, it’s not a good look when politicians hold education budgets hostage to demands about curriculum. However, legislators shouldn’t stand by while schools use public money to teach students that they are racists, that their country is evil, and other noxious tenets of woke identity politics. States shouldn’t subsidize efforts to create self-hating students and to erode belief in America.

Therefore, I’m pleased that the Idaho House refused to pass the higher education budget.