ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - APRIL 18: Demonstrators gather outside the governor's mansion for a rally and ... [+]
Republicans in state legislatures across the country have filed a slew of bills targeting protesters following last summer’s massive, nationwide racial justice demonstrations. But one bill in particular is noteworthy for cutting off student loans and financial aid to college students.
In Minnesota, a bill sponsored by State Senator David Osmek would bar any student convicted of a crime at a protest from receiving student loans or other financial aid. The bill’s text says that, “A person convicted of a criminal offense related to the person’s illegal conduct at a protest, demonstration, rally, civil unrest, or march is ineligible for any type of state loan, grant, or assistance, including but not limited to college student loans and grants …” The bill may also bar students from receiving other state aid, such as food stamps.
The legislation, if passed, could be devastating to college students, who could be forced to drop out of school without a degree if their access to financial aid is cut off. The default rate on student loans for borrowers who do not complete their degree is three times higher than the rate of borrowers who complete their degree program.
The Minnesota anti-protest bill is just one of dozens of similar bills being filed by Republican lawmakers in state houses across the country in response to last summer’s racial justice protests, which gained enormous momentum following the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter by a Minneapolis jury last week.
While the vast majority of last year’s racial justice protests were peaceful, GOP lawmakers have pointed to examples of rioting and looting as a basis for cracking down on protesters. A new law in Oklahoma eases penalties for drivers who hit protesters in the street with their car. Similar bills have been enacted in Iowa and in Florida. The Florida bill also includes other broad anti-protest measures and heightened criminal penalties; the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida warned that the new law “criminalizes peaceful protest” in the state.
“Let’s be clear: this is not an anti-riot bill, regardless of what supporters claim,” said Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, in a statement. “It is a bill that criminalizes peaceful protest... Each and every provision harkens back to Jim Crow. Constitutional lawyers and scholars have called the bill overbroad, vague, and warned it will chill free speech. Protesters could be arrested and charged with a felony if others at a protest or gathering became violent or disorderly, even if they themselves didn't.”
It is unclear whether the Minnesota bill has any chance of becoming law, given that the governor of Minnesota is a Democrat who has veto power. Meanwhile, following an incident earlier this month in Brooklyn Center when a police officer killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright, protests have continued in Minnesota, resulting in the arrest of several college students.
