SB 2202 Heads to the Senate Floor: Call Your Senator Now

SB 2202, the Academic Freedom of Expression Act, has passed out of the Senate Executive Committee and is headed to a vote before the full Illinois Senate. This is a critical moment for every faculty member, professional employee, and educator in Illinois. We are asking all Local 1600 members to contact their State Senator immediately and urge them to vote yes on SB 2202.

What Is SB 2202?

SB 2202, the Academic Freedom of Expression Act, would establish the first clear statutory protection of academic freedom in Illinois law. Illinois statute currently is silent on this foundational principle. There is a broad assumption within Illinois higher education that academic freedom exists, but it has never been defined by the General Assembly. In practice, that means protections extend only as far as individual institutions are willing to extend them and no further. Academic freedom in Illinois today rests on institutional goodwill, not law.

SB 2202 changes that. The legislation establishes a statewide floor for freedom in teaching, freedom in research, and freedom of scholarly expression. 

This legislation grew out of a partnership between Local 1600 and the Illinois chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Over the course of more than a year, it has been shaped through extensive engagement with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, public universities, the ACLU of Illinois, and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. This bill represents the legislative process working as it should.

What Is Happening in Other States

Illinois does not exist in isolation. We need only look at what is happening in neighboring and peer states to understand what is at stake.

• Oklahoma has become the first state in the nation to move toward eliminating tenure across most of its public colleges and universities. Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order in early 2026 directing regional universities and community colleges to phase out tenure and replace it with fixed-term contracts tied to political and economic priorities set by the state. 

• In Florida, under SB 266, courses deemed to involve discussions of inequality were removed from the general education lists. The Florida Board of Governors subsequently removed introductory sociology from the core curriculum across all twelve public universities. Florida has effectively placed the content of what students are required to study under the control of political appointees rather than faculty.

• Indiana passed its so-called "intellectual diversity" law, Senate Enrolled Act 202, which created a state-run complaint system that students and outside actors can use to file politically motivated complaints against faculty for their classroom content. Indiana University also fired its student media director for refusing to restrict the student newspaper's coverage and then canceled the paper's print edition entirely. 

• Texas’ Senate Bill 17 eliminated all diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and programs at public universities, resulting in the closure of more than twenty offices and the elimination of hundreds of positions. Senate Bill 37, signed in 2025, gives governor-appointed board members authority to reject courses and veto academic hires. Texas A&M fired a senior English lecturer following political pressure from the Governor's office over a children's literature lesson, eliminated its women's and gender studies degree program, and reviewed thousands of course syllabi for prohibited content.

  
  

Setting a Standard for All of Illinois Higher Education

When Illinois codifies academic freedom in statute, the General Assembly sets a foundation and a standard for the entire Illinois higher education system. State agencies that interact with public colleges and universities, including the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and others,  will operate within an environment in which academic freedom is a defined legal expectation.

Our colleagues at private colleges and universities in Illinois understand this as well. Though SB 2202 cannot apply to private institutions, our partners in the AAUP chapters at private schools have offered their strong support for this legislation precisely because it sets a benchmark. Faculty and administrations at private institutions will be able to point to Illinois law as a framework when asserting and defending academic freedom on their own campuses.

What You Must Do Now

SB 2202 is headed to the Senate floor. This is the moment to make your voice heard.

Call your State Senator today. Tell them you are a constituent, that you work in Illinois higher education, and that you urge them to vote yes on SB 2202, the Academic Freedom of Expression Act. Tell them that academic freedom should be defined and protected in Illinois law, not left to the goodwill of individual institutions.

After the Senate votes, this legislation will move to the Illinois House of Representatives. When that happens, we will need to reach out to our House members with the same urgency. This is a two-chamber fight, and Local 1600 members are ready.

If you are unsure who represents you in the Illinois Senate, look up your State Senator here: https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/