A new law in Kansas will allow college students to sue their schools for violating free speech. In Tennessee, a new law will encourage teachers and professors to include “the positive impact of religion” in U.S. history courses.What they have in common: Both are based on Charlie Kirk . The laws are among the first in multiple states to honor a conservative activist who was killed while speaking at a Utah university last year.More than 60 Kirk-themed bills have been introduced in more than 20 states aimed at promoting his ideology, establishing an official day of commemoration or plastering his name on roadways and public spaces, according to an analysis by The Associated Press using bill-tracking software Plural.Republican lawmakers in Kansas overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto and enacted a law she said would “bring chaos to the courts and schools.”In Tennessee, where Republicans have a firm grip on state government, some Democrats have decried legislation supporting Kirk by recounting his racist comments about black pilots and black women in government positions. “How many times have we sat here and endured something like this? The Charlie Kirk Save America Act, whatever it is?” Democratic state Rep. Sam McKenzie said at a committee meeting as Republicans supported the “Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act.”In Louisiana, Republicans have introduced a bill called the “Charlie Kirk Success Sequence Act.” The measure would require public schools to teach keys to success including earning a high school diploma, entering the workforce immediately after high school or college and getting married before having children. A Senate panel advanced the bill this week after overcoming objections.
