Veto SB445 – A Threat to Free Speech and Civil Liberties in WI

I urge you to veto SB445, the Senate companion to AB446, if it reaches your desk. This bill poses a serious threat to free speech, academic freedom, and civil liberties for Wisconsin’s public employees, educators, and citizens. SB445 would require all state agencies and local governments to formally apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism — including its contested political examples — when evaluating claims of discriminatory intent. Civil rights advocates and legal scholars have consistently warned that this definition conflates legitimate political speech about Israel and Palestine with antisemitism, creating a chilling effect on protected expression. A last-minute amendment to the Assembly version offers only narrow protection for university students from additional civil or criminal penalties. It does nothing to protect faculty, university staff, K-12 educators, or employees of state agencies, counties, and municipalities. These workers could face heightened scrutiny or retaliation simply for engaging in protected scholarship, teaching, or civic participation. Combating antisemitism is a cause worth defending — but this bill doesn’t accomplish that. Instead, it codifies a politically contested definition that suppresses legitimate discourse and undermines the First Amendment rights of Wisconsin’s public workforce. Governor Evers, you have a strong record of defending civil liberties and free expression. I respectfully ask you to honor that record by vetoing SB445. Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to Wisconsin’s values.