Georgina Lambert

Testimony in Opposition to HR 19 House Education Funding Committee HR 19 is a redundant, ideologically biased resolution that wastes legislative time and public resources while purporting to solve a problem that does not exist. New Hampshire’s colleges and universities already possess full authority to invite speakers from across the political spectrum, and they do so regularly. No evidence has been presented that conservative viewpoints are excluded by policy or practice. This resolution does not expand free speech, protect academic freedom, or improve educational outcomes—it merely signals partisan grievance. Taxpayer-funded legislative bodies should not be issuing symbolic directives to higher education institutions to advance a particular political ideology under the guise of “viewpoint diversity,” especially when no corresponding encouragement exists for other underrepresented or marginalized perspectives. More troubling is the context in which this resolution arises. In recent sessions, this legislature has advanced legislation that courts and experts have warned undermines constitutional protections, targets disabled people, and erodes civil and human rights. Against that backdrop, HR 19 asks colleges to elevate voices associated—rightly or wrongly—with policies that many Granite Staters experience as ableist, exclusionary, and hostile to dignity and equal participation in public life. Encouraging institutions of higher learning to platform ideology disconnected from human decency, evidence-based policymaking, and respect for vulnerable communities is not neutrality; it is an abuse of legislative influence. Academic institutions exist to pursue knowledge, not to serve as vehicles for rehabilitating the public image of a political movement increasingly out of step with constitutional values and the lived realities of New Hampshire residents. Finally, HR 19 is fundamentally unnecessary. The resolution itself concedes it cannot compel action, alter curriculum, or mandate invitations—making it little more than a performative exercise. At a time when public education faces real crises—underfunding, staffing shortages, student mental health needs, and accessibility gaps—this legislature should focus on substantive solutions rather than ideological signaling. HR 19 does nothing to improve education, protect students, or strengthen democracy. It should be rejected as wasteful, biased, and inconsistent with the principles of equity, respect, and responsible governance.