Amid a growing tide of public antisemitism on college campuses nationwide, members of an Oklahoma Senate committee have voted to target that type of discrimination in Oklahoma.

“This is a really good opportunity for Oklahoma to be proactive and say we’re not going to allow antisemitism or discrimination of any kind in our institutions of public education,” said state Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond.

Senate Bill 942, by Thompson, states, “Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status against a student or an employee in an institution of higher education or a public school in this state shall be prohibited.”

The bill requires Oklahoma universities and public schools to integrate the definition of antisemitism, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct. The bill also requires colleges and K-12 schools to treat antisemitic discrimination “in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race.”

The legislation further requires the Oklahoma State Department of Education to designate a Title VI coordinator dedicated to monitoring antisemitic discrimination and harassment in public schools in Oklahoma.

Adam Beren, a Wichita businessman who helped found the Combat Antisemitism Movement, spoke in favor of the legislation and noted there have been some instances of antisemitism on Oklahoma campuses.

“OU, you had a bomb scare last year,” Beren said. “You had a diversity department at OSU send out an email to students for a ‘day of rage’ on October 7, the first-year anniversary of October 7. That wasn’t very friendly.”

He said 12 states are considering similar legislation this year.

“Education is the focal point of where antisemitism has been occurring,” Beren said.

State Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, also spoke in favor of the bill.

“My brother-in-law is Jewish. My nieces and nephews are Jewish. And, maybe, having grown up on the East Coast, maybe I’ve just been a little more exposed to individuals who have different experiences from me, come from different parts of the world,” Pugh said. “But I have seen firsthand when those individuals are discriminated against, and so this is very personal for me.”

However, state Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, suggested the bill would have counterproductive and even nonsensical results.

“When I see this language about ‘all students equally,’ are we going to be handing out insulin pumps to all students equally, or will that be determined on their disability?” Hicks asked.

“We would not give insulin to a child who does not need insulin,” Thompson responded.

She added that the bill’s practical impact would benefit all children.

“This is clearly saying that we’re not going to discriminate against a child who has diabetes, for example,” Thompson said.

SB 942 passed the Senate Education Committee on a 7-3 vote that broke along party lines with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed.