A Kansas bill that seeks to redefine tenure, removing the protection it provides higher education faculty, is unlikely to reach the House floor for a vote. The bill lacks enough support in the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill No. 2348 was drafted by Steven Lovett, the general counsel for Emporia State University. Lovett is a defendant in a lawsuit from tenured faculty who were fired by ESU.
The tenure bill had a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee in February. Representatives from other Kansas universities expressed their opposition to the bill during the hearing. Wichita State University leadership has also shared that it opposes the bill.
WSU’s Director of Government Relations Zach Gearhart confirmed that the bill did not have enough support from the committee to continue.
However, lawmakers could bring the bill back next session. According to State Affairs, House Judiciary Committee Chair Susan Humphries has suggested pushing for a revised version next session.
