Earlier this week it was reported that a republican lawmaker in Missouri by the name of Rick Brattin pre-filed a bill that proposed that any “college athlete who calls, incites, supports, or participates in any strike or concerted refusal to play a scheduled game shall have his or her scholarship revoked.” The bill, if enacted, would have also targeted coaching staff. Additionally, the bill continues, “any member of a coaching staff who encourages or enables a college athlete to engage in behavior” prohibited under the bill “shall be fined by his or her institution of employment.” Whether the bill would have held any weight was iffy considering that University of Missouri scholarships are not state funded. The Tiger Scholarship Fund pays for athletics scholarships.
According to an updated report, it appears Brattin’s bill was withdrawn without explanation on Wednesday morning. Brattin has yet to comment on the update but I’m sure we will hear from him or State Rep. Kurt Bahr, who co-sponsored the bill, pretty soon.
Bahr previously commented on the bill saying that he was confident it was likely sparked by the 30+ Mizzou football players going on strike just a month ago. “The student has a right to protest or to make their voice heard,” he said. “But if they have a contract to perform certain duties, and they violate that contract … then it’s not an issue of the First Amendment. It’s an issue of contract law. They failed to uphold that contract.”
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