EDUCATION COMMITTEE KILLS
    NUNAN LOYALTY OATH BILL
        AFTER STATE-WIDE PROTEST

Assembly Group Rejects Measure
    By 8-6 Vote Tuesday At
        Second Hearing

VASSAR BEGAN PROTEST

Many Educational Leaders And
    Thousands Of Students Also
        Voiced Opposition

            After an impressive state-wide protest, the Nunan Loyalty Oath Bill was killed in the Relocation Committee of the State Assembly by a vote of eight to five Tuesday. This measure, therefore, will not go to the Rules Committee and, as far as this session of the Legislature' is concerned, is dead.

            The measure, proposed by Senators Nunan and Assemblyman Devany had already been passed by the Senate, Opposition to the bill was voiced by many educational leaders and thousands of college students.

            Two weeks ago; eighty-five Vassar girls formedl the first contingent to invade the Senate in an attempt to influence the members of the upper house to defeat the Bill. On the second occasion, an organized body of representatives of various colleges and universities went to Albany to voice their opposition to the passage of the Nunan Bill. They were given a private hearing by the Education Committee and an interview with Governor Lehman.

            Assemblyman Fite, a Republican and professor of political science at Vassar, who had voted for a favorable report on the companion Assembly bill, switched to the side of those who opposed such a report on the Nunan bill.

            This loyalty measure is similar to the Ives Oath act for teachers which was passed last year with practically no opposition, and became a law when the Governor signed it after having once vetoed it. There was also no apparent opposition to the Nunan bill before the protest of the Vassar girls.

            The proposed bill would have had all students of colleges, wholly or partially supported by public funds, pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the State Constitution.

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May 20, 2004