Skirmishes won, a battle lost but the war over Academic Freedom rages on. Signs that read "Freedom to think" accompanied our cheers as we met at convention last weekend to rally behind Senator Bill Morrow’s (R-38) SB-5. David Horowitz emphasized the need for intellectual diversity in his speech on the west steps of the Capitol during our rally for equality, dubbed "Operation Academic Freedom".

After CR’s organized rallies, public forums and letter writing campaigns in favor of the Bill, it was killed in committee, just days after convention by a vote of 4 ayes and 6 nays-great progress! Yes progress, Morrow introduced a similar bill last year and it only received 2 votes in committee. We are making ground. The rallies paid off and the letters got people talking. Like any reform movement it will take time- change doesn’t happen over night. A form of the Bill will be reintroduced next year and the year after that and the year after that and so on until it is passed (Morrow’s seat is open in ’06 and his likely replacement Assemblyman Wyland (R-74) has already promised to reintroduce a version of it every year until it is passed or his term expires in 2014). Last year the Bill didn’t get much attention. This year the press and the stir on campus all up and down the state was high. I know it will pass it is only a matter of when.

What you can count on is that I and the rest of the CCR 05-06 Executive Committee will be there to support you in the continued fight towards academic freedom. We have a lot ahead of us this next year- a special election, the fight for our conservative values on college campuses, more recruiting and training the future leaders of your chapters.

When I first got involved in College Republicans 2 ½ years ago I found the Berkeley convention a great source of motivation and inspiration do my part to recruit other CR’s and get the training necessary to mobilize effectively on campus and for key campaigns. My hope is that you all received that same sense of motivation, camaraderie and inspiration from the Sacramento convention.

We may loose battles, but as long as we keep are heads high and our eyes on the prize we will wear them down and we will win the war.

Good luck over this next year and please do not hesitate to let me know how I can help you.

-Stephen Puetz

Chairman, California College Republicans