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Lawmakers in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Minnesota have introduced bills to honor the TPUSA founder
Memorials to the late conservative leader Charlie Kirk are being considered for college campuses in at least four states, including statues that honor his legacy as an advocate of free speech and open debate.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, while answering a debate question during a campus speaking event at Utah Valley University. The conservative student-focused organization has chapters at colleges in all 50 states.
Right now, New College of Florida is in the process of planning a statue of Kirk for the campus grounds.
“We do not have an exact timeline as these things change rapidly, but we are working with a sculptor now to finish it as soon as possible. The location will be on campus but the exact location is not decided yet,” spokesperson William Witt told The College Fix via email Friday.
The statue, which the public college announced last fall, is privately funded and “will stand on campus as a commitment by New College to defend and fight for free speech and civil discourse in American life,” according to a news release Witt shared with The Fix.
A preliminary image of the statue (pictured) released by New College shows Kirk sitting at a table with a microphone, having a friendly debate.
“Our chapter is honored to help the effort to establish a tribute statue on campus. We want to raise awareness, help secure support, and ensure that future generations inherit a legacy of open dialogue,” Jackson Dawson, president of the college’s Turning Point USA chapter, stated in the news release.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Oklahoma have introduced legislation this year to support memorials for the slain Turning Point leader at public universities in their states.
The Tennessee bill, introduced by Rep. Monty Fritts, R‑Kingston, would require public universities to create Charlie Kirk Memorial Courtyards for Civil Debate.
It would require these courtyards to display the date of Kirk’s assassination, the state constitution’s declaration of rights, the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights.
However, the legislation is unlikely to pass, Nicole Ussery, a spokesperson for Rep. Fritts, told The Fix. She also said Fritts is serving his final term in office, so he cannot introduce the bill next year.
Additionally, Ussery shared comments from the lawmaker explaining why he introduced the measure.
“Whether or not you personally agree with Charlie Kirk’s views, every American should be very concerned about what is assassination represents: the loss of the ability to engage in civil debate or discourse,” according to Rep. Fritts’ remarks. “For our Republic to thrive, this current and future generations need to understand what civil discourse is and how to engage in it.”
Oklahoma is considering similar legislation, introduced by Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, calling for institutions of higher learning to build Charlie Kirk Memorial Plazas statewide. Jett’s office did not respond to two requests for comment from The Fix asking about the bill.
The purpose of these plazas will be “to remind all to foster an environment of intellectual freedom, civic engagement, and the principles Kirk championed, ensuring that future generations remember his courage, faith, sacrifice, and contributions to American liberty,” the bill states.
The bill describes Kirk as a “martyr.” It stipulates that these plazas should include a statue depicting Kirk and his family or him talking with an audience at a table.
In addition, the Minnesota Senate also is considering legislation to honor Kirk.
Introduced on Feb. 23, the bill would give $25,000 from “the arts and cultural heritage fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to design and construct a statue of Charlie Kirk to be placed on the university’s Twin Cities campus.”
Sen. Nathan Wesenberg, R-Aitkin, is the lead sponsor. His office did not respond to two requests for comment from The Fix via email.
In a statement to The Minnesota Daily earlier this month, Wesenberg said the purpose of the bill is to honor Kirk’s legacy as a champion of “respectful debate and free speech on college campuses.”
“The point of the statue is to remember that political violence will not silence free speech,” Wesenberg stated. “While I originally drafted the bill for the U of M to have the statue as the largest campus to reach the most students, and I am considering turning it into a competitive process so that any college campus could apply for this funding.”
However, university Regent Robyn Gulley criticized the bill in a statement to the student newspaper.
“My sympathies go out to Charlie Kirk’s family. Political violence is never acceptable,” Gulley stated. “That being said, Charlie Kirk called higher education a scam, and I think it would be viewed by many as disrespectful to erect a statue at the UMN to someone with those views.”
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