Charlie Kirk memorial bills stalled in multiple states across the country
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Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk has been the focus of legislative efforts by Republican lawmakers in several states to commemorate the slain activist.
More than six months after Kirk was assassinated during a campus event at Utah Valley University, many of those proposals remain uncertain and some face roadblocks.
The TPUSA founder was shot in the neck while attending a debate event as part of his “American Comeback Tour” and was later pronounced dead at the age of 31. Tyler Robinson was later arrested and now faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
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Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck and killed while speaking on his “American Comeback Tour.” (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Oklahoma State Senator Shane Jett introduced two bills honoring Kirk on September 17, 2025, just a week after the assassination. The first bill, SB 1187, required public colleges and universities in the state to establish a “special square or plaza” in Kirk’s honor. The Republicans’ legislation states that the designated square or plaza would include a statue of Kirk, adding that the design and size would be approved by the legislature. The bill describes two options for the statues: either having Kirk sitting at a table with an empty chair across from him, or having Kirk and his wife, Erika, holding their children.
The second bill, SB 1188, commemorates Kirk’s birthday, October 14, by designating it as “Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day.” Since the bill’s passage, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has declared October 14, 2025, as “Charlie Kirk Day.” If SB 1188 passes and Stitt signs on, the designated day will become an annual tradition in the Sooner State. However, both SB 1187 and SB 1188 remain in committee.
In Minnesota, Republican state Sen. Nathan Wesenberg has introduced a bill allocating funds for a statue commemorating Kirk’s life. The bill appropriates $25,000 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to the University of Minnesota Trustees for Fiscal Year 2027. According to the legislation, the statue will be placed on the university’s Twin Cities campus.
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is assassinated during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Desert News via AP)
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“I introduced this bill to honor Charlie Kirk’s work to promote respectful debate and free speech on college campuses,” Wesenberg said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The purpose of the statue is to remember that political violence cannot silence freedom of expression.”
“While I originally drafted legislation to make the U of M the largest campus to reach the most students, I intend to turn this into a competitive process so any university campus can apply for this funding,” he added.
Wesenberg’s bill, introduced in late February, was referred to the Environment, Climate and Heritage Committee.
University of Minnesota Regent Robyn Gulley expressed concerns about the legislation earlier this month. Gulley expressed his condolences to Kirk’s family in a statement. Minnesota Dailybut he said erecting a statue of Kirk on the University of Minnesota campus could be seen as “disrespectful,” citing the TPUSA founder’s disdain for higher education.
In Tennessee, a bill aimed at requiring public universities to build memorial plazas in Kirk’s memory was stalled earlier this month. The legislation would require the establishment of courtyards in public higher education institutions. According to the bill, which also includes the necessary measurements, each of the memorial areas will be referred to as the “Charlie Kirk Civil Debate Memorial Courtyard”.
The proposal would cost taxpayers more than $18 million and result in the construction of 47 yards across the state. from tennessee reported. The bill moved into summer study after facing backlash in the state’s House Education Subcommittee over its price tag, according to The Tennessean.
President Donald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk and presented the medal to Erika Kirk in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Following Kirk’s assassination, President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday. He also declared October 14, 2025, as National Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance. Later, Trump honored Kirk at the State of the Union ceremony, which was attended by the slain activist’s wife.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Jett for comment.
