Why Illinois Needs Its Own SB 17—Before We Lose Control

Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed Senate Bill 17, a piece of legislation that restricts land purchases by foreign adversaries and eliminates taxpayer-funded DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) offices from public universities. While national media outlets may scoff at it, SB 17 reflects a growing understanding that state leaders must act decisively to protect their citizens—especially when the federal government fails to do so.

Illinois, on the other hand, remains asleep at the wheel. From unchecked land sales to ideological indoctrination on college campuses, the state continues to open its doors and its budget to influences that weaken our institutions, divide our people, and jeopardize our future. If Illinois is serious about reversing its decline, it must take bold steps—and adopting a version of SB 17 would be a strong start.

Foreign Influence Is a Real Threat

SB 17 bans land purchases by individuals or entities tied to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Critics have called it xenophobic. What it really is, however, is responsible.

Illinois is home to key military assets, shipping routes, energy corridors, and agricultural zones. Allowing adversarial foreign powers to gain land ownership near critical infrastructure is not just unwise—it is dangerous. The idea that land purchases from bad actors would never be weaponized against us is naive at best.

A proactive state would recognize this threat and act accordingly. Yet in Illinois, there is no public conversation, no investigation, and no legislative urgency. That must change.

DEI Is Undermining Higher Education

The second part of Texas’s SB 17 targets public universities. It eliminates DEI offices and prohibits political loyalty oaths—often disguised as diversity statements—in hiring and admissions.

DEI began as an effort to promote fairness. In practice, it has grown into a bureaucratic class more focused on ideology than inclusion. In Illinois, public institutions now routinely require job candidates to submit statements proving their alignment with particular social and political agendas. Students are trained to view everything through the lens of race, gender, and grievance.

Illinois needs universities that teach critical thinking, not critical theory. If students and faculty fear saying the wrong thing more than they fear being wrong, education has failed. Removing DEI offices is not about ending fairness—it’s about restoring freedom.

Illinois Is Losing Ground

While other states take steps to protect their values and resources, Illinois continues to chase trends and avoid tough conversations. As a result, we’re bleeding population. Families are moving out. Entrepreneurs are closing up shop. And confidence in state leadership is crumbling.

Some will say SB 17 is too bold for Illinois. But bold is exactly what we need. We cannot legislate ourselves into prosperity while ignoring the cultural and ideological forces pulling us apart.

We need laws that protect Illinois land. We need schools that prioritize learning over political orthodoxy. We need leadership that stops asking what the loudest voices on Twitter think and starts asking what’s good for the people of this state.

The left had a plan for decades. They built the systems. They shaped the institutions. Now it’s time for the right to step up with its own. Illinois doesn’t need to mimic Texas—but it does need to find the courage to chart a new course.

If we want to turn this state around, the path forward isn’t more of the same. It’s a new vision rooted in security, merit, and accountability. It starts with action.

It starts with legislation like SB 17.