The new proposal being offered by state Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-San Luis Obispo) embodies most of the things that are wrong with California politics.

The bill, which would force public colleges and universities to expel students found guilty of “rioting,” demonstrates how a single lawmaker can hijack the fears and misperceptions of the populace to offer proposals simply for the purpose of political gain.

Maldonado’s broadly written proposal is a clear attack on First Amendment rights, punishing students for offenses as nebulous as an “assembly for the purpose of disturbing the public peace.” As it is currently written, the bill’s provisions could even apply to former A.S. Vice President External Harish Nandagopal, who was arrested last year at a rally opposing tuition increases.

But no amendment, no matter how big, can correct the fundamental errors in principle embodied in the very idea behind Maldonado’s proposal. Nowhere did the Master Plan for Higher Education suggest that access to universities should be contingent on good behavior. Nor does the California Constitution give the University of California the responsibility of enforcing state penal code. Yet both beliefs form the basis for the legislation.

Fortunately, Maldonado’s bill has no chance of actually making it out of committee. Regardless, it is especially disturbing that our own campus police chief lent his support for a plan as flawed as this.