Republican-led legislatures in numerous states are pushing forward with bills aimed at defunding or outright banning diversity initiatives in universities and other public institutions in the United States of America, reports the Associated Press. This surge in legislative activity, predominantly driven by Republicans, reflects a concerted effort to appeal to voters during this election year.
Over 50 bills have already been proposed by Republican lawmakers this year across 20 states, targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion — known as DEI — or require their public disclosure, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software, Plural.
This is the second year Republican-led state governments have targeted DEI.
These efforts, spanning both legislative and executive actions, focus primarily on higher education but also extend to K-12 schools, state government, contracting, and pension investments, reports AP.
A few proposed bills seek to prevent financial institutions from penalising individuals who opt out of DEI programmes. Conversely, Democrats have introduced about two dozen bills in 11 states promoting or requiring DEI initiatives, aiming to counteract the Republican push.
The political spotlight on DEI stems from its emergence as a contentious issue, with Republicans branding it as discriminatory and leftist while Democrats argue it's essential for meeting the needs of diverse student populations.
However, there's a lack of unanimity among Republicans regarding the most effective approach to curbing DEI. In Oklahoma, Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order restricting spending on DEI programmes, although its enforceability is questioned.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Marko Liias of Washington underscores the importance of DEI in serving diverse communities, contrasting it with what he sees as a politically driven agenda opposed to national foundations.
The bill, which is up for consideration again in 2024, is designed to meet the needs of a diversifying student population, he said.
"I think the opposition is organised around a political agenda, whereas, I'm trying to respond to a diverse community that I represent and the experiences that they're bringing to me," Liias said, adding, "So it's sort of reality versus theory, what's happening in our families and schools versus an agenda driven by national foundations. That's the divide.”
Republican-led Florida and Texas were the first states to adopt broad-based laws banning DEI efforts in higher education.
Since then, other state leaders have followed.
“The idea to study how much we were spending on DEI came from me seeing what other states were doing. Specifically, Ron DeSantis in Florida,” said Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a Republican.
The crackdown on DEI is part of the same legislative project as the earlier movement to restrict the academic and legal ideas termed critical race theory, said Jonathan Butcher, a research fellow in education policy for The Heritage Foundation.
Critical race theory is a way of thinking about America's history based on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation's institutions.
“There is no separation. DEI is the application of critical race theory. DEI officers are the administrative control panels that are putting critical race theory into place,” Butcher said, states AP.
On the other hand, Democratic leaders like Fentrice Driskell of Florida argue that restricting DEI overlooks the role of identity in perpetuating inequality, advocating for more nuanced approaches to societal advancement. “It's a flashpoint because the conservatives like to talk about meritocracy as their vision for a society where everybody can advance,” Driskell said, adding, “Real life is actually more complicated than that. And that is what DEI programmes are there to solve."
