RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Following the lead of several conservative states and the president himself, North Carolina Republican lawmakers have advanced their own bills that target diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The North Carolina House passed a bill restricting DEI practices within state government on Wednesday after votes on it stalled for a few weeks. The state Senate pushed forth its own legislation on the issue earlier this month. If combined, the two bills would enforce DEI limitations at colleges, universities, state agencies, local governments and public schools — a move Republican proponents say would ensure fairness for students and government workers.
The bills also clear a pathway for North Carolina public entities to be more in line with President Donald Trump's goal of dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
But the legislation will have a tougher time becoming law than it did a year ago. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein will likely veto the legislation, and Republicans now lack a supermajority in the House that allowed them to override vetoes with relative ease last session.
Getting a Democrat to join Republicans in overriding a veto would be a tough sell, as Democratic Party members have been outspoken in saying the bills are too vague and put unnecessary scrutiny on state employees.
“It's an attack on the very legacy of those who sacrificed to bring us this far. It's an attack on the reality that we are a diverse nation,” Democratic Rep. Brandon Lofton said amid more than two hours of debate on the House floor.
Since taking office earlier this year, the Trump administration has embarked on a crusade against what it calls "illegal and immoral discrimination programs," resulting in action ranging from federal investigations of universities for alleged racial discrimination to purges of photos and mentions of minority and female military heroes from government websites. The administration has also threatened to cut funding for local school systems that don't disavow DEI — a move met by resistance from Democratic states and cities.
Eradicating DEI efforts predates Trump's second term, though. As of a year ago, officials in about one-third of the states had taken some sort of action against DEI initiatives.
North Carolina lawmakers took some action last session, such as enacting a law that prohibited the promotion of certain beliefs that GOP legislators likened to critical race theory in state government workplaces. But for the most part, legislators deferred to others such as the state's public university system to implement changes that stifled certain diversity, equity and inclusion programs at its 17 schools.
Last year, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to repeal and replace its diversity policy with one that emphasized institutional neutrality — the prevention of universities from taking stances on debated political issues. The decision resulted in staff cuts, funding reallocations and unease among some faculty on the policy's implementation.
This year, House Republicans have targeted state agencies — largely run under Stein — as places to eradicate workplace DEI policies and programs. Employees who violate the ban could face civil penalties and be removed from their agency. State agencies, local governments and public schools also couldn’t apply for federal assistance that requires them to comply with DEI mandates, according to the bill.
“It puts an end to the idea that background should outweigh ability. It stops public jobs, promotions and contracts from being awarded based on political agendas,” said House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, one of the bill's primary sponsors.
On the other hand, the Senate's legislation passed a few weeks ago does much of what was already implemented by the UNC System, aside from explicitly outlining the “divisive concepts” and “discriminatory practices” to be avoided within higher education — such as treating someone differently “solely to advantage or disadvantage” compared to others, according to the bill. It also includes North Carolina's community colleges. A similar bill for K-12 public schools was passed by the Senate last month.
House Republicans were expected to pass their DEI bill at the same time as the Senate. But House Speaker Destin Hall had said pending amendments and absences delayed the vote.
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Associated Press writer David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
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