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Higher‑education bill draws heated debate over anti‑DEI language and DACA student eligibility
Summary
House consideration of House Committee substitute for House Bill 3 focused on a provision restricting use of state funds for programs “focused solely on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and on failed amendments to restore scholarship access for certain DACA students and to add internships.
The House took up House Committee substitute for House Bill 3, the spending bill covering public higher education. Floor debate centered on a clause the bill includes at the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development level restricting the use of state funds for programs “focused solely on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or similar initiatives.”
Lady from Green moved an amendment to remove the anti‑DEI language from the bill, arguing that the restriction could bar scholarships and programs targeted at women and minority students. Supporters of the existing language, including Gentleman from McDonald, said the House included governor‑recommended provisos to prevent state funds from being used for programs that give differential treatment based on race, color, or ethnicity.
Representative Jackson offered an amendment seeking to delete sections of the bill that would bar state scholarships or tuition benefits for some Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients; she said about 3,000 Missourians in DACA status could be affected if the language remained. The transcript records that Representative Jackson’s amendment (House Amendment 2) failed when the clerk announced, “the no's clearly have you failed to adopt the amendment.”
A third amendment offered by the gentleman from Saint Louis City would have added funding for paid internships and apprenticeships to funnel high‑school students into trades and workforce pathways; the transcript shows that motion (House Amendment 3) failed on the floor as well.
Why it matters: House Bill 3 funds public colleges and universities and includes policy language that will affect how those institutions may use state funds for targeted recruiting, scholarships or staff positions. The floor votes recorded here kept the bill’s language intact on those points and rejected efforts to restore broader scholarship access or add the department‑requested internship language in the excerpt provided.
Votes at a glance - House Amendment 1 (remove anti‑DEI language) — motion offered; transcript does not record final floor tally in the provided excerpt. - House Amendment 2 (Representative Jackson — preserve scholarship/access for DACA recipients) — failed (clerk announced failure in transcript). - House Amendment 3 (Saint Louis City — workforce internships/apprenticeships) — failed (clerk announced failure in transcript).
Next steps: House Committee substitute for House Bill 3 continued through floor consideration after the votes recorded in this excerpt. Sponsors said the bill increases core funding and adds $28 million for deferred maintenance at public institutions; opponents urged removal of DEI restrictions and broader access measures.
