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Committee approves proviso restricting DEI uses of state funds after extended debate

2360000 · February 18, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The committee passed an amendment limiting the use of state funds for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices and activities across state agencies and public institutions, while carving out academic instruction, research, student organizations, guest speakers, certain student‑achievement activities and data collection.

The House Ways and Means committee approved an amendment that restricts state funds from being used to create or mandate DEI offices, compel DEI statements from applicants, give hiring preference based on race or gender, or require DEI training — while explicitly exempting academic instruction, scholarly research, student organizations, short‑term guest speakers and permitted data collection.

Representative Ballantine presented the amendment as a "scalpel approach" intended to provide precision after prior broader proposals. "What we've got here is we've got a scalpel approach,…

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