Missouri House advances bill to block certain DEI trainings in state departments after heated debate

The Missouri House voted to advance House Bill 742, a measure that would bar state departments from spending money on programs the bill defines as promoting "preferential treatment" or certain identity-based doctrines, following extended debate on Feb. 13, 2025.

Representative from Newton (bill sponsor) told colleagues the measure "aims to eliminate and prohibit DEI initiatives from our state departments politically," arguing the programs have not produced the intended results and can be divisive. He pressed lawmakers to reconsider taxpayer funding for such programs and said the state should return to hiring based on "merit and competency."

Supporters framed the bill as a question of efficacy and use of public funds. Representative from Newton cited aggregated academic reviews and cited specific authors and organizations discussed during debate, saying research has shown training sometimes fails to reduce bias and can "make things worse." He said the bill would not prevent departments from following federal anti-discrimination law.

Opponents said the bill's language is overly broad and could strip funding from programs aimed at increasing…