Senate education committee approves bill limiting DEI programs at public colleges

The Senate standing committee on education voted to give House Bill 4 a favorable report, advancing a bill that would limit the use of state resources for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and activities at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities.

Representative Jennifer Decker (R), the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure is aimed at “dismantl[ing] the failed and misguided DEI bureaucracy” and at ensuring public institutions do not engage in “unconstitutional differential treatment based on religion, race, color, [sex], and national origin.” She cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard decision and said state law must align with the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Supporters and opponents framed the bill differently. Gerald Neal, state senator for the 30th District, and a coalition of faculty, students and civic groups opposed HB 4 in committee testimony, saying its language is vague, risks unintended consequences for…