The Republican governor debuted the proposal as part of a larger, higher education legislative package that is expected to be taken up by the GOP-controlled statehouse when its regular session begins in March.
FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in Miami. DeSantis on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, announced plans to block state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced plans to block state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory in his latest step onto the front lines of the nation's culture wars.
In a statement, the governor's office said the proposal “raises the standards of learning and civil discourse of public higher education in Florida” by “prohibiting higher education institutions from using any funding, regardless of source, to support DEI, CRT, and other discriminatory initiatives.” “I think it’s time for us to set a new standard,” said one of the new trustees, conservative activist Christopher Rufo. “I think new leadership is the expectation.”
“That’s what’s at stake today and what we’re here to protect: the freedom to learn, the freedom to think and the freedom to be who we are,” said fourth-year student Madison Markham. “Our public schools have been taken over by the radical-left maniacs,” Trump, the only declared candidate in the race so far, said in a video announcing the plan.
DeSantis and other conservatives have long argued that critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion programs are racially divisive and discriminatory — and are often cited in criticism of what they call “woke” ideology in education.
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