“DEI has become a political agenda,' said the bill's author, while critics warned that eliminating the programs would jeopardize the progress Texas universities have made in hiring diverse talent.
After more than five hours of debate, the Texas Senate voted, 19-12, late Wednesday to bar all public universities and colleges from having diversity, equity and inclusion programs or staff.
Democrats vehemently opposed the legislation, saying DEI was being mischaracterized by Republicans based on a few isolated incidences, and that it ignored how colleges have used the programs to make sure diverse candidates — once overlooked by universities — are getting a chance to be considered for jobs and future advancement.
Creighton argued that scrapping DEI would allow more “diversity of thought” and lawmakers could work on other ways to promote diversity. “There is no logic in the belief that you can increase diversity by removing the policies and offices that work to promote diversity,” he said.All 12 Democrats in the Texas Senate voted against the bill.
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