Gov. Greg Abbott, a Texas Republican, signed a new bill into law on Wednesday that bans diversity, equity, and inclusion offices from being included in public higher education. This is a fantastic move on Abbott’s part. Hopefully, other Republican governors across the country will take similar action as a means of preventing people from being indoctrinated with false beliefs about systemic racism and diversity that actually does more harm to minorities than good.
“Now that these bills are law, institutes of higher education are better equipped to prepare the next generation of leaders, and keep Texas the economic engine of the nation,” Republican State Senator Brandon Creighton, who introduced the bill earlier in 2023, went on to say about the legislation. He then stated that “the legislation delivers strong enforcement with mandates to return Texas colleges and universities to their core mission: educate and innovate.”
“A press release from Creighton’s office described Senate Bill 17 as ‘the most significant ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education in the nation,’ adding that DEI offices had ‘grown in size and influence across college campuses requiring political litmus tests,'” the Daily Wire reported.
He continued, “With this bold, forward-thinking legislation to eliminate DEI programs, Texas is leading the nation, and ensuring our campuses return to focusing on the strength of diversity and promoting a merit-based approach where individuals are judged on their qualifications, skills, and contributions.”
Cleighton’s office revealed that the new bill “will close DEI offices on the campuses of state-funded colleges and universities and put an end to all activities that discriminate against students based on their race, ethnicity, or gender.”
The legislation als bans the use of diversity statements for individuals who are applying to work at Texas universities.
News out let the Texas Tribune also reported that Abbott’s chief of staff came out in opposition to DEI programs earlier in 2023, putting out a memo that said, “The innocuous sounding notion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others.”
Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat State Senator, was not impressed by the bill, creating a response condemning the legislation by saying making the case that “Senate Bill 17 will be a giant step backward in our quest for equal opportunity and equal worth for all.”
“Guaranteed, lifetime employment is now a thing of the past at Texas public colleges and universities,” Creighton went on to say in a press release before going on to say “This legislation will be a model for the rest of the nation, ensuring that Texas students have hard-working professors who focus on quality instruction and groundbreaking innovation.”
There’s only one way to take race relations to the next level and it’s a path that liberals are determined not to take. It requires folks to stop putting such a high emphasis on race and the small little stereotypes each group of people has. We need to define others by their actions. Not the color of their skin.