The state legislature gave final approval this week to three different bills to ban diversity, equity and inclusion policies and programs.
One bill would put the prohibition in state government agencies. Another would ban DEI at public universities and community colleges. And the third would impact K-12 public schools.
All three passed along party lines without a single vote from Democrats, potentially making it difficult for Republicans to override a likely veto from Gov. Josh Stein.
Rep. Zack Hawkins, D-Durham, said the state government DEI ban would likely imperil programs that help minority businesses bid on state contracts and help students from disadvantaged backgrounds land internships.
"Stopping those pipelines stops North Carolina from being the best state for employment that it can be," Hawkins said. "The state of North Carolina is sometimes the largest employer, depending on where you go, but most importantly, it should be the model employer. ... I think we're sending an incredibly bad signal to people who want to come and do business by supporting anti-diversity, equity and inclusion efforts."
The bill would ban the use of DEI in hiring practices and in employee training. The bill would define DEI as a program or policy intended to "influence hiring or employment practices with respect to race, sex, color, ethnicity, nationality, country of origin, or sexual orientation other than through the use of merit-based hiring processes." It would also ban state funding from being used in DEI programs, and it calls for employees who violate the law to be fired and face fines.
Republicans argued that the state government DEI ban would reinforce that "public jobs should go to the most qualified." And they said the DEI ban in education is needed to comply with federal directives under President Donald Trump's administration.
To keep federal grant money, "we are required to be compliant with federal guidelines, and that includes the elimination of DEI programs across our K-12 system," said Rep. David Willis, R-Union.
Stein has 10 days to sign or veto the bills, or let them become law without his signature.
