‘WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY’

Texas Lawmakers Pass Bill to Ban DEI Programs at Universities

The bill was passed on the eve of the Texas legislative session ending.

Texas is on the brink of joining Florida as the nation’s second state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at state universities. Lawmakers approved a bill over the weekend that’s expected to be signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. The impacted programs would exist for six more months before they’re banished entirely—eliminating hundreds of jobs in higher education and making it illegal to discuss race in the hiring process at state universities. The bill, SB 17, was passed 82-61 on the eve of the Texas legislative session ending, against objections from liberal lawmakers who begged the government to not follow Florida’s lead—citing recent travel advisories against the Sunshine State issued by the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign. “Don’t be on the wrong side of history,” said Rep. Ron Reynolds, a Democrat. “Don’t let Texas be the next state to get a travel advisory. Don’t let the politics of extremism get in the way of the progress.”