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Democratic lawmakers gather at the dias in the House chamber in support of an amendment that would have preserved DEI initiates in Texas’ public universities at the state Capitol on Thursday.
Credit:
Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Despite emphatic pleas to reconsider, House Democrats failed to convince their Republican counterparts to remove a rider from the House budget that would ban public higher education institutions from using state funding toward diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The rider, which was attached to the House budget in committee and filed by Rep. Carrie Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, says that no state funds can be used “for diversity, equity, & inclusion practices or similar programs, including personnel, training or activities.”
Rep. Victoria Neave Criado, D-Dallas, filed the amendment to strike the rider. She argued it would lead universities to violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because they would be discouraged from providing services for certain groups, such as English language learners, for “fear of being quote-unquote inclusive.”
The amendment failed in an 83-64 vote against it. Two members were absent.
“What we’re saying is all you people here who now have a place at the table, all these communities who fought and bled and sometimes even died to have a seat at the table, we are now being told [to] get up and leave. Leave this table, you are no longer included,” Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said on the House floor.
Democrats’ inability to get the rider removed signals that supporters of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives face a steep uphill battle to keep those offices and programs in place on public university and community college campuses.
A similar rider was approved in the Senate version of the budget. Lawmakers have also filed multiple pieces of legislation attempting to curtail diversity programs and initiatives on college campuses. Senate Bill 17, one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priorities, would prohibit DEI programs and training on campuses. The bill has a hearing in the Senate subcommittee on higher education Thursday.
Supporters say these offices and programs have been established on college campuses over the past few decades as universities have tried to make sure they are helping all students, including underrepresented students, students of color, first generation college students, veterans and students with disabilities feel welcome and supported to succeed and ultimately graduate. But critics have said these DEI initiatives, particularly in hiring, have gone too far and are political litmus tests. Faculty and students at Texas universities have said that characterization is inaccurate. Similar legislation filed in the House has not yet received a hearing.
— Kate McGee
