— by McKenna Horsley, Kentucky Lantern —
FRANKFORT — A Republican lawmaker filed a sweeping bill Wednesday aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Kentucky’s public universities and colleges.
Rep. Jennifer Decker’s House Bill 4 comes as DEI programs in higher education, the private sector and federal government are under siege by Republicans, including President Donald Trump.
Decker’s bill would prevent colleges from spending money on DEI initiatives as well as require them to close DEI offices and eliminate all DEI officer positions by June 30, 2025. It also prevents universities from requiring students and staff to complete DEI training sessions or courses. Universities could not require individuals to endorse or condemn specific political or social viewpoints as part of hiring, tenure, admission or other processes.
Decker, of Waddy, was the primary sponsor of a bill last year that also sought to curb DEI initiatives. That legislation morphed into Senate Bill 6, which died at the end of the session. Some provisions from those pieces of legislation are part of the new 43-page bill, such as authorizing the Kentucky attorney general to bring civil lawsuits against universities that do not comply with the law and allowing individuals to sue if they feel their rights have been violated.
If passed, the bill would also require the Council on Postsecondary Education and universities to annually certify their compliance with the law. CPE would also have to establish an annual survey or rubric to “assess intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on college campuses.
“With this measure, we seek to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, and ensure that our university campuses are free from the failed and misguided DEI policies that have proven only to make higher education less attainable for Kentuckians,” Decker said in a statement. “To preserve academic integrity and free expression, colleges must eliminate DEI mandates that have made our campuses more divided and more expensive.”
Decker declined to take questions from reporters after filing the bill Wednesday afternoon.
Since the legislation died in the General Assembly last year, the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University closed their DEI offices. Decker said in her statement that her bill builds on those actions “and ensures there are appropriate guidelines in place.”
Republican Senate President Robert Stivers last week said an informal working group with Kentucky lawmakers and the Office of the Attorney General discussed potential DEI legislation with Kentucky universities, which, he said, could be affected by changes from the federal level.
On the national scene, DEI has come under conservative fire in recent years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned affirmative action policies in universities in 2023. Since coming into office last month, Trump has taken several steps to eliminate DEI, including signing an executive order that directed his administration to identify potential civil compliance investigations of corporations, nonprofit organizations, some higher education institutions and more.
Republicans hold a supermajority in both the Kentucky House and Senate, so if they agree on a bill this session, it would likely become law. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has repeatedly said he supports DEI programs and initiatives, but the Republican supermajority could easily override any veto he issued.
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
