North Carolina House passes bill restricting DEI practices within state government

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina Republican lawmakers have advanced their own bills that target diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The North Carolina House passed a bill restricting DEI practices within state government on Wednesday after votes on it stalled for a few weeks. The state Senate pushed forward its own legislation on the issue earlier this month. If combined, the two bills would enforce DEI limitations at colleges, universities, state agencies, local governments, and public schools - a move Republican proponents say would ensure fairness for students and government workers.

The bills also clear a pathway for North Carolina public entities to be more in line with President Donald Trump's goal of dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.

But the legislation will have a tougher time becoming law than it did a year ago. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein will likely veto the legislation, and Republicans now lack a supermajority in the House that allowed them to override vetoes with relative ease last session.

Getting a Democrat to join Republicans in overriding a veto would be a tough sell, as Democratic Party members have been outspoken in saying the bills are too vague and put unnecessary scrutiny on state employees.

"It's an attack on the very legacy of those who sacrificed to bring us this far. It's an attack on the reality that we are a diverse nation," Democratic Rep. Brandon Lofton said amid more than two hours of debate on the House floor.

Since taking office earlier this year, the Trump administration has embarked on a crusade against what it calls "illegal and immoral discrimination programs," resulting in action ranging from federal investigations of universities for alleged racial discrimination to purges of photos and mentions of minority and female military heroes from government websites. The administration has also threatened to cut funding for local school systems that don't disavow DEI - a move met by resistance from Democratic states and cities.

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Eradicating DEI efforts predates Trump's second term, though. As of a year ago, officials in about one-third of the states had taken some sort of action against DEI initiatives.

North Carolina lawmakers took some action last session, such as enacting a law that prohibited the promotion of certain beliefs that GOP legislators likened to critical race theory in state government workplaces. But for the most part, legislators deferred to others, such as the state's public university system, to implement changes that stifled certain diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at its 17 schools.

Last year, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to repeal and replace its diversity policy with one that emphasized institutional neutrality - the prevention of universities from taking stances on debated political issues. The decision resulted in staff cuts, funding reallocations, and unease among some faculty on the policy's implementation.

This year, House Republicans have targeted state agencies, largely run under Stein, as places to eradicate workplace DEI policies and programs. Employees who violate the ban could face civil penalties and be removed from their agency. State agencies, local governments, and public schools also couldn't apply for federal assistance that requires them to comply with DEI mandates, according to the bill.

"It puts an end to the idea that background should outweigh ability. It stops public jobs, promotions, and contracts from being awarded based on political agendas," said House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, one of the bill's primary sponsors.

On the other hand, the Senate's legislation passed a few weeks ago does much of what was already implemented by the UNC System, aside from explicitly outlining the "divisive concepts" and "discriminatory practices" to be avoided within higher education - such as treating someone differently "solely to advantage or disadvantage" compared to others, according to the bill. It also includes North Carolina's community colleges. A similar bill for K-12 public schools was passed by the Senate last month.

House Republicans were expected to pass their DEI bill at the same time as the Senate. But House Speaker Destin Hall had said pending amendments and absences delayed the vote.

"We've seen our institutions drift. We've watched the government move away from excellence toward agenda hiring, favoring narratives over qualifications, checking boxes instead of resumes," said Rep. Brenden H Jones, a Republican who serves as House Majority Leader and represents District 46, during floor debate.

The bill prohibits public funds from being spent on hiring for DEI positions and further bans any agency and public schools from accepting or utilizing federal funds, grants, or other financial assistance that require compliance with DEI policies.

"It is going to slash programs that are doing great things for North Carolina. It's going to slash funding for organizations that are doing great things in North Carolina, or it's going to cut back the work that they're doing. So by any stretch, this bill will have huge negative ramifications for the people of North Carolina," said Representative Terry Brown, a Democrat who represents District 92.

"They seem to be living in a different world than those of us that are dealing with these things all the time. And also, how can you outlaw a concept like diversity and equity? It's nuts," said Karen Ziegler, Lead Organizer with the advocacy group Democracy Out Loud.

Members of the group spoke against the bill as it moved through the Committee.

One portion drawing considerable attention is penalties for violations, as individuals can be fined up to $10,000 for each occurrence.

"This is going to make a lot of folks in state government, folks across the state of North Carolina, think twice when they're making hiring decisions. Ultimately, it will make a lot of folks who are otherwise qualified not get hired because of the fear of this legislation," said Brown.

"It's putting a terrible burden on the people who are doing hiring," Ziegler said.

Some statewide officeholders have already announced they would be ending DEI initiatives under their purview, including State Auditor Dave Boliek and Labor Commissioner Luke Farley.

"Once again, the Republican party will deliver our nation from the discriminatory work and policies that Democrats are responsible for," said Representative Brian Echevarria, a Republican who represents District 82.

The vote was along party lines, a notable point as Republicans do not hold a supermajority in the House. Due to that, they would need to win over one Democrat to overcome a potential veto from Governor Josh Stein.

"It simply says that public funds cannot be used to give advantages simply on identity. Programs open to all - fine. Preferences based on race or gender - no. We're ending set-asides that pick winners and losers based on traits that people can't control," said Jones.

"This bill is asking, do we end discriminatory practices in our government hiring or not?" said Echevarria.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.