Kentucky Bill to Limit DEI Moves Between Chambers

The Kentucky House recently voted to limit funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion offices at public universities.

The Kentucky House recently voted to limit funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion offices at public universities.The Republican-backed measure to limit DEI practices at Kentucky’s public universities previously won approval from the state Senate after an emotional debate that delved into race relations and what the bill’s sponsor portrayed as the liberal bent on college campuses.

The bill cleared the state Senate, sending the proposal to the state House. But state House members reportedly stripped some state Senate language and inserted a replacement that takes a tougher stand on DEI initiatives at public university campuses. The state Senate is expected will decide in coming days whether to accept the new version.

The GOP has supermajorities in both chambers.

GOP lawmakers have proposed about 50 bills in 20 states that would restrict DEI initiatives or require their public disclosure, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. Democrats have filed about two dozen bills in 11 states that would require or promote DEI initiatives.