After two hours of debate and discussion, House lawmakers on Tuesday sent legislation to Gov. Kevin Stitt that would ban Oklahoma colleges and universities from using state funds for "diversity, equity and inclusion" jobs, activities or programs.
If signed by Stitt, Senate Bill 796, authored by Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont, would also prevent institutions from requiring DEI statements on applications, the disclosure of pronouns and training related to diversity, equity or inclusion. Schools would have until July 1, 2026, to comply.
Despite criticisms that the bill would claw back advancements in civil rights and inclusion, it advanced from the House and Senate with party line votes as proponents argued outcomes should be based on merit.
Crosswhite Hader said DEI has forced students in Oklahoma to take courses or classes that are irrelevant to their degree, prolonging the time and cost of obtaining a postsecondary degree.
Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, said DEI discriminates against white men and punishes people who "work hard."
"The older generation, we got over these racial issues as a society decades ago, before some of you were even born," Fetgatter said. "… The older generations, we used to laugh at each other and how stupid our history was."
A former teacher, Rep. Gabe Woolley, R-Broken Arrow, said he blames DEI policies for the discrimination of a white student. He said the student was bullied for being the only white child in the classroom.
But Democrats said they worried a DEI ban would bleed into inclusion programs like Oklahoma Promise, a scholarship program for qualified low-income students, and would limit opportunities for underrepresented populations.
Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-Oklahoma City, said she feared the legislation would negatively impact students with disabilities and their ability to be included in courses, activities and job searches.
Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said it took until 2015 for her to be elected as the first Asian American woman in the Oklahoma Legislature. She said it's not an indictment of a lack of capable Asian American women, but a lack of representation.
Programs designed to increase inclusion and equity were part of the reason Munson said she was able to be elected to the Legislature.
Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, said her own father attended a segregated school, an example of how such exclusions affect people today.
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