Current:Home > ScamsAlabama becomes latest state to pass bill targeting diversity and inclusion programs-InfoLens
Alabama becomes latest state to pass bill targeting diversity and inclusion programs
View Date:2024-12-23 16:43:13
Alabama became the latest state on Wednesday to pass a measure targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Authored by Republican state Sen. Will Barfoot, the bill prohibits certain public agencies from maintaining offices of diversity, equity and inclusion, sponsoring DEI programs and promoting, endorsing and affirming certain "divisive concepts" in certain public settings. It also requires higher education institutions to "designate restrooms on the basis of biological sex."
At least six other states have signed anti-DEI bills into law, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported, and over a dozen states are considering similar measures.
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama bill into law Wednesday.
“My Administration has and will continue to value Alabama’s rich diversity, however, I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses – or wherever else for that matter – to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe," Ivey said.
Alabama bill
The Alabama Senate gave final approval to SB129 on Tuesday, a bill restricting the teaching and funding of topics deemed "divisive concepts" in workplaces and educational settings.
It also allows for penalties for violations, but specific penalties were not listed.
The bill does not prohibit institutions of higher education from "performing research, collecting data, engaging in recruiting and outreach programs, offering academic support services, engaging in clinical trials, or providing medical or mental health care targeted to support individuals of any specific demographic."
Students, advocates decry new measure
Students from universities across the state have opposed the legislation, even holding a rally against the bill March 6 outside of the Statehouse. They say the bill was anti-DEI and went against progress in the state.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama denounced the bill in a statement Tuesday.
“This is a blow for the civic groups, students, and everyday Alabamians who showed up to oppose these bills, but our work doesn't stop here,” said JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of ACLU of Alabama. “Whether it's in the courts, through community action, or continued lobbying, we won't stop fighting for the rights and freedoms of ALL Alabamians. We hope you stay in the fight with us for the long haul.”
Dr. Melvin J. Brown, superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools, and other state educators also spoke out against the bill earlier this month.
"Diversity and inclusion provides an educational experience that allows students to explore a range of perspectives and cultures worldwide. We must create a culture of belonging for every student, no matter their background, preferences, or socioeconomic status. As educators, it is our job to ensure we cultivate environments that allow students to feel safe and prepare them for an evolving world. Introducing a bill that limits this interaction is detrimental to the success of our students’ futures,” Brown said in a statement.
Similar measures in other states have drawn sharp rebuke from advocates. Last week, the NAACP urged Black student-athletes to reconsider attending Florida colleges after some state schools slashed DEI programs. In February, students in Nebraska voiced support for DEI initiatives at a committee hearing as the state considered legislation to cut funding for such programs to public universities. A coalition of students in Texas also condemned a bill prohibiting DEI offices in the state's public colleges and universities that Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June.
Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.
veryGood! (7743)
Related
- Bowl projections: SEC teams joins College Football Playoff field
- Khloe Kardashian's New Photo of Son Tatum Proves the Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree
- Unprecedented images of WWII shipwrecks from Battle of Midway reveal clues about aircraft carriers' final moments
- Florida family welcomes third girl born on the same day in four years
- Voters in Oakland oust Mayor Sheng Thao just 2 years into her term
- The Versailles Palace celebrates its 400th anniversary and hosts King Charles III for state dinner
- Former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones dies, fought to bolster health care and ethics laws in office
- Colombia’s president has a plan for ‘total peace.’ But militias aren’t putting down their guns yet
- Volkswagen, Mazda, Honda, BMW, Porsche among 304k vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
- Book excerpt: The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Ranking
- Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
- 1 year after Mahsa Amini's death, Iranian activists still fighting for freedom
- Strategic border crossing reopens allowing UN aid to reach rebel-held northwest Syria
- London police force says it will take years to root out bad cops
- 32-year-old Maryland woman dies after golf cart accident
- NYC Mayor calls for ‘national assault’ on fentanyl epidemic following death of child
- Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton, more celebrated at 2023 ACM Honors: The biggest moments
- Former Missouri police officer who shot into car gets probation after guilty plea
Recommendation
-
Taking stock of bonds: Does the 60/40 rule still have a role in retirement savings?
-
Browns star Nick Chubb expected to miss rest of NFL season with 'very significant' knee injury
-
UK inquiry: Migrants awaiting deportation are kept ‘in prison-like’ conditions at a detention center
-
Michigan attorney general blames Gov. Whitmer kidnap trial acquittals on ‘right-leaning’ jurors
-
'He's driving the bus': Jim Harbaugh effect paying dividends for Justin Herbert, Chargers
-
Bears raid a Krispy Kreme doughnut van making deliveries on an Alaska military base
-
See Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Debut Newborn Son Riot Rose in Rare Family Photoshoot
-
FCC judge rules that Knoxville's only Black-owned radio station can keep its license