GOP-run states are deepening their campaign to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, broadening their scope beyond higher education into wider government activities. The breadth of the initiative has grown stronger in recent years, especially since President Donald Trump fully supported the anti-DEI cause.
Under an analysis by the Associated Press based on the Plural bill-tracking tool, Republican lawmakers and governors have virtually doubled the number of anti-DEI measures this year over 2023, itself having doubled from the last year.
Trump’s administration has made executive orders aimed at DEI, with the ripple effects now being experienced at federal agencies, schools, and universities—despite ongoing legal fights. Shaun Harper, an associate professor at the University of Southern California and founder of the National DEI Defense Coalition, said, “The federal assaults on diversity, equity and inclusion from the Trump presidency have further made way for conservative state legislatures.” He continued, “We are witnessing the replication of the anti-DEI effort literally everywhere.”
Blueprint for the Movement
Most of the anti-DEI bills borrow from a four-phase plan formulated by right-wing policy groups—the Manhattan Institute and Goldwater Institute—a couple of years ago. Based on their example, which at first focused on universities, shutting down DEI departments, cancelling compulsory diversity sessions, prohibiting hiring DEI assertions, and suppressing racial or sex-based preferences on admissions and hire were among those proposed.
And now, Republican state governments are bringing these same concepts to state and city governments. “Even though the Trump administration has acted, the states can’t count on the federal government to eliminate DEI on their behalf,” Timothy Minella, senior fellow at the Goldwater Institute, explained.
What DEI Aims to Do
DEI programs have been prevalent in academia, business, and public institutions in an effort to build inclusive spaces. The advocates posit that these programs assist individuals in understanding each other despite varying in race, gender, culture, and experience. They are also designed to make students and employees from marginalized communities feel valued and supported.
To that effect, numerous DEI offices provide resources specific to individuals according to race, gender identity, sexuality, or disability. Processes of admissions, scholarship provision, and hiring frequently consider equity objectives to more accurately mirror society at large.
AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling indicates that while the phrase “DEI” is polarizing, standalone components—such as scholarships for students of color or classes in racism—are more accepted. The survey says roughly 4 in 10 Americans are in favor of DEI at colleges, 3 in 10 against, and another 3 in 10 are indifferent.
President Joe Biden has required DEI targets in a range of government initiatives, something which Trump has promised to undo. Trump and his supporters claim DEI erodes meritocracy, with critics calling it “new forms of racism.” The push to roll back DEI accelerated following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on affirmative action in university admissions.
How States Define and Target DEI
There is no consistent definition of DEI from state to state, but the majority of anti-DEI bills target race, sex, gender, and ethnicity. A few states, such as Wyoming and Oklahoma, ban activities that provide “preferential or differential treatment” on those grounds.
Significantly, these initiatives tend to leave out populations like individuals with disabilities, veterans, and low-income individuals—populations also targeted by equity policies. “Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts go far beyond race, gender and sexuality, but it has been defined in ways that targets those populations and demonize those populations,” said Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.
Some Trump-era executive order-affected employees say DEI resistance is being used as pretext to summarily dismiss minorities and women. A federal employee class-action lawsuit contends the policies are discriminatory against anyone who is not a white male.
State and Governor Actions Escalate
Thus far, 24 states have enacted legislation or signed orders limiting DEI in government agencies and public universities since 2023. Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming are some of the top states at the forefront.
In Missouri, a bill to limit DEI in education was omitted from last year’s budget but re-introduced this year after Governor Mike Kehoe issued an order prohibiting DEI expenditures by state departments.
Governors are also increasingly assuming leadership roles. In January, newly elected West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey banned DEI hiring and activities involving race- or gender-based preference. Indiana Governor Mike Braun also did so a day later. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, already having curtailed DEI expenditures in universities, further expanded his initiative this year, saying the nation should maintain a “color-blind guarantee.” His directive also termed DEI policies as “blatant efforts to divide people” and condemned them for bringing “new forms of racism.”
What’s Next: Expanding to Curricula
A new Idaho law, signed into effect by Governor Brad Little, makes history by legislating about college coursework. It prohibits DEI offices and prohibits colleges from mandating DEI-themed classes except when the student is a race or gender studies major.
It’s the first such law in the country, according to the Goldwater Institute. Written in conjunction with Speech First, the model is dubbed the “Freedom from Indoctrination Act.”
Our aim is to eliminate the DEI requirements for general education and programs to earn a degree,” declared Minella, underscoring the larger objective to transform public schooling and government operations according to anti-DEI ideology.
