Indiana governor signs executive order to replace DEI with 'Merit, Excellence and Innovation'
Indiana Governor Mike Braun has ordered for state agencies to replace DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) with what he calls 'MEI' (Merit, Excellence and Innovation).
On Wednesday, the governor issued Executive Order 25-14, invoking the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 landmark ruling against race-based affirmative action in college admissions.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun has ordered for state agencies to replace DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) with what he calls “MEI”: Merit, Excellence and Innovation.
On Wednesday, the governor issued Executive Order 25-14, invoking the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 landmark ruling against race-based affirmative action in college admissions.
The order prevents agencies from supporting DEI programs if they offer “preferential treatment” for characteristics like race or ethnicity, prohibits mandatory DEI statements for employment, bans mandated preferred pronouns, and blocks required DEI programming and training.
State agencies will also be required to perform a review of all DEI programming to ensure compliance with the governor’s order.
”The intention of this Executive Order is to assure the executive branch of Indiana is in compliance with the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc v. Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College,” the document reads.
The governor’s website writes that the order will instead implement “MEI: Merit, Excellence, and Innovation” and also close the “Chief Equity Inclusion and Opportunity Office.”
The mission of the Chief Equity Inclusion and Opportunity Office is to “provide guidance and support to State of Indiana Agencies in order to normalize and operationalize equity, inclusion, and opportunity across all aspects of state workforce engagement and state services,” according to its website.
Members of the Indiana Democratic Party have condemned Braun’s actions, saying that DEI is essential.
[RELATED: Weber State eliminates DEI language from mission statement]
”Let’s be clear: DEI practices are not about giving any group of people a handout, it’s about helping people who have been historically overlooked a hand up,” State Representative Earl Harris Jr. said in response, according to Fox 59.
”Our government should be a model of fairness and opportunity, not a barrier to it,” State Senator Rodney Pol Jr. remarked. “This is not about politics; it’s about doing what’s right for every Hoosier.”