North Carolina DEI crackdown stalls as governor vetoes 'divisive' bills
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoed several bills aimed at restricting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at public universities this past week.
The governor’s office announced his vetoes of Senate Bill 558 and House Bill 171 in a press release on July 3.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoed several bills aimed at restricting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at public universities and the state government.
The governor’s office announced his vetoes of Senate Bill 558 and House Bill 171 in a press release on July 3. Gov. Stein criticized the bills for divisive distractions from more important issues.
“At a time when teachers, law enforcement, and state employees need pay raises and people need shorter lines at the DMV, the legislature failed to pass a budget and, instead, wants to distract us by stoking culture wars that further divide us,” he wrote in the press release.
“These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education,” he continued. “Therefore, I am vetoing them. I stand ready to work with the legislature when it gets serious about protecting people and addressing North Carolinians’ pressing concerns.”
The state senate passed S.B. 558, a measure to ban “divisive concepts” and “discriminatory practices” at public universities, in April.
The divisive concepts include saying that “One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,” “An individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive,” and “An individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex.”
Similarly, H.B. 171 targets DEI practices across the state and local governments.
In his veto message, Stein said that the measure is “riddled with vague definitions yet imposes extreme penalties for unknowable violations” and that the bill “will make it harder for state government to provide the highest quality of service.”
State lawmakers could override the vetoes with a three-fifths majority vote when the General Assembly next meets on July 28.
Other Republican-leaning states have taken action to counter DEI practices in recent years.
Kansas’ recently passed budget for this fiscal year prohibits public universities from maintaining DEI offices or promoting “gender ideology.” To comply with the new law, Wichita State University required employees to remove “gender identifying pronouns or gender ideology” from school email accounts.
Campus Reform contacted Gov. Stein’s office for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
