Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting diversity efforts on campus and elsewhere

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Diversity initiatives would be defunded or banned from universities and other public institutions under a slate of bills pending in Republican-led legislatures, with some lawmakers counting on the issue resonating with voters in this election year. Republican lawmakers have proposed about 50 bills in 20 states this year that would restrict or require public disclosure of DEI initiatives. The bills have a heavy focus on higher education. But Republicans also are sponsoring bills seeking to limit DEI in K-12 schools, state government, state contracting and pension investments. Democrats have filed about two dozen bills in 11 states that would require or promote DEI initiatives.