(The Center Square) — A bill that would put the clamps on diversity, equity, and inclusion in state government was approved by a House Committee on Thursday despite objections by Democrats.
House Bill 421, by Rep. Emily Chernevert, R-East Baton Rouge, was excoriated by the House & Governmental Affairs Committee’s Democrats, but the bill was approved on a party-line vote.
The bill requires all Louisiana state agencies to abolish any programs, offices, positions, or employee requirements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, better known as DEI.
Chenervert did her best to defend her bill, but was unable to avoid the ire and acrimony of the Democratic committee members. The bill passed by a 10-6 vote, with only Republicans in support.
DEI, which advocates say means for improving educational opportunities for underrepresented communities, has come under extreme scrutiny in recent years. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious affirmative action was unconstitutional, thereby requiring schools to halt recruiting and applicant-consideration based on race.
“This bill is about falling under federal laws we do not want to infringe on,” Chenevert said. “It is just simply creating equality for all, opportunity for all Louisianians, no matter what, no matter race or background or where they come from.”
The legislation also targets college coursework, directing public higher education boards to eliminate DEI-related content — such as critical race theory or systemic racism — from general education and most undergraduate degree requirements, while allowing departments like gender or ethnic studies to continue offering such content within their programs.
In October, Louisiana State University’s board of supervisors eliminated some programs that preclude “any preferential treatment in violation of the rule of law outlined by the Supreme Court in SFA v. Harvard”
President Donald Trump and conservatives more broadly have been very hostile to DEI policies. Chenervert’s law reflects many of the same themes and strategies seen in the executive orders issued by President Donald Trump on his first day in office that also target diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools.
Members and witnesses also worried about the effect on other institutions, such as police training. According to Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, D-East Baton Rouge, police in Louisiana have mandatory “race relations” training, which she worried would now be unlawful under Chenevert’s legislation.
“We had issues with the police and how they were treating people in our state, and we implemented training, and we wanted race related training,” Marcelle said. “We want the police to know about African American males and we wanted to make sure that that message was real clear, So we implemented that in the state.”
“The DEI programs have been misperceived in so many ways which have been perpetuated around the country,” said former state representative and current chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party Randal Gaines. “It’s not giving them an advantage. It’s making sure that they’re not disadvantaged by racial prejudice or gender prejudice or any other kind of discrimination prejudice that might handicap them.”
