LINCOLN − Nebraska students, community members and public school officials packed a committee hearing room floor on Tuesday night to speak passionately about legislation to cut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) funding to public universities and colleges.
In an emotion-filled hearing that spanned late into the evening, more than 60 critics and supporters of the bill waited hours to testify before the committee. About a dozen people testified in favor of dismantling the diversity initiatives, while scores of students praised DEI for its role in promoting under-represented communities.
Along with defunding DEI programs , the bill would make it illegal for publicly funded schools to require employees to be trained about privilege and how it impacts people based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity.
State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, Chair of the Education Committee and the bill’s sponsor, argued that DEI programs are “a threat to academic freedom,” deplete funds during systemwide budget cuts, silence students and faculty whose opinions go against “the DEI movement,” and create racial divides.