From the floor of the Kentucky Senate, Republican lawmakers joined the chorus of conservatives across the country decrying nationwide diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as divisive and discriminatory against right-wing faculty and students.
Senate Bill 6 ’s sponsor says the bill was directly inspired by a similar Tennessee law. But similar and occasionally more expansive efforts have been introduced in at least 24 other states, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education .
Lawmakers on the House floor Tuesday said DEI has gone too far in higher education. They said the concepts damage the country’s unity, and impinge on free speech on campuses. One GOP lawmaker compared DEI efforts to communism.
“The ideals of DEI are not much different than the ideals of Karl Marx in his fight for economic equality… an equal distribution of capital for equal outcomes,” said Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, a Republican from Smithfield. “We’re seeing dividing people and separating people… which is so opposite of what the intent of DEI is.”